This instant messaging service has completely ousted SMS, as WhatsApp allows you to send unlimited texts (to one or more people at a time), images, videos… and all for free.
20,000 million messages are exchanged every day through WhatsApp and each user spends an average of 30 minutes per day on ‘whatsapping’. But do you know how to get the most out of it?
Manage groups. If you use an iPhone and want to create a group, go to the Chats/Create group option, give it a name and add the people you want. For Android, go to Menu/New group and you can give it a name and add contacts. To change the name of the group, just tap on the name and change it (iOS) or tap the pencil icon and type the new name (Android). If you want there to be more than one administrator, open the group information, tap on a participant and in the context menu making it an administrator. Turn off the ringtone in ‘Group Silent’ (iOS) or ‘Mute’ (Android).
Delete the time. Hiding the last connection time will prevent them from monitoring you (although you will also stop seeing that of others). You can disable this feature in Settings/account/privacy/last connection time/nobody. To protect your privacy, you can also set a security access code (there are free apps for this purpose such as AppLock) and block your photo so that only your contacts can see it; if not, anyone with your phone number can access it. Do it in Settings/account/Privacy/Profile photo/My contacts.
Block someone If you don’t want to have a contact on WhatsApp, you can easily block them from the chat. If you’re using iOS, tap their name in contacts and select Block this contact. If you’re using Android, go to Menu/settings/account/privacy/blocked. Tap on the + sign and select the names you want to block.
Where are you? To avoid wasting time with explanations, send the location. If you use iPhone, go to the chat, click on the up arrow and choose Send location (hit the current one or another one you want). On Android, by clicking on the clip and Location, you will send your current location. To send another, tap the square icon, move the red checkmark, and send.
What do the ‘checks’ say? A single green check means that the message has been sent; two, that it has been received, and two blue, that it has already been read. You can know exactly when if you slide your finger (from left to right) on the message. And if you don’t want them to know you’ve read it, go to Settings/account/privacy and turn off Read Receipts.
Increase texts. If you have trouble seeing the messages you write or receive, you can enlarge the text quite easily. For devices that use iOS go to Settings (not in WhatsApp) / display and brightness. From there use the text size slider. If you use Android, go to Settings (this time for WhatsApp) / chat settings / font size / large. With the free Fontsy app you can also change the font.
Chat faster. This is a cheat for Android devices only. It is about writing the normal message and instead of clicking the ‘Send’ button, pressing the ‘Enter’ button on the keyboard itself. Before you must activate this function in: Settings / chat settings / send with intro.
Share with different friends. With the broadcast feature, you can send messages to multiple friends at once, even if they don’t know each other. It’s simple. For Android: open the main WhatsApp window, tap on the three dots, select ‘New broadcast’, tap +, choose the contacts and tap ‘Create’. For iPhone: Go to Main Menu/Chats/Broadcast List/New List. Add recipients by pressing + and then ‘Create’.
Change state. Status is the information about you that is seen by those who access your profile. WhatsApp brings by default the phrase: Hey there! I am using WhatsApp, but you can put whatever you want so they know where or how you are: traveling, working, sick, on vacation, just married, happy… It is done in the menu Status (Android) or in Settings/profile ( iOS).
Activate original ’emojis’. WhatsApp brings many emoticons that are being expanded with the new updates, but if you don’t like these smileys, there are free apps that allow you to improve them. For Android you have Emoticon HD and Emojidom smileys (a new smiley icon will appear in your WhatsApp, touch it and that’s it). For iOS (iPhones) you have Emoticons: Emoji Unlimited or Emoji Keyboard (click on the one you like/Copy, go to WhatsApp, click on chat/Paste).
Customize the background. Android allows you to choose between 30 different images, from Settings/chat settings/background/WhatsApp. For iOS go to: Settings/chat settings/backgrounds. Click on the image you want and click on accept.
Take a photo! It is very bad not to have a profile image that your contacts can see in the chat. To create it go to Settings/profile and put one of the images from your reel.
Protect your privacy. Do not save WhatsApp photos, as they go to everyone else’s albums. And is that iCloud automatically syncs photos between devices. To make them only visible from this app, you must deactivate automatic storage.
Update WhatsApp. Not only to benefit from new features, but because it is the best way to prevent cybercriminals from taking advantage of your security flaws. In this sense, it is important that you do not open unknown links or chain letters (they could contain malware) and that you ignore requests from people you do not know (they are usually frauds).