Can’t scroll through WhatsApp Web chats? New bug disrupts scrolling for users

Millions of WhatsApp Web users across the globe found themselves unable to scroll through their chat lists on Tuesday, prompting a flood of complaints on social media. The desktop version, which connects to smartphones via Linked Devices and operates independently, has become an essential tool for many who keep it running in the background for work and personal messaging.

But the latest glitch left users frustrated, as scrolling — a core part of the web experience — stopped functioning properly. Reports indicate that the issue prevents smooth navigation up and down chat feeds, with mouse scrolls and touchpads failing to respond inside WhatsApp Web while working fine on other websites.

Several users flagged the bug on X, formerly Twitter. One user posted, “Dear WhatsApp We are unable to scroll msg through mouse or touchpad. Kindly resolve ASAP.” Another wrote, “WhatsApp Web users globally reporting inability to scroll through chats or messages.”

Technology analysts and users observed a pattern, noting that the bug frequently appears after the emoji or sticker panel is opened in a conversation. Refreshing the browser tab temporarily restores scrolling for some, while others suggested avoiding stickers altogether until a permanent fix arrives.

According to community posts, this issue may not be entirely new. Threads on Reddit from last year described similar behaviour, including random jumps or frozen chats during navigation. At the time, suggested workarounds included resizing the browser window or using the “Alt” key while scrolling.

Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has yet to confirm or address the bug officially. However, initial checks suggest that the glitch could have been introduced in a recent update to the web version of the app.

This latest technical snag follows a series of disruptions on the platform in recent months.

WhatsApp suffered a widespread outage on Monday, disrupting messaging and Status updates across its mobile and web platforms. Downdetector logged hundreds of problem reports between 1:10 p.m. and 2:20 p.m. IST, with most users unable to connect to servers, some facing website errors and others encountering mobile app issues. The disruption affected Android, iOS and web users, and also blocked attempts to link new devices to WhatsApp accounts. In April, WhatsApp experienced an outage that left thousands unable to send or receive messages. Downdetector recorded over 460 complaints at the peak of that incident, with most users reporting failed message deliveries and others struggling with status updates or login attempts. Earlier, on February 28, another major outage drew over 5,000 global reports of undelivered messages.

WhatsApp, used by more than 530 million people in India and nearly 3 billion worldwide, remains one of the most widely relied-upon messaging services globally. Any interruption, even a seemingly small glitch like this scrolling issue, quickly becomes highly visible and disruptive.

As of Tuesday evening, Meta had not provided any public response or timeline for a fix.