There are a few different ways to go to the next line when typing messages in WhatsApp on both iOS and Android devices. The most straightforward method is to press the return or enter key on your device’s keyboard. This will start a new line in your message. You can also insert line breaks by pressing shift+enter on many keyboards. Some other options are using punctuation like periods, commas or dashes at the end of a line to signal you want to start a new line.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to commonly asked questions about going to a new line in WhatsApp:
- Press the return or enter key on your keyboard to go to the next line
- On many keyboards, press shift+enter to insert a line break
- End a line with punctuation like a period or comma to signal you want to start a new line
- You can configure your keyboard in iOS to automatically insert a period after double tapping spacebar
- On Android, tap the settings icon when typing and toggle “Enter key sends” to “New line” to make return key insert line breaks
Using Return or Enter Key
The most straightforward way to go to the next line when typing in WhatsApp is to press the return or enter key on your device’s keyboard. This will immediately start the text you type after on a new line. The return/enter key inserts an actual line break in the message content.
On an iPhone or iPad, you would press the return key which has an arrow pointing right and down. On most Android devices, you press the enter key which is the key to the right of the keyboard layout with the arrow pointing down and to the left. Pressing this key while typing will always start a new line.
This is the standard way most people start new lines not just in WhatsApp but across most messaging apps and text editors. The keyboard return/enter key is hardcoded to signal you want to end the current line and go to the next.
Advantages of Return/Enter Key
- Works consistently across all platforms and keyboards
- Clearly indicates you want to go to a new line
- Creates an actual line break in the message content
- Easy to press without looking at the keyboard
Using Shift+Enter for Line Breaks
Many keyboard apps provide the ability to insert a line break in WhatsApp by pressing shift+enter instead of just the return key. This will end the current line and take you to a new line without actually creating a new paragraph.
On the standard iOS keyboard, pressing shift+return will break to a new line. On Gboard and other Android keyboards, you can press shift+enter to achieve the same effect. This creates a line break tag in the message content rather than a paragraph tag.
Using shift+enter gives you more granular control when writing. You can use it when you want to end a sentence but keep the same paragraph going. It allows you to format your messages in a cleaner way with line breaks within a paragraph.
Advantages of Shift+Enter
- Doesn’t create thick paragraph spacing like return/enter key
- Keeps lines together within the same paragraph
- More intuitive for ending sentences without a full paragraph break
- Gives you more formatting flexibility
Using Punctuation
On many messaging platforms like WhatsApp, you can indicate you want to go to the next line by ending a sentence with certain punctuation marks.
For example, ending a line with a period will signal you want to start a new line. WhatsApp will automatically go to the next line if you use a period, even if you keep typing immediately after. The same goes for punctuation like commas, question marks, exclamation points, etc.
You don’t need to press return/enter when ending a line with punctuation for this to work. This allows you to quickly create new lines without moving your hands from the keyboard to press the return key.
One setting that makes this even easier on iOS is to configure your keyboard to insert a period after double tapping the spacebar. Once enabled, you can double-tap spacebar instead of typing an actual period to end a line.
Advantages of Using Punctuation
- No need to move hands from keyboard to press return/enter
- Faster way to end a line and start a new one
- Configuring spacebar double tap on iOS saves additional time
- No extra spaces or breaks inserted in message content
Configuring Keyboard Settings
You can customize your device’s keyboard settings to better control how pressing return/enter works within WhatsApp.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Keyboard to find the setting for “.””” Automatically insert a period after double-tapping spacebar. Enabling this will let you double-tap your iOS keyboard’s spacebar to end a line with a period.
On Android, open your Gboard app or keyboard app settings. Look for an option called “Enter key sends” or “Return key sends”. You can configure this to be “New line” instead of the default “Next” setting. When set to new line, pressing return/enter will insert a line break instead of sending the message.
Optimizing these keyboard settings to your personal preferences can make going to new lines within WhatsApp faster and more efficient.
Keyboard Configuration Tips
- Enable iOS double-spacebar period to end lines faster
- Set Android enter key to “New line” instead of “Next”
- Use return/enter for line breaks and shift+return for paragraphs
- Limit auto-corrections and predictions to reduce errors
Message Formatting and Layout
How you format and structure your messages can impact how line breaks work within the WhatsApp text box.
For example, sending a message with multiple line breaks in a row can create extra spacing. Paragraphs that are very long may overflow the text bubble width on some devices.
Other factors like font size, screen size and orientation can also affect how your line breaks appear. Very long messages may require left-right scrolling to view all the content.
Understanding how WhatsApp handles text formatting across different platforms can help you optimize using line breaks:
| Platform | Text Box Behavior |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Fixed width bubbles, return key creates paragraph break |
| Android | Variable width bubbles, configurable return key |
| WhatsApp Web | No text box, flexible line breaks |
Keeping messages shorter and using line breaks judiciously will minimize odd formatting issues. Testing messages on different devices can help spot layout problems.
Message Formatting Tips
- Avoid sending extremely long messages on one line
- Be cautious using multiple line breaks in a row
- Check how messages appear on different screen sizes
- Use returns and periods to break up long paragraphs
Troubleshooting Issues
Sometimes you may encounter issues with line breaks not working as expected in WhatsApp.
If your return/enter key is not going to a new line, make sure your keyboard configuration is set properly. On Android, toggle the enter key setting. On iOS, try enabling the double-spacebar period if needed.
Verify that your device has a stable internet connection. Line breaks can fail to insert if the WhatsApp connection is spotty.
If your messages have extra spaces or inconsistent formatting, try removing unnecessary line breaks and punctuation. Restarting your phone can also clear up odd text box behavior.
For messages that appear cut off, try shortening the paragraphs and using more frequent line breaks and periods. This allows long messages to flow better on both sender and recipient screens.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Ensure keyboard new line settings are configured properly
- Check your internet connection stability
- Restart your phone to reset any inconsistent text box issues
- Shorten paragraphs and use more line breaks for long messages
Conclusion
Going to a new line in WhatsApp simply requires pressing the return/enter key in most cases. You can also use shift+enter for manual line breaks, end lines with periods, and configure keyboard settings for efficiency. Formatting messages thoughtfully and troubleshooting any issues with connections or configuration will help optimize using line breaks.
With the right strategies, you can use line breaks to craft well-formatted WhatsApp messages that are easy to read on any device. Taking the time to structure your long messages with care pays dividends for effective communication.