11 essential WhatsApp tips and tricks everyone should know

People who use the Meta-owned WhatsApp app can message, call, and video chat with anyone on any device for free. In many ways, it’s more powerful than Google Messages, even though the Google messaging app is pre-installed on mostbudget Android phones.

The number of features available on WhatsApp can overwhelm new users, and veteran users may miss useful tools. Here are 14 tips and tricks to help you use the messaging app, whether you’re just starting or have used it for years.

Secure your WhatsApp account like a pro

Video call up to 32 of your closest friends

you’re able to video chat with up to 32 friends or family members. When you want to chat with 32 people at the same time,set up a Call Link. You can also start a video call from your existing groups in WhatsApp:

Alternatively, manually create a group by doing the following:

Create a group poll

Creating a poll is handy for asking 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.

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.

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 Photosand then follow these steps to delete them in bulk from WhatsApp.

Find out your data usage

If you’re not on an unlimited data plan, 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.

Bold, italicize, strikethrough, or monospace text

There are two ways to bold, italicize, strikethrough, or monospace text in WhatsApp.

Add a symbol to either side of a message in HTML style. The format for this is as follows:

See who reads your group message

WhatsApp indicates if someone has read your message by displaying two blue checkmarks next to it. This symbol only appears in a group chat after everyone has read it. Check who has read and who hasn’t by following these steps:

Change your backup settings

Backing up your WhatsApp messages prevents your conversations from becoming lost in the void. Even if you set a backup when creating your WhatsApp account, check your backup settings regularly.

You’ll find other useful settings, like end-to-end backup encryption and backups over a data connection and Wi-Fi.

Change who can see your last seen and online status

WhatsApp’s Last seen feature lets your contacts see when you were last online. You can deactivate this for some or all of your contacts. The option also hides your online status from prying eyes.

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 doesn’t show for your recipient.

Use WhatsApp on the desktop or web

WhatsApp isn’t only a mobile app. You can use a web app to type messages from your desktop computer. It has all the mobile app’s functionality and adownloadable desktop app for Mac and Windows. Your messages sync between devices immediately, so you can switch between your desktop and mobile device without delay.

Lock a private chat on WhatsApp

You can lock a private chat on WhatsApp and keep your personal messages hidden from curious eyes. WhatsApp hides your conversation from the main menu and requires a biometric authentication to access it.

Send high-quality photos and videos on WhatsApp

By default, WhatsApp compresses your photos and videos before sending them in a personal chat or a group. you could send photos and videos as files to retain the original quality, but it isn’t a feasible solution for everyone. The company offers an option to send media files in high-quality resolution.

Similarly, when you send a video on WhatsApp, look for anHD iconto send a clip with high-quality resolution.

Stop others from adding you to a WhatsApp group

If your friend or family member adds you to WhatsApp groups without your consent, use the steps below to prevent them.

Use WhatsApp to its fullest potential

WhatsApp has many powerful features. However, it doesn’t have SMS or RCS support. If you need this feature, tryGoogle Messages, which has tons of powerful featuresthat users often miss.

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