WhatsApp has become an essential element in our daily lives.From coordinating work meetings to sharing memes with friends, the world's most popular messaging app accumulates a huge amount of conversations and files that, if not managed properly, can become an unwieldy digital mess. Luckily, we have tips for organizing WhatsApp.
There are multiple features and tricks that will help you keep your WhatsApp perfectly organized., so you can easily access important messages, optimize your storage space, and seamlessly separate your personal and work life.
Organize your chats using custom lists
One of the most useful features that WhatsApp has recently implemented is the ability to create custom lists.These allow you to group your chats into different categories like "Work," "Family," "Studies," or any other you can think of. This way, you'll have a much faster way to access your conversations without having to scroll endlessly.
To create a list you just have to go to the section "Subscriber lists” within WhatsApp settingsThere you can assign a name to each group and add any individual or group chats you want to include. Additionally, You can modify these lists at any time, adding or removing conversations according to your needs.
WhatsApp also allows you to quickly access You can access these lists from the app's main screen. Just swipe down on the chats tab to see the available filters and choose the one that suits you best.
Pin important chats to keep them handy
Do you have some conversations you constantly check? WhatsApp lets you pin up to three chats to the top of your list so they're always visible., regardless of the last time they received a message.
To do this on Android, simply long press chat and select the pin icon. On iOS, swipe the chat to the right and the option to pin it will appear. This feature is very useful for have conversations with your boss, your clients, your partner or your family group in view.
In addition to pinning chats, you can also use the favorites filter to group the chats you consider most relevant. Unlike pinned chats, this filter has no limit, and you can add as many contacts or groups as you like.
Create shortcuts to your most frequently used chats on the home screen
If you're using Android, you can create shortcuts to open a specific chat. directly from your mobile's home screen, without having to go through the WhatsApp application.
To do this, open the chat you want, tap the three dots in the top right corner, select "More," and then "Create shortcut." An icon with the person or group's profile picture will automatically appear on your home screen. Ideal for conversations that you constantly review.
Archive conversations you don't need on a daily basis
WhatsApp lets you archive chats so they disappear from your main inbox. without having to delete them. This option is ideal for those chats you don't talk to often, but don't want to delete because they may contain important information.
On Android, just long press on the chat and tap the archive icon. On iOS, you need to swipe left within the chats tab and tap “Archive.”
If someone later sends a message in that conversation, it will reappear. among your active chats, unless you have the "Keep archived chats" option enabled in your system settings. This setting prevents archived chats from returning to your main list when they receive new messages.
Use starred messages to save important information
If you've ever wasted time searching for a relevant message, starred messages will save you a lot of headaches.You can star texts, images, or voice notes, and then easily view them from the starred messages section.
To star a message, long press on it and select the star icon. This content will be will save in a specific section within the contact or group profile.
This system is ideal for safeguard addresses, bank details, reminders, and any key documents or files. Also, since it's personal, other members of the chat won't see what you've highlighted.
Set filters to see only the chats you're interested in
With the filter function you can view only some categories of chats: all messages, only unread messages, or your favorites. But, in addition, WhatsApp is working on the incorporation of custom filters.
These filters will work as added lists, and you will be able to see a “+” button from the chats tab to create new filters and add specific conversations. For example, you could have one filter for “Clients,” another for “University,” and another for “Hobbies.”
This will allow you better compartmentalize your time and tasks, and focus only on the chats that interest you at any given time.
Mute irrelevant groups or people
Are you in groups where you receive hundreds of messages and barely read anything? You can mute those conversations without leaving.This way, you won't receive notifications every time someone writes, but you'll still have access to the messages if you decide to take a look.
To do this, open the group or chat, tap the three dots at the top or the contact's name, and select "Mute notifications." You can choose between 8 hours, 1 week, or indefinitely.
WhatsApp won't notify other participants that you've muted the chat, so you can do so with complete peace of mind.
Activate temporary messages to keep your WhatsApp clean.
Another very useful option to organize your chats and free up space is to activate temporary messages.These automatically delete messages after a specified period of time: 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.
They can be activated per chat or as a default setting for everyone. From the app's general settings, go to "Privacy" and select "Default Message Duration" to apply it globally.
This is especially useful in workgroups or chats where information is handled. sensitive or ephemeral.
Export conversations you want to save by other means
If you want to save a conversation to have as a backup or send it to someone, you can easily export it from the application itself.
On Android, go to the chat, tap the three dots, select “More,” then “Export chat.” You can choose whether you want to export it. with or without multimedia files.
On iOS, open the conversation, tap the contact's name, scroll down to "Export Chat," and select the sending method: email, notes apps, etc. The file is generated in .txt format, and if you have attached multimedia, the files will be included in separate folders.
Use a personal chat to write down tasks and reminders
A creative way to organize your day is to create a chat with yourself.This trick involves opening your own number on WhatsApp (you can do this from a group where you're alone or from WhatsApp Web) and using it as your personal address book.
There you can send yourself to-dos, quick notes, links, shopping lists, or even voice reminders. If you combine this with starred messages or automated reminders, can be an even more powerful tool.
Additionally, if you use apps like Any.do or Trello, you can integrate their bot with WhatsApp to receive and manage notifications directly from your personal chat.
Make backups so you don't lose anything
By default, WhatsApp makes automatic daily backups., but you can also make one manually when you need to.
Go to Settings > Chats > Backup and tap "Backup." On Android, it's stored in Google Drive, and on iOS, it's stored in iCloud. This feature is very useful if you change phones or reset your current one.
You can also adjust the copy frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) and whether you want to include videos or not to save space.
Organizing WhatsApp not only saves you time, but also helps you avoid common mistakes like sending messages to the wrong contact or losing valuable information. With features like lists, filters, starred messages, shortcuts, folders (in development), and external tools, you can turn your messaging app into a much more efficient system that adapts to your daily life. Whether for work, school, or simply maintaining digital peace of mind, applying these tips can make a big difference.