Bug Report: WhatsApp Desktop Accessibility and Sync Failure
Mujtaba Merchant
OS: Windows 10
Application: WhatsApp Desktop (2025 Update)
Assistive Technology: NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)
Summary: Assistive technology users (NVDA) face significant barriers when attempting to delete multiple messages. The interface lacks "Selected/Unselected" status announcements, the selection process is non-intuitive, and the delete command fails to synchronize with the server despite a visual/audio confirmation ("Undo").
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open WhatsApp Desktop on Windows 10 with NVDA active.
2. Navigate to a chat and open the context menu on a message.
3. Select the Select option to enter multi-select mode.
4. Navigate to subsequent messages and attempt to select them using the Spacebar.
5. Observe that NVDA does not announce the state (e.g., "Selected").
6. Tab to the Delete button and press Enter.
7. In the resulting dialog, select Delete for me and press Enter.
8. Observe NVDA announcing "Undo," implying a successful deletion.
9. Navigate away and return to the chat, or check the WhatsApp mobile application.
Expected Results:
• NVDA should announce "Selected" or "Checked" when a message is added to the selection.
• A shortcut key (e.g., Ctrl + Space) should exist to toggle selection without entering deep menus.
• Once "Delete for me" is selected, the messages should be permanently removed from both the desktop client and the synced mobile device.
Actual Results:
• NVDA remains silent regarding the selection status of items.
• The selection mode requires excessive tabbing and menu navigation.
• Critical Failure: While the UI provides a success toast (announced as "Undo"), the messages are not deleted from the chat window or the server.
Proposed Solutions:
1. Aria-Live implementation: Add aria-checked states to message containers so screen readers can announce the selection status.
2. Native Checkboxes: Use standard checkbox elements that respond to the Spacebar and provide immediate state feedback.
3. Sync Verification: Investigate why the "Undo" state is triggered without a successful server-side deletion.
4. Selection Shortcut: Implement a "Select All" or a bulk-action shortcut for faster navigation for keyboard users.