How to Send Gmail Messages to WhatsApp (4 Free Ways)
Written by Shaks George, Senior Analyst at Corbett Software. Shaks works on email client migration and mailbox data recovery cases.
Got an email in Gmail you need to share on WhatsApp? There is no single button that sends a Gmail email straight to WhatsApp, but bridging the two takes seconds once you pick the right free method. Which one to use depends on what you are sharing and whether you are on a phone or a computer.
Summary: Gmail and WhatsApp do not connect directly, so you share an email using one of four free methods. Copy and paste the text for a short message, send a screenshot for a quick look, save the email as a PDF for a long message or attachments, or build a wa.me link to drop text into one chat. Pick the one that fits what you are sending.
Can You Send Gmail to WhatsApp Directly?
The honest answer is no, not with a direct button. Gmail and WhatsApp are separate apps with no built in link between them, so you cannot forward an email into a WhatsApp chat the way you forward it to another email address. WhatsApp also cannot open an email file on its own.
What you can do, and what people mean when they ask this, is move the content across using a free method that suits the job. There are four good ones, and the only real decision is which fits your situation. The guide below lays them out, then walks through each.
Pick the Right Method for Your Situation
Before the steps, here is the quick way to choose. Match the method to what you are sharing and the device you are on.
Pick Your Way to Share Gmail on WhatsApp
No direct button exists. All four are free. Match one to your situation.
Any device
Best for a short message. Fast, but long emails lose their formatting.
Phone
Best for a quick look. Easy on a phone, but the text is not selectable.
Desktop
Best for a long email or attachments. Keeps the layout, sent as a file.
Any device
Best for one message to one contact. Pastes text straight into chat.
Tip: WhatsApp cannot open an email file directly, so share text or a PDF.
Method 1: Copy and Paste the Email Text
The simplest method, and the right one for a short email or a few lines you want in a chat.
- Open the email in Gmail, on the web or in the app.
- Select the text you want, then copy it.
- Open the WhatsApp chat or group, tap the message box and paste.
- Send it. The text arrives as a normal message.
This works on any device and costs nothing. The catch is formatting, a long email with headings, links and spacing usually arrives as one plain block, so it suits short content best.
Method 2: Send a Screenshot
When you just need someone to see the email rather than work with the text, a screenshot is the fastest route on a phone.
- Open the email in the Gmail app and scroll to what you want to capture.
- Take a screenshot using your phone’s normal button combination.
- Open the WhatsApp chat, tap the attachment or camera icon and choose the screenshot from your gallery.
- Send it.
This keeps the email looking exactly as it does on screen. The trade is that the recipient cannot select or copy the text, and a long email may need several screenshots to capture in full.
Method 3: Save the Email as a PDF
For a long email, or one with the layout and attachments intact, saving it as a PDF and sending that file is the cleanest method. It works best on a computer.
- Open the email in Gmail and click the Print icon at the top right of the message.
- In the print dialog, change the destination to Save as PDF and save the file to your computer.
- Open WhatsApp Web or the desktop app and sign in.
- Open the chat, click the attachment icon, choose Document and select the PDF, then send.
The recipient gets a tidy file that keeps the email’s layout and can be opened on any device. This is the method to use when the content matters and you do not want it broken up.
Method 4: Use a wa.me Link
WhatsApp has a built in link format that opens a chat with your text already filled in. It is handy for sending one prepared message to one contact.
- Copy the email text you want to send. If there are attachments, save them separately to send on their own.
- Build a link in this format, replacing the end with your message: https://wa.me/?text=YourMessageHere
- Open the link in your browser. WhatsApp opens with the text ready in a new message.
- Choose the contact or group and send.
This is quick for a single message, though like copy and paste it carries plain text only, so it is not the one for long formatted emails or attachments.
Sharing Many Emails as PDFs at Once
The methods above handle one email at a time, which is fine for the odd message. If you regularly need to share whole sets of Gmail emails on WhatsApp as clean PDFs, saving them one by one becomes slow. That is the one place a tool helps here. The Corbett Gmail Backup Tool batch saves Gmail emails as PDF files with their attachments and layout kept, so you can then attach those PDFs in WhatsApp. It previews the mail first, filters by date or sender so you export only what you need, and a free demo edition lets you evaluate it. It runs on all editions of Windows. For sharing a single email, though, the free methods above are all you need.
People Also Ask
Q1: Can I send a Gmail email directly to WhatsApp?
A1: No. There is no direct link between Gmail and WhatsApp. You share the content instead, by copying the text, sending a screenshot, saving the email as a PDF or using a wa.me link.
Q2: How do I send a long Gmail email to WhatsApp without losing the formatting?
A2: Save it as a PDF. In Gmail, click Print, choose Save as PDF, then attach that file in WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. The PDF keeps the layout that copy and paste would lose.
Q3: How do I send a Gmail email to WhatsApp on my phone?
A3: The quickest way on a phone is a screenshot for a quick look, or copy and paste for a short message. For a long email, save it as a PDF and share the file.
Q4: Can WhatsApp open an email file?
A4: No. WhatsApp cannot open a raw email or an email database file. Convert the email to a PDF first, then send the PDF, which WhatsApp can preview and forward.
Q5: How do I send a Gmail attachment to WhatsApp?
A5: Save the attachment to your device first, then attach it in the WhatsApp chat like any other file. To send the email and its attachment together as one file, save the whole email as a PDF.
Conclusion
Sharing a Gmail email on WhatsApp is simple once you accept there is no direct button and pick the method that fits. Copy and paste suits a short message, a screenshot suits a quick look, a PDF suits a long email or attachments, and a wa.me link suits one quick message. All four are free and take seconds. If you often need to share batches of emails as PDFs, the Corbett Gmail Backup Tool saves the repetitive work. Which method matches the email you are sharing right now?
