Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. WhatsApp has no email address, so you cannot email a chat directly. You share the content across instead. The fastest way to send a Gmail message to WhatsApp is to copy the text and paste it into a chat. On a phone you can also share the email as a PDF or a screenshot, and for a steady stream of mail you can set up auto forwarding.
On this page
- Can you send an email straight to WhatsApp
- Which way fits you
- The quickest way, copy and paste
- How to share a Gmail message to WhatsApp on your phone
- How to send a Gmail email or attachment as a file
- How to auto forward emails to WhatsApp
- How to send a WhatsApp message back to email
- Frequently asked questions
Can you send an email straight to WhatsApp?
Not directly, and it helps to know that up front. WhatsApp has no email address and no email in gateway for personal accounts, so there is no way to email a chat the way you would email a person. What you can do, easily and for free, is move the content of the email across into a WhatsApp chat. That takes a few seconds, and there are three simple ways to do it depending on whether you want the words, the whole email, or a hands off setup.
Which way fits you?
If you just need the message itself, copying the text and pasting it into a chat is the fastest route. If you want the whole email including its layout, sending it as a PDF keeps everything intact. And if emails arrive all day and you want them to land in WhatsApp on their own, an automation can do that. Here is how the choices line up.
Copy the text for speed, send a PDF for the whole email, or automate a steady stream.
The quickest way, copy and paste
For a single message this beats everything. Open the email in Gmail, select the text you want, and copy it. Open the WhatsApp chat, paste, and send. It works the same on a phone and on a computer, it carries links across as text, and it takes about ten seconds. When someone just needs the details from an email, a booking, an address, a code, this is all you need.
Copying the message and pasting it into a WhatsApp chat, the fastest route for a single email.
How to share a Gmail message to WhatsApp on your phone?
On a phone you have a couple of quick options beyond copy and paste. To send the words, open the message in the Gmail app, press and hold the body, select the text, and copy it, then open WhatsApp and paste it into the chat. To capture how the email looks, take a screenshot and send that as an image, which is handy for receipts, tickets or anything with formatting. Gmail’s own Forward button sends by email rather than to WhatsApp, so for WhatsApp you copy the text, share a screenshot, or send it as a PDF as shown next. This all works the same on Android and on iPhone.
How to send a Gmail email or attachment as a file?
When you want the entire email, layout and all, send it as a PDF. In Gmail open the message, choose Print, then pick Save as PDF as the destination, and save it to your device. Now open WhatsApp, tap the attach icon in the chat, choose Document, and pick that PDF. Our guide to saving a Gmail email as a PDF walks through that part in detail. If what you actually want to share is a file that came attached to an email, it is even simpler. Download the attachment from Gmail first, then attach it in WhatsApp the same way, as a document or from your gallery if it is a photo.
“People search for an email to WhatsApp gateway expecting a hidden address, but there is not one for personal accounts. Real automation runs Gmail into a service like Zapier or Make, which then calls the WhatsApp Business API to deliver the message. It works well, it just lives on the business side of WhatsApp, not the app on your phone.” Shubham Dixit, Email reviewer (draft, pending approval)
How to auto forward emails to WhatsApp?
If you want new emails to reach WhatsApp on their own, that needs an automation, because personal WhatsApp has no email inbox to forward to. The pattern is always the same. A service such as Zapier, Make or IFTTT watches your Gmail for new mail that matches a rule, then hands the content to the WhatsApp Business API, which delivers it into a chat. You set the trigger once, for example only emails from a certain sender or with a certain label, and it runs by itself after that. It is more setup than the manual methods and the delivery side uses WhatsApp Business rather than the everyday app, so it suits alerts and business messages more than the odd personal forward.
Auto forwarding runs Gmail through an automation service and the WhatsApp Business API.
How to send a WhatsApp message back to email?
Going the other way is built in. To move a whole conversation, open the chat, tap the menu, choose More then Export chat, and pick email as the destination, with or without media. To send just one message, press and hold it, choose Share or Forward, and pick your email app. That covers the times you need a WhatsApp thread saved in Gmail rather than an email pushed out to WhatsApp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you send an email directly to WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp has no email address for personal accounts, so you share the content into a chat instead, by copying the text, sending a screenshot, or attaching the email as a PDF.
How do I send a Gmail message to WhatsApp?
Open the email, copy the text, then paste it into a WhatsApp chat and send. For the whole email, save it as a PDF and attach that in the chat instead.
How do I forward an email to WhatsApp on my phone?
Copy the message text in the Gmail app and paste it into WhatsApp, or take a screenshot and send it as an image. To keep the full layout, save the email as a PDF and attach it. This works on Android and iPhone.
How do I send a file or PDF from Gmail to WhatsApp?
Download the attachment from Gmail first, then in WhatsApp tap the attach icon, choose Document or Gallery, and pick the file. To send the email itself, save it as a PDF and attach that.
Can I auto forward emails to WhatsApp?
Yes, with an automation. A service like Zapier, Make or IFTTT watches Gmail and delivers matching emails through the WhatsApp Business API. It needs a one time setup and uses WhatsApp Business rather than the personal app.
How do I send from Gmail to WhatsApp on a PC?
Open WhatsApp Web in your browser, then copy the email text and paste it into a chat, or attach a downloaded file or a saved PDF using the attach icon.
Your email, into the chat in seconds
There is no secret address that lets you email a WhatsApp chat, and once you let go of looking for one the job is quick. Copy the text and paste it for a single message, send the email as a PDF when the layout matters, download an attachment and share it as a file, and reach for an automation only when you want a steady stream to arrive on its own. Every one of these is free and takes moments, so your email is in the chat about as fast as you can pick the contact.
