WhatsApp has become indispensable these days and is used by many Dutch people every day. Since the popular application was launched in 2009, everyone has been very enthusiastic about it. Billions of messages are now sent via WhatsApp every day and they are not just smileys and some text. Via WhatsApp it is also possible to share photos, videos, documents, audio files, voice messages and much more! In 2014 Meta bought Whatsapp for a stackering 19 Billion Dollars.
WhatsApp was initially designed as a messaging platform. Over the years it has developed further, making WhatsApp now very versatile and functional. As you have seen in the examples, you can share more than just text. But we haven’t mentioned everything yet!
WhatsApp has a number of smart tricks that give you more control over your online visibility, the read confirmation that WhatsApp automatically sends and navigating between different chats. Curious about what you can do with WhatsApp? Then read on!
Temporarily disable WhatsApp
It is possible to (temporarily) disable WhatsApp notifications so that you are not constantly disturbed by all kinds of messages. Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely disappear from the radar as long as you have WhatsApp installed. Fortunately, temporarily disabling notifications is a good alternative and provides a lot of peace of mind.
We have taught ourselves the positive feelings that we automatically get from a new message. We get excited about contact with others, which is very logical. Yet messages are a common nuisance when you are at work, for example. Without thinking about it, you already have the phone in your hands and are busy typing an answer.
At such times it can be very nice to work without a jammer. Even if you cannot be disturbed for a while, it is ideal not to receive notifications. How do I ensure that WhatsApp notifications no longer keep me from my work? Very simple:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the settings
- Select notifications or notifications
- Here you will see that notification sounds and previews are on, turn them off
- Also disable the Pop-up notifications or notifications option
This way you can get back to work with concentration. Just don’t forget to enable these options again when you’re done. As long as these functions are turned off, you will no longer receive notifications. Only when you reopen the application will you see all new messages.
Hide contacts or a group
It is also possible to archive a specific chat or group within WhatsApp. When a chat is archived, it disappears, as it were, ‘into the background’. When new messages arrive in the chat, the chat is automatically unarchived and jumps back to the top.
By archiving chats, all conversations in your WhatsApp feed can easily be better structured. These chats do not disappear, but are only temporarily hidden. You can easily archive a chat by pressing and holding the specific group or chat. Then choose Archive at the top of the screen.
The chat is now archived and will only appear again when new messages are sent. Do you want to unarchive the chat yourself? Then go back to all chats and scroll all the way to the bottom. There you will find the hidden chats, which you can restore in the same way (with the unarchive symbol).
Pin an important chat
If you regularly receive an important message from someone via WhatsApp, you may want to read it again later. This tool has come in very handy, especially since the outbreak of the virus. Now that people are working from home, important messages from, for example, a teacher, boss or business associate will be received more often.
You can of course do this by scrolling in the contact list to the correct contact and then searching for the message in the conversation history. Fortunately, WhatsApp has a handy tool for this, so you can pin important conversations.
You can select a chat or group chat by holding your finger on this chat for two seconds (Android users) or swiping this chat to the right (iOS). A number of new options appear, including the option to pin a specific chat. You can pin a total of three chats, ideal if you send a lot of texts to a friend, colleague, boss, family members, etc.
Read messages without visible blue check marks
When someone reads a message, the sender of this message receives two blue check marks, which are located at the bottom right of the message. WhatsApp uses three different check marks when a message is sent:
- One gray check mark – The message has been sent (i.e. not yet received)
- Two gray check marks – The message has arrived on the recipient’s phone
- Two blue check marks – The message has actually been opened and read
So when you send a message and the recipient has an internet connection, the message will first appear with two gray check marks. Once you open the chat, the sender will immediately receive confirmation that you have read the message.
Would you rather not have the sender receive this read receipt? Then put your phone in airplane mode and open WhatsApp to read the messages. After reading, close WhatsApp and also delete WhatsApp from multi-window. When you turn airplane mode back on, the chat for the sender will remain unread, or two gray check marks.
Mark chats as unread
Of course, it may happen that you open a chat and read new messages but don’t have time to respond immediately. That is why it is also possible to reset messages to two gray check marks via WhatsApp. This way you can mark certain messages as ‘unread’.
Turn off ‘last seen’
WhatsApp also records the online activity of its users. This makes it visible to everyone when a contact was last online. Would you rather not let others know when you are online and offline? Then you can disable this manually. This is done in a few simple steps:
- Go to settings (top right)
- Select ‘Account’
- Then click on ‘Privacy’
- Choose the ‘Last seen’ option and select who can see your activity
A good option if those around you do not want to find out that you have been online late into the night or if you value your privacy.
Listen to messages from the comfort of your own home!
Recent technological developments have not only affected WhatsApp but also the various phones available today. Many modern types have, for example, Google assistant (mainly Android devices) or Siri (for iPhones).
Thanks to these tools, it is possible to read messages out loud, so that you can listen to new apps from the comfort of your home, without having to pick up the phone first.
Stop automatic media downloading
A common problem with a group chat is the large amount of media that is sometimes shared. Funny photos, short videos and selfies are all automatically downloaded by WhatsApp and before you know it, your gallery will be packed!
Is it always one specific group chat? Then you can solve this quite easily by selecting this chat and clicking on the group name. Here you will find ‘media settings’ and you can enable or disable automatic media downloading.
Disabling automatic downloading also saves a lot of space in the gallery. This can also affect the speed of your phone. Your phone will work slower with a full gallery. Do you want to disable automatic downloading of all media? Then follow these steps:
- Go to Settings
- Select ‘chats’
- In the media settings, turn off “Save to Gallery” or “Show in Gallery.”
Edit and format images
WhatsApp has a built-in photo editor. This is not a professional photoshop program, but the most essential effects are included. You can edit photos from the gallery with all kinds of drawings, text, emoticons and scribbles.
How are you doing this? Very simple;
In a group chat or other chat, click on the paperclip, the attachment symbol. Then choose a photo from the gallery and you can start editing. This option is mainly used to add small notes or a caption.
Wrong message sent? Remove quickly!
Frustration, anger, or sadness may have caused you to send an angry message due to all the emotions. Seconds later you’ll regret it… Luckily it’s not too late! You can still delete this message. Select the message and choose ‘Delete for everyone’.
Please note; If the recipient immediately sees the message through a notification, for example, the first words in the notification are visible. Have you sent something that is really unacceptable? Then think quickly and delete it immediately!
Adjust font style
In addition, there are a number of tricks that allow you to format the text in a message. This way you can make and send one or more words in italics or bold. This is what you need to enter:
For a bold word: Start and end the word with an asterisk
Example: Bold
For an italicized word: Start and end the word or phrase with underscores, or underscores.
Example: Low bars
Changing the wallpaper
WhatsApp has a creative default background for WhatsApp chats, filled with all kinds of little doodles. Despite the interesting design, it is not surprising that you prefer to choose your own background, especially if you use WhatsApp regularly.
Fortunately, this has been thought of. You can easily select a photo or image of your choice and use it as a wallpaper or background for chats. First go to settings and then choose chats. Click on ‘backgrounds’ and select your favorite image!
Set bookmarks for important conversations
Sometimes an important topic comes up in a chat. Then it can be very useful to find it quickly. Which can! You can, as it were, place a ‘bookmark’ on a message. That is very simple; Select the message you want to bookmark and then mark this message with the asterisk.
Send a mass message to multiple contacts
A mass message is very useful when you want to tell multiple contacts from your contact list the same thing. And the best part of a mass message? The message is received privately by everyone. This way you can approach everyone in a personal way with the same message, ideal!
Sending a mass message is not that difficult, but it works differently for iOS and Android. The iOS users can find the broadcast symbol in the left corner of the screen. Android users first go to the menu icon and then select ‘New mailing list’.
Do you want to send a mass message to multiple contacts? Always check twice what you have written and whether all information is correct. A mass message is not so easy to delete for everyone and cannot be adjusted.
Use WhatsApp as your personal calendar
iOS users are privileged when it comes to this useful feature. If WhatsApp is installed on a device with iOS, it is possible to merge WhatsApp with the standard calendar.
When you receive a new message, including a date, the user can select and hold this date. This action ensures that WhatsApp automatically sends a signal to the calendar and places an event or note on the correct date. The calendar app is installed as standard on almost every device.
Unfortunately, Android devices are not yet compatible with this handy calendar function, so Android users are currently still assigned alternatives. However, there is a good chance that WhatsApp will also make this function available for Android devices.
