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· 6 min read

How to Schedule Messages on WhatsApp Web (Free, No Extra App)

WhatsApp Web can't schedule messages on its own. Learn how to set a date, time and repeat with a free extension — plus the real limitations most guides skip.

You need to send a payment reminder first thing Monday, wish a customer happy birthday, or follow up with a lead in three days. You open WhatsApp Web, look for a schedule button and… there isn't one. It's not you: WhatsApp Web really has no built-in scheduling, neither on a regular account nor on WhatsApp Business.

The workaround is a browser extension that adds the feature to WhatsApp Web. This guide shows how to do it for free and — more importantly — the real limitations of this kind of tool, because they exist and almost nobody mentions them before you install.

Why WhatsApp Web doesn't schedule messages

Scheduling a message means something has to be awake at send time to press the button. On WhatsApp, that "something" can only be your own phone or your own browser — Meta does not hold messages to send later on behalf of regular accounts. That is why the feature never made it into the app.

Scheduling does exist on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (the Cloud API), but that's a different world: you have to register a number, sign up with a provider and pay Meta's usage-based messaging fees. If all you want is to schedule a follow-up, it's overkill.

How to schedule a message with TappyWhats

TappyWhats is a free extension for Chrome and Edge that adds scheduling — along with a Kanban CRM and quick replies — right inside WhatsApp Web. Step by step:

  1. 1Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store or the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store.
  2. 2Open WhatsApp Web and log in as usual. TappyWhats appears next to the chat.
  3. 3Create your free account — we don't ask for a credit card.
  4. 4Open the Scheduled messages panel, pick the contact and write your message.
  5. 5Set the send date and time. If it repeats, choose how often.
  6. 6Confirm. The message joins the queue and goes out on its own at the scheduled time.

You can schedule more than text

Scheduling supports images, videos, documents and voice notes you record on the spot. It's handy for sending your updated price list every Monday, or a welcome voice note you record once and reuse.

Recurring messages

Besides one-off sends, you can set daily, weekly, monthly or yearly recurrence. Times are always local — if you travel or serve customers in another country, the time zone is handled automatically, so you don't have to recalculate anything.

The real limitations (read before installing)

Here's the part ads tend to hide, and it's worth understanding before you rely on the tool for anything important:

  • Your computer must be on, with WhatsApp Web open, at send time. Your browser sends the message, not a server, so a computer that's off means a message that's not sent. And the browser doesn't run in the background: if the PC shuts down or the browser closes midway, the automation stops right there and does not resume on its own later — anything left half-done needs a manual review. If you schedule something for 8 a.m. Monday, leave the computer on.
  • Automatic sending is opt-in and off by default. Nothing goes out automatically until you turn it on — that's a deliberate safeguard, not an oversight.
  • There's no such thing as "anti-ban". Any tool that promises to get around WhatsApp's blocks is lying to you. What you can do is send responsibly: one message at a time, with a gap between them.

Sending safely: queue, interval and pause

The most common reason a number gets blocked isn't using an extension — it's sending too fast to people who never asked to hear from you. That's why TappyWhats processes sends in a queue, one contact at a time, with a configurable interval between messages, a pause button and duplicate protection (a message already marked as sent never goes out twice).

If you need to reach several contacts from your own customer list, there's the Bulk sending (Remarketing) feature, which applies the same brakes: limits, business hours, rotating message variations, opt-out and a sending report. It's controlled sending to people who are already your customers — not a blind campaign to a purchased list — and the extension asks you to accept a responsibility agreement before you use it.

What about your data?

CRM data — cards, notes, labels and the scheduled messages themselves — is saved to your TappyWhats account, isolated from other accounts, so you don't lose anything when you switch computers or reinstall the extension. Sending, however, is still done by your browser, not by a server of ours connected to your WhatsApp. You can export your data to a JSON file whenever you like.

Install TappyWhats for free on Chrome or Edge and schedule your first message in a few minutes. No credit card.

Quick answers

Can I schedule a WhatsApp message without installing anything?

Not on WhatsApp Web or the regular app — neither has built-in scheduling. The options are a browser extension like TappyWhats or the official Business Platform (Cloud API) through a provider.

Will the message go out if my computer is off?

No. Your browser does the sending, so the computer has to be on with WhatsApp Web open. A message scheduled for a time when the PC was off is not sent later on its own — you'll need to review and reschedule it.

Does scheduling work with WhatsApp Business?

Yes. The extension works with both regular WhatsApp and the WhatsApp Business app on WhatsApp Web, with no need for the official API.

Install TappyWhats and try Pro for 7 days

Kanban CRM, quick replies and scheduled messages inside WhatsApp Web. No credit card.

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Frequently asked questions

Before you install, understand how TappyWhats works

The most important question comes first: anything automatic depends on your computer being on. It’s all explained below, with no fine print.

Automation runs on your PC — not in the cloud

Automatic sending doesn’t happen on a server of ours: your own computer does the work. Automatic follow-up, scheduled messages and bulk sending are run by the browser, in the WhatsApp Web tab. For a routine that sends overnight or all day long, the computer needs to stay on 24 hours a day, with the browser open. Shut down, went to sleep or closed the browser? The automation is cut off where it was and does NOT resume on its own when the machine turns back on — whatever was left halfway needs your manual review.

Automatic follow-up Scheduled messages Bulk sendingrequire the PC to be on — and don’t resume on their own if it shuts down
Do I need to leave my computer on for automations to work?

Yes — and that applies to everything automatic: automatic follow-up, scheduled messages and bulk sending (remarketing). TappyWhats has no server sending messages for you: your own computer does the work, inside the browser, in the WhatsApp Web tab. In practice, your PC is the server. If it is off, asleep, offline or WhatsApp Web is closed, nothing is sent at that time. If your routine sends overnight, on weekends or throughout the day, the computer needs to stay on 24 hours a day, with the browser open on WhatsApp Web.

Why doesn’t TappyWhats send from the cloud, like other platforms?

Because that exact choice is what keeps the price so low. A cloud platform has to keep a server connected to your WhatsApp 24 hours a day, and that cost shows up in the monthly fee. TappyWhats runs inside the browser you already use: there is no server of ours connected to your WhatsApp sending messages, so there is no per-customer sending infrastructure cost. The price of that savings is depending on your computer being on for anything automatic. It’s a deliberate trade-off, made for people who are just starting out and don’t want to pay a high monthly fee.

If I turn off my computer or close the browser, will the automation pick up again on its own?

No. This is the part that needs to be clear before you buy: the browser does not run in the background. If the computer shuts down, goes to sleep, loses internet or the browser is closed, the automation is CUT OFF where it was and does not resume on its own when the machine comes back. When you turn it back on, you need to open WhatsApp Web and MANUALLY REVIEW whatever was left halfway: check who already received it, what didn’t go out, and reschedule what’s missing. A message scheduled for a time when the PC was off is not sent later on its own either. We don’t promise that everything resumes by itself, because today it doesn’t. If your operation can’t depend on this, the way to go is TappyOne CRM (crm.tappy.id), which runs on a server.

Does a closed laptop or a sleeping computer count as “on”?

No. A closed laptop, a computer in sleep or hibernation, and a closed browser cut off the automation just like shutting the machine down — and since it doesn’t resume on its own, each of these situations turns into a manual review afterward. To run overnight: in Windows power options, set sleep and hibernate to "Never" (turning off only the screen is fine), keep Chrome or Edge open on the WhatsApp Web tab, keep the internet connected, and prevent Windows from restarting on its own for updates.

I can’t leave my PC on all the time. Is there a version that runs on a server?

Yes: TappyOne CRM (crm.tappy.id). It’s our platform that runs on our own servers, 24 hours a day — follow-up, scheduling and sending keep happening with your computer off, and your team can access it from anywhere. It’s a separate product, with a subscription from R$ 157 (Brazilian reais) per month. To sum up the choice: TappyWhats is the low-cost option for people who are just starting out and can leave the PC on; TappyOne CRM is for those who can no longer depend on a machine being on.

Can I rent a cloud machine (VPS) just to keep TappyWhats running?

You can. Some people rent a remote Windows computer and leave the browser open there, precisely so they don’t depend on their home PC. It works, but you end up paying for that machine and looking after it: updates, the WhatsApp Web session dropping, restarts. Before going down that path, compare the cost with TappyOne CRM (crm.tappy.id, from R$ 157 (Brazilian reais) per month), which already delivers this ready to use and with support.

What about the features that aren’t automatic — do they also require the PC to be on?

No. The Kanban CRM, labels, notes, quick replies, history and search are used manually: they work when you open the browser and don’t need anything running in the background. The computer-on requirement applies only to things that happen on their own at a set time: automatic follow-up, scheduled messages and bulk sending.

Is TappyWhats free?

When you install it, you get a 7-day free Pro trial, no card required. After that, the extension stays on the Free plan, with lower limits. Paid plans are optional and appear inside the extension itself.

Where is my data stored?

With a TappyWhats account (including during the free trial and on the Free plan), your CRM data — cards, notes, labels, reminders and settings — is stored on the TappyWhats server, isolated per account, so you don’t lose anything when you switch computers or work as a team. Message text is encrypted and used only by product features, such as AI; photos, videos and documents are not stored on the server. You can export everything as JSON whenever you want.

TappyOne CRM

Can’t leave your PC on 24 hours a day?

Then the way to go is TappyOne CRM: our platform that runs on a server, 24 hours a day. Follow-up, scheduling and sending keep happening with your computer off, and your team can access it from anywhere. Subscription from R$ 157 (Brazilian reais) per month.

Discover TappyOne CRM

TappyWhats is the low-cost option for people who are just starting out. TappyOne CRM is the next step.

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