Here are seven WhatsApp hidden features you should know about.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms around the globe. The app has been around for almost a decade now and the company has added tons of features since its introduction. While most features are out in the wild for people to know about them, there are certain features or tricks that not many people tend to know about. So, here's a list of seven tips and tricks that can make your WhatsApp life better.
1. Pin important conversations
We all have that one or two people that we text almost constantly on WhatsApp. With so many messages arriving on different chats, the specific contact tends to go invisible on the first page. In order to make sure that a specific chat stays on top, you can pin the chat. Just tap and hold on the contact or group and hit pin icon on the top. As for iPhone users, swipe right on any chat and tap on the pin icon.
2. Mark important messages
There are times when we want to mark a specific message so that when we need them we don't need to hunt it down. One can mark important messages or media files in a chat by adding a star to it. On both iOS and Android, just tap and hold the message you would like to mark and hit the Star icon. You can find these important messages under the Starred messages section in the WhatsApp menu.
3. Add desktop shortcut
While you can always pin a chat to bring it to the top of the WhatsApp chat screen, you will always need to open the app first. One can quickly head over to a WhatsApp contact when needed by creating a desktop shortcut of the contact or group. On your Android phone's home screen, tap and hold on the blank area and tap on Add Widget. Now look for WhatsApp Chat and tap and hold it to add to the home screen. Now, you can select the contact or group that you would like to show up directly on your home screen. However, this feature is not available for iPhone users.
4. Fingerprint Unlock
Fingerprint Unlock or Face ID lock has been there on WhatsApp for quite some time now. Just head over to Settings on WhatsApp > Account > Privacy and go to Fingerprint Lock. Enable the option and customise it according to your needs.
Also Read: WhatsApp tips and tricks: How to enable app lock on Android, iOS
5. Two-Factor Authentication
For an additional layer of security, one can always enable two-factor authentication. One can do this by heading over to WhatsApp Settings > Account and tap on Two-Step verification. Once enabled, anytime you set up WhatsApp on a new smartphone, apart from the OTP, the app will also require you to enter the two-step verification code. The app will also ask it every now and then to ensure that you have not forgotten it.
6. New typewriter font
WhatsApp introduced strikethrough, italics and bold fonts a while back. The Facebook-owned giant has now added support for a new Typewriter font. In order to use it, the user just needs to type the text in-between ``` and ```. For example - ```text```
7. See who you chat with the most
WhatsApp now has a new feature that allows you to see with which contact you chat the most or on which group you share media content the most. One can see this by heading over to Settings > Data and storage usage > Storage usage.
