diff --git a/tests/helper/test_helper.py b/tests/helper/test_helper.py
index 216b03e16a..118cd9b609 100644
--- a/tests/helper/test_helper.py
+++ b/tests/helper/test_helper.py
@@ -603,28 +603,49 @@ def test_process_media_empty_url(
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "returncode, error",
+    "platform, returncode, tool, error",
     [
-        (0, []),
-        (
+        case("Linux", 0, "xdg-open", [], id="Linux:success"),
+        case("MacOS", 0, "open", [], id="MacOS:success"),
+        case("WSL", 1, "explorer.exe", [], id="WSL:success"),
+        case(
+            "Linux",
             1,
+            "xdg-open",
             [
                 " The tool ",
                 ("footer_contrast", "xdg-open"),
                 " did not run successfully" ". Exited with ",
                 ("footer_contrast", "1"),
             ],
+            id="Linux:error",
         ),
+        case(
+            "MacOS",
+            1,
+            "open",
+            [
+                " The tool ",
+                ("footer_contrast", "open"),
+                " did not run successfully" ". Exited with ",
+                ("footer_contrast", "1"),
+            ],
+            id="Mac:error",
+        ),
+        # NOTE: explorer.exe (WSL) always returns a non-zero exit code (1)
+        # so we do not test for it.
     ],
 )
 def test_open_media(
     mocker: MockerFixture,
+    platform: str,
     returncode: int,
+    tool: str,
     error: List[Any],
-    tool: str = "xdg-open",
     media_path: str = "/tmp/zt-somerandomtext-image.png",
 ) -> None:
     mocked_run = mocker.patch(MODULE + ".subprocess.run")
+    mocker.patch("zulipterminal.platform_code.PLATFORM", platform)
     mocked_run.return_value.returncode = returncode
     controller = mocker.Mock()
 
diff --git a/tests/platform_code/test_platform_code.py b/tests/platform_code/test_platform_code.py
index 21669da025..d0c94018d0 100644
--- a/tests/platform_code/test_platform_code.py
+++ b/tests/platform_code/test_platform_code.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     SupportedPlatforms,
     normalized_file_path,
     notify,
-    successful_GUI_return_code,
+    validate_GUI_exit_status,
 )
 
 
@@ -76,20 +76,25 @@ def test_notify_quotes(
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "platform, expected_return_code",
+    "platform, return_code, expected_return_value",
     [
-        ("Linux", 0),
-        ("MacOS", 0),
-        ("WSL", 1),
+        ("Linux", 0, "success"),
+        ("MacOS", 0, "success"),
+        ("WSL", 1, "success"),
+        ("Linux", 1, "failure"),
+        ("MacOS", 1, "failure"),
+        # NOTE: explorer.exe (WSL) always returns a non-zero exit code (1),
+        # so we do not test for it.
     ],
 )
-def test_successful_GUI_return_code(
+def test_validate_GUI_exit_status(
     mocker: MockerFixture,
     platform: SupportedPlatforms,
-    expected_return_code: int,
+    return_code: int,
+    expected_return_value: str,
 ) -> None:
     mocker.patch(MODULE + ".PLATFORM", platform)
-    assert successful_GUI_return_code() == expected_return_code
+    assert validate_GUI_exit_status(return_code) == expected_return_value
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
diff --git a/zulipterminal/helper.py b/zulipterminal/helper.py
index a71d055b74..d978cd4ad7 100644
--- a/zulipterminal/helper.py
+++ b/zulipterminal/helper.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 from zulipterminal.platform_code import (
     PLATFORM,
     normalized_file_path,
-    successful_GUI_return_code,
+    validate_GUI_exit_status,
 )
 
 
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ def open_media(controller: Any, tool: str, media_path: str) -> None:
             command, stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL
         )
         exit_status = process.returncode
-        if exit_status != successful_GUI_return_code():
+        if validate_GUI_exit_status(exit_status) == "failure":
             error = [
                 " The tool ",
                 ("footer_contrast", tool),
diff --git a/zulipterminal/platform_code.py b/zulipterminal/platform_code.py
index 2741e8ec38..cb652a61d3 100644
--- a/zulipterminal/platform_code.py
+++ b/zulipterminal/platform_code.py
@@ -89,18 +89,19 @@ def notify(title: str, text: str) -> str:
     return ""
 
 
-def successful_GUI_return_code() -> int:  # noqa: N802 (allow upper case)
+def validate_GUI_exit_status(  # noqa: N802 (allow upper case)
+    exit_status: int,
+) -> Literal["success", "failure"]:
     """
     Returns success return code for GUI commands, which are OS specific.
     """
-    # WSL uses GUI return code as 1. Refer below link to know more:
-    # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/52423031/
-    # why-does-opening-an-explorer-window-and-selecting-a-file-through-pythons-subpro/
-    # 52423798#52423798
+    # NOTE: WSL (explorer.exe) always returns a non-zero exit code (1) for GUI commands.
+    # This is a known issue. Therefore, we consider it a success if the exit code is 1.
+    # For more information, see: https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/6565
     if PLATFORM == "WSL":
-        return 1
+        return "success"
 
-    return 0
+    return "success" if exit_status == 0 else "failure"
 
 
 def normalized_file_path(path: str) -> str: