WhatsApp, with more than 2 billion users, is the world’s most popular messaging app. People who use the Meta-owned app can message, call, and video chat within anyone, on any device, for free. In many ways, it’s more powerful than Google Messages, despite the face Google messaging app is preinstalled on most Android phones.
However, the number of features available on WhatsApp can overwhelm new users, and even veteran users may miss useful tools. Here are 10 tips and tricks to help you use the messaging app whether you’re just starting out or have used it for years.
1. Create a group poll
Creating a poll is a handy way to ask your group chat a question without filling the conversation with hard-to-track replies. Each poll can have 12 potential answers, allowing you to ask about anything from movie night options to a favorite cat name.
- Tap the paperclip button in the message box.
- Tap Poll.
- Enter a question and at least two options.
- Tap Send in the lower-right corner of the screen.
- Tap View votes on an existing poll to see a breakdown of votes.
Google Maps is integrated into WhatsApp, so you can share your live and current location without leaving the messaging app. You can also share the location of a place with this method. If the WhatsApp integration doesn’t have as much functionality as you would like, share your location in Google Maps instead.
- Tap the paperclip button in the message box.
- Tap Location.
- Tap one of the location options.
- Choose how long to share your live location. The options are 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
- Tap the Send button.
3. Delete photos and videos from a chat in bulk
Sharing videos and photos can fill up your WhatsApp storage quickly. To clear them out, back up your media to Google Photos and then follow these steps to delete them in bulk from WhatsApp.
- Tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Storage and data.
- Tap Manage storage.
- Tap one of your contacts under the Chats heading. Contacts are sorted in order of storage used.
- Tap Select all or tap individual photos and videos.
- Tap Delete in the upper-right corner of your screen.
4. Find out your data usage
If you’re not on an unlimited data plan, you’ll need to be mindful of how much data you use. While your smartphone can show your usage across all apps, WhatsApp gives you a detailed breakdown of where your data usage comes from.
- Tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Storage and data.
- Tap Network usage.
5. Bold, italicize, strikethrough, or monospace text
There are two ways to bold, italicize, strikethrough, or monospace text in WhatsApp.
Method 1:
- Highlight a message.
- Tap the appropriate button to apply the format.
Method 2:
Add a symbol to either side of a message in HTML style. The format for this is as follows:
- Bold: Add an asterisk (*)
- Italics: Add an underscore (_)
- Strikethrough: Add a tilde (~)
- Monospace: Add three grave accents (“`)
6. See who reads your group message
WhatsApp indicates if someone has read your message by displaying two blue checkmarks next to it. But this symbol only appears in a group chat once everyone has read it. You can check who has read and who hasn’t by following these steps:
- Tap and hold a message.
- Tap the i button at the top of your screen.
- Here you can see who has read your message and when they’ve read it.
7. Change your backup settings
Backing up your WhatsApp messages is essential to prevent your conversations from becoming lost to the void. Even if you set a backup when creating your WhatsApp account, it’s a good idea to check your backup settings regularly.
- Tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Chats.
- Scroll down and tap Chat backup.
- Tap Back up to create a backup immediately.
- Tap Back up to Google Drive to change your backup schedule.
There are other useful settings here, like end-to-end backup encryption and the ability to back up over a data connection as well as Wi-Fi.
8. Change who can see when you were last seen
WhatsApp’s Last seen feature lets your contacts see when you were last online. But you can disable this for some or all of your contacts.
- Tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account.
- Tap Privacy.
- Tap Last seen.
- Tap one of the radio buttons to choose who can see your Last seen status.
9. Customize chat wallpaper
WhatsApp’s features aren’t all boring things like backups and privacy settings. Adding a custom wallpaper can spruce up your conversations in seconds. This wallpaper won’t show for your recipient.
- Within a conversation, tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Wallpaper.
- Tap a category and select a wallpaper.
- Preview your wallpaper, then tap Set Wallpaper.
- Apply it across multiple chats or just the current one.
10. Use WhatsApp on the desktop or web
WhatsApp isn’t only a mobile app. There’s a web app, so you can type messages from your desktop computer. It has all the mobile app’s functionality and a downloadable desktop app for Mac and Windows. All your messages are synced between devices immediately, so you can switch between your desktop and mobile device without delay.
- On the mobile app, tap the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Linked devices.
- Tap Link A Device.
- Go to web.whatsapp.com.
- Scan the QR code on the web app.
Use WhatsApp to its fullest potential
WhatsApp has many powerful features. However, it doesn’t have SMS or RCS support. If you need this, we recommend Google Messages, which has tons of powerful features that are often missed by users.
