WhatsApp Messenger, or simply WhatsApp, is an American freeware, cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) service owned by Facebook, Inc. It allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media. WhatsApp's client application runs on mobile devices but is also accessible from desktop computers, as long as the user's mobile device remains connected to the Internet while they use the desktop app. The service requires users to provide a standard cellular mobile number for registering with the service. In January 2018, WhatsApp released a standalone business app targeted at small business owners, called WhatsApp Business, to allow companies to communicate with customers who use the standard WhatsApp client.
The client application was created by WhatsApp Inc. of Mountain View, California, which was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for approximately US$19.3 billion. It became the world's most popular messaging application by 2015, and has over 2 billion users worldwide as of February 2020. It has become the primary means of electronic communication in multiple countries and locations, including Latin America, the Indian subcontinent, and large parts of Europe and Africa
Here's are Top 10 Whatsapp tricks and hacks that you might not know about
Record hands-free voice notes
Voice notes are a great way of easily telling your friends an in-depth story by saving minutes of typing. It's also handy if you're walking and can't be looking down at your phone.
While many users know to hold down the voice note icon and speak, you can actually create a message hands-free.
WhatsApp said: "Did you know that if you hold down the microphone icon and swipe up, it locks the voice note function to ‘record’, leaving you able to record your message hands-free?
"Once you have finished recording your message, just press send!"
Bookmark your main messages
If you're looking for something in your chat history, you can use the search function, but it's still sometimes tricky to find what you're after.
Thankfully, there's actually a way to bookmark key messages to make sure you can easily find them in the future.
For example, if your friend has sent you their new address, you can quickly go back and view it when you need it.
WhatsApp said: "Make use of the ‘star’ message function where you can bookmark key messages that you can easily view again in one central location. Just press down on the message that you want to bookmark and then tap the ‘star’ icon.
"For iPhone users, you can find all your starred messages by going to Settings & Starred Messages or click the name of your chat and tap ‘Starred messages’. For Android users, tap ‘More options’, and tap ‘Starred messages’."
Tailor your status to every occasion
We may be familiar with updating our friends with statuses on Facebook, but they can be used in the same way for WhatsApp for telling all your contacts something at once.
WhatsApp explained: "You can set your ‘About’ status to a pre-existing option, or you can create your own for whatever activity you may be up to.
"To do so, go to Settings; [Tap your name]; About; Status, and select a pre-existing option, or, to personalize it, click Edit, select any of the pre-existing options, and share with the world what you’re currently up to."
Set your phone aside but still be online
Sneaking your smartphone out to check your WhatsApp messages at work can be tricky, but if you really need to stay in touch, there is a way to check your messages without even touching your phone.
WhatsApp said: "Download the WhatsApp web desktop app, which mirrors your phone’s conversations on your computer. This means you can send the normal WhatsApp messages, photos and GIFs from your computer, but now in double quick time."
Elevate your conversations with Stickers
While many people use emojis in their messages, Stickers can offer a fun alternative to jazz up your conversations.
WhatsApp said: "When you open a conversation, next to the field you input text into, there is a little square icon with a folded side page. When you click that, it comes up with your stickers – but you can add more! Find out how to download more stickers in WhatsApp’s FAQs."
Read your messages in super-stealth mode
Sometimes you'll want to see what your friend has messaged without them knowing. You can hide 'Read Receipts' but then you also won't be able to see theirs.
However there’s a sneaky alternative that lets you read a full message and avoid blue ticks.
WhatsApp explained: "If you see a message come in on your iPhone’s lock screen, press down slightly on the message on the screen and it pulls up the full text, but you won’t appear to the other person that you’ve read the message. Stealthy!"
Pin your most important friends or groups
If you're a WhatsApp user, you're bound to have a number of different chats going at one time so it's hard to find your favourite groups when scrolling down your list of conversations. It can even be easy to mistakenly send a message to the wrong group.
But there’s actually a way to pin their conversation to the top of your inbox.
WhatsApp said: "On the iPhone, swipe to the right on the chat you want to pin to the top and then tap ‘Pin’. On Android, tap and hold on the chat and then tap the pin icon."
Regain control of your groups
A group chat name and icon photo is very important.
Sometimes members of the group change them, and if you don't agree with it, you can't really do anything about it without kicking up a fuss.
But if you're an admin, there’s a way to change the group settings so only you can allow these changes.
WhatsApp said: "You can change the group settings so that only admins are allowed to change group info. To do so, click on your group name and go to Group Settings; Edit group info."
Find out who you talk to the most
If you’ve ever wondered who your favourite person on WhatsApp is, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s fairly straightforward to find out.
WhatsApp said: "You can find out who you send the most messages to and how much storage each person you speak to takes up by going to: Settings; Data and Storage Usage; Storage Usage; Select Contact."
Manage who adds you to groups
While group chats are a useful way to communicate with your friends and family, there’s nothing more annoying than being added to a chatty group with no relevance to you.
WhatsApp recently rolled out the ability to manage who adds you to groups.
It added: "To ensure that you only join groups that you want to be in, you can manage your group permission settings.
"Once enabled, the friend who wants to add you to a group will be required to first send you an invitation link in the app. If you accept it, you will then be added to the group. If not, the link will expire in three days."
To enable it, go to Settings; Account; Privacy; Groups and select one of three options: 'Everyone,' 'My Contacts,' or 'My Contacts Except'.
'My Contacts' means only users you have in your address book can add you to groups and 'My Contacts Except' provides additional control for who among your contacts can add you to a group.
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