WhatsApp, the world's most widely used instant messaging app, has evolved far beyond its original function of exchanging text messages. You probably already know that you can send photos, videos, or voice notes to your contacts, but chances are you haven't yet explored all the hidden potential the app puts at your fingertips. From privacy-focused options to tools for organizing your daily life, WhatsApp's range of features expands with each update.
In our daily lives we tend to limit ourselves to the basics: quick messages, sending images, audios and maybe some group photos, but WhatsApp hides a good amount of features and tricks that can make your life much easier. If you ever thought you knew everything about this app, get ready to discover how you can get the most out of it and optimize your experience, both for personal and professional use.
Personalize your messages and chats to stand out with these WhatsApp features.
WhatsApp offers multiple ways to ensure your messages and conversations don't go unnoticed:
- Bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospaced text: If you want to highlight key information in your messages, you can use these text formats. To write in bold font Put the text between asterisks (example: *text*), to Cursive use underscores (_text_), to strikethrough uses the tilde (~text~) and to monospaced Use backticks (`text`). It's a very practical way to emphasize or classify important data.
- Custom wallpapers: You can change the background of any individual or group chat to give it a unique look. Just open the conversation, tap the contact or group name, choose "Wallpaper," and select your preferred image. You can use both predefined WhatsApp images and your own photos.
- Create your own stickers: Want to send something truly personal? You can create custom stickers from any image using WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. Simply drag a photo into your chat and select "Create Sticker." Additionally, third-party apps like Sticker Maker (Android) or Sticker.ly (iOS) expand your options for personalizing your conversations.
Organize your chats and messages efficiently
Keep your WhatsApp organized and quickly access what's important.:
- Archived chats: If you have too many active conversations and want to reduce clutter, you can archive the ones you don't use frequently. Long press on a chat, tap "Archive," and they'll move to a separate section. They won't be lost, and you can access them at any time without them taking up space in the main list.
- Featured Posts: Do you have information you can't miss? Tap on an important message and select the star to "star" it. You can then view all highlighted messages from the main menu by going to "Starred Messages." This is very useful for event details, addresses, or work information that you need to quickly reference.
- Pin your essential chats: You can pin up to three chats to the top of your conversation list. Just swipe the chat to the right and tap "Pin." This way, you'll always have the most relevant conversations at your fingertips.
Privacy and security: more control in your hands with these WhatsApp features.
Privacy on WhatsApp is essential, and there are options you may not have tried:
- Two-Step Verification: Activate this feature from Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification. You'll set a PIN that will be requested periodically, adding a layer of protection so no one can use your number if your phone is lost or stolen.
- Screen and chat lock with biometrics: You can protect the app with a fingerprint, facial recognition, or PIN. Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Screen Lock, and choose your preferred method.
- Control who can add you to groups: To avoid unpleasant surprises, configure Settings > Privacy > Groups to decide who can include you in group chats. You can limit it to just your contacts or even exclude specific people.
- Temporary messages: In individual or group chats, you can enable messages that automatically disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. Go to the chat, tap the name, and choose "Permanent Messages" to enable them.
- One-time voice messages: You can send voice notes that can only be played once by the recipient, adding a layer of privacy to sensitive communications.
- Blocking access to chats: Go to your privacy settings and look for “App Lock” to protect your most private conversations with a PIN or fingerprint.
Advanced file and multimedia management
WhatsApp isn't just for texts. You can control and improve your experience with the files you send and receive:
- Send photos and videos without losing quality: WhatsApp normally compresses your images, but you can prevent this by sending them as documents (Attach > Document or File) or by using the “HD” option when selecting an image from the gallery.
- Control automatic file download: To prevent your gallery from filling up with photos and videos, go to Settings > Chats > File Visibility or Settings > Storage & Data to decide which files are downloaded automatically and in which chats.
- Clean and free up space easily: WhatsApp offers a tool to check how much space each chat takes up. Go to Settings > Storage & data > Manage storage and delete photos, videos, or documents you no longer need, keeping your device agile.
- Create GIFs from videos: Select a video from your gallery, trim the length to less than 6 seconds, and you'll see the "GIF" option to send it in a fun, animated way.
Powerful features to help you stay organized and more productive
WhatsApp is a much more versatile tool than it seems. Take advantage of its features to manage your daily life and tasks:
- Send messages to yourself: Use WhatsApp as a digital notepad. Find your own number, start a chat with yourself, or create a group just for you (cheating by adding and then removing another contact). Here you can send yourself reminders, lists, links, important documents, the location of your car when you park, or any idea you don't want to forget.
- Shopping lists and shared accounts: Create groups with your household or family members to organize shopping, supply expenses, appointments, or events. All participants can easily add items or view their spending history.
- Voice Reminders: Record audio notes for yourself if you need to quickly remember something—perfect when you don't have time to write.
- File chat between mobile and computer: Through WhatsApp Web or the desktop version, you can send files, photos, documents, or texts between your devices quickly and wirelessly.
- Sync WhatsApp across multiple devices: With the "Linked Devices" feature, you can use your account on multiple phones, tablets, and computers at the same time. Just go to Settings > Linked Devices and scan the QR code.
Tips to improve communication and experience
These little tricks will help you save time and communicate more effectively:
- Quick and automatic responses: If you have a business account, set up quick replies from Settings > Business Tools > Quick Replies. You can set up predefined messages with shortcuts to respond to common questions more quickly.
- Respond to specific messages: Long-press any message and select “Reply” to quote it, which is especially useful in groups where multiple conversation topics overlap.
- Group surveys: Create internal polls from the paperclip or “plus” icon in group chats to make quick decisions and automatically count votes.
- Mute groups without leaving: If a group is too noisy but you don't want to leave, you can mute it for 8 hours, a week, or indefinitely from the group settings, so you can only read it when you want.
- Read messages and listen to audio without them knowing: Disable the blue ticks in Settings > Privacy > Read Receipts or use the classic airplane mode trick. You can also forward audio messages to your own chat and listen to them so the sender doesn't see the receipt.
- Transcribe voice notes: In the latest versions, you can enable the transcription feature to convert long audio files to text by going to Settings > Chats > Voicemail Transcription. Simply download the language and select the audio file to get its text.
- Emojis and keyboard shortcuts on PC: If you use WhatsApp on your computer, take advantage of keyboard shortcuts and automatic emoji insertion to speed up your communication.
Beyond the obvious: extra features that few people take advantage of in WhatsApp
- Share your contact with QR code: No need to dictate your number, just go to your settings, tap the QR code icon next to your profile, and other people can scan it to quickly add your contact.
- Send messages without saving the number: If you only need to communicate once, type wa.me/ followed by the number (including the country code) into your browser. A direct chat will automatically open without having to add them to your contacts.
- Managing multiple accounts: If your phone is dual-SIM or you need to separate your work and personal life, WhatsApp allows you to add a second account from Settings > Accounts > Add Account. You can switch between the two or use WhatsApp Business for a third account.
- Dissemination of messages: Use the “broadcast list” feature to send the same message to multiple contacts at once, without having to create a group.
- Update your number without losing chats or data: Easily switch phones and keep your conversations going using the “Change Number” option in your account settings.
- Integrates AI assistants: You can use virtual assistants like LuzIA or Carina IA to obtain information or automate responses within WhatsApp.
With these WhatsApp features, you can improve your user experience on the platform. Share the guide so other users can learn about the topic..