WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, but despite its dominant position, it continues to add new features that make the app even more useful. However, WhatsApp has so many fantastic features that you might not be aware of many of them. In this article, we’ll reveal 10 WhatsApp secrets and tricks you may not know about to enhance your app usage experience.
1. How to Edit a Message on WhatsApp
WhatsApp introduced the message editing feature in May 2023. You can make changes to any message sent on WhatsApp within 15 minutes of sending. After this time period, it will no longer be possible to make edits.
iOS & Android:
- Press and hold the message you want to edit.
- Select “Edit.” Edit the message.
- Tap “Send.”
2. How to Share Your Location with a Contact
WhatsApp allows you to share your location in a message. This is useful if you’re meeting up with a friend and want to allow your contact to view your real-time location for 15 minutes, one hour, or eight hours.
iOS & Android:
- In a chat, tap the “+” icon on iOS or the “pin” icon on Android.
- Select “Location.”
- Tap “Share live location.”
- Choose from “15 minutes,” “1 hour,” or “8 hours.”
- You can see who you’re sharing your real-time location with in Settings > Account > Privacy > Live location.
3. How to Search Across All Your Chats
If you’ve had a conversation on a certain topic but don’t remember who you had it with, you can search across all your chats for a specific keyword to find the conversation and discover who you talked to.
iOS & Android:
- In the chat list, tap the search field on iOS or the search icon on Android.
- Enter the keyword you want to search for.
- You’ll see a list of messages containing the keyword in reverse order of date.
- Tapping a result will take you to that specific message in the chat.
4. How to Search Within a Specific Chat
If you want to search within a specific chat rather than across all your chats, you can do so. This can be useful if you had a conversation about a specific place or if someone sent you their phone number or address.
iOS:
- Open the chat where you want to search and tap on the contact’s name at the top of the screen.
- Tap the “Search” button.
- Enter the term to search for.
- Tap a result to navigate to that message.
Android:
- Open the chat where you want to search and tap the menu icon.
- Select “Search.”
- Enter the term to search for.
- Select a result to jump to that message.
5. How to Save Your Data Usage on WhatsApp
If you have a data usage limit, you may not want to consume it all using WhatsApp. Fortunately, you can customize settings so that media is only downloaded when you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network.
iOS & Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap “Settings.”
- Select “Storage and data.”
- Under “Automatically download media,” set each option to “Wi-Fi.”
6. How to Enable Disappearing Messages
“Disappearing Messages” allow new messages to disappear in a chat after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. You can enable this option for individual chats or for all chats.
For individual chats:
iOS & Android:
- Open the specific chat where you want to use disappearing messages.
- Tap the contact’s name at the top of the chat.
- Select “Disappearing Messages.”
- Choose a “Message duration” option from 24 hours to 90 days.
For all chats:
iOS & Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap “Settings.”
- Select “Privacy.” Tap “Default message duration.”
- Choose from “24 Hours,” “7 Days,” “90 Days,” or “Off.”
7. How to Send Disappearing Images or Videos
You can send an image or video that disappears once the recipient has viewed it once. When the recipient closes the image, it will disappear, although this won’t prevent them from taking a screenshot.
iOS & Android:
- Open the chat where you want to send a disappearing image or video.
- Tap the “+” icon on iOS or the pin icon on Android.
- Choose “Camera” to take a photo or “Photo” to select a photo or video.
- Once you’ve selected or taken your media, tap the number “1” next to the blue arrow “send.”
- Tap the blue arrow “send” to send.
8. How to Protect WhatsApp with Face ID or Touch ID
If you want to protect your chats from prying eyes, you can lock the entire WhatsApp app on iPhone so it can’t be opened without using Face ID or Touch ID.
iOS:
- Open WhatsApp and tap “Settings.”
- Select “Privacy.”
- Tap “Screen Lock.”
- Enable “Require Face ID/Require Touch ID.”
9. How to Hide Your Last Seen on WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s “Last Seen” feature allows you to see when someone last checked the app. If a contact hasn’t disabled this feature, their last seen will appear under their name at the top of an open chat. You can choose whether to allow everyone to see your last seen, limit it to your contacts, exclude specific people, or disable this feature entirely for everyone.
iOS & Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap “Settings.”
- Select “Privacy.”
- Tap “Last Seen and Online Status.”
- Choose your preference.
10. How to Hide Blue Ticks
Blue ticks indicating that you’ve read a message can put you on the spot, especially if you don’t respond immediately. You can disable them, but it’s worth noting that if you do, you won’t receive read receipts for your messages.
iOS & Android:
- Open WhatsApp and tap “Settings.”
- Select “Privacy.”
- Disable “Read receipts.”
If you’re an Apple user and don’t want to disable read receipts entirely, reading the message to Siri will not show blue ticks. For Android users, reading messages in notifications will prevent the sender from seeing blue ticks.
Conclusion WhatsApp is an app rich in hidden features that can enhance your usage experience. We hope these 10 secrets and tricks have helped you discover new ways to make the most of the app. Experiment with these features and see how they can simplify your digital life on WhatsApp.
Article source here.