WhatsApp is one of the most preferred communication apps worldwide, and with recent updates, it has enhanced the user experience significantly. Along with these improvements, there are numerous hidden features in WhatsApp that many users are unaware of. In this article, we will reveal a lesser-known feature and provide detailed explanations on how to use it.
Changing Text Styles in WhatsApp
To make messaging more enjoyable, WhatsApp allows you to change text styles. There are specific steps to follow to modify the font styles of your messages. Let’s explore how to change text styles in WhatsApp messages.
How to Change Text Styles
To alter the font style of a message in WhatsApp, you need to add specific characters at the beginning and the end of your text. There are three different text styles available in WhatsApp:
- Italic (slanted font)
- Bold (thick font)
Strikethrough(text with a line through it)
To create these text styles, you need to use different characters. Adding an underscore (_) at the beginning and the end of your text will make it italic. Similarly, adding an asterisk (*) at the beginning and the end of your text will make it bold. Finally, adding a tilde (~) at the beginning and the end of your text will create a strikethrough effect.
Shrinking Emoji Sizes
WhatsApp offers hundreds, even thousands, of emojis that help convey emotions more effectively. However, you can also shrink the size of these emojis by following certain steps. By using specific special characters, you can reduce the size of all emojis sent via WhatsApp. Let’s discuss how to shrink the size of emojis in WhatsApp messages.
How to Shrink Emoji Sizes
To reduce the size of emojis in WhatsApp, you need to use specific special characters. These characters are the same ones used to change text styles: the asterisk (*), underscore (_), and tilde (~). By adding one of these characters at the beginning and the end of an emoji, its size will be reduced (e.g., 😊). This feature is typically used to prevent emojis from disrupting the flow of sentences.
Hidden Features for Storage Optimization
The previous sections of the blog have discussed some of the hidden features of WhatsApp, but this section is specifically focused on hidden features for storage optimization. The Manage Storage feature of WhatsApp lets users easily clear up storage by identifying and removing unnecessary files. Users can also limit the auto-downloading of media files to reduce unnecessary storage usage. The Storage Usage feature is another handy tool that helps identify and delete large files. By utilizing these features, users can optimize their storage and enjoy a hassle-free WhatsApp experience. These hidden features are a must-know for anyone who wants to free up their phone’s storage while continuing to use WhatsApp comfortably.
Clear up storage with WhatsApp’s Manage Storage feature
To help optimize storage usage on your device, WhatsApp offers a Manage Storage feature that allows users to easily clear up space by deleting unnecessary files. By going to Settings, then Storage and Data, and selecting Manage Storage, users can quickly review the breakdown of their WhatsApp storage and eliminate any large files that are taking up too much space. This feature is especially helpful for those who frequently receive media files through the app, as they can limit auto-downloading to further optimize their storage usage. In addition to this helpful tool, WhatsApp also offers a range of hidden features, including self-destructing messages, customized chat wallpapers, and the ability to add contacts through QR codes. By utilizing these features, users can take full advantage of the popular messaging app’s many capabilities.
Limit auto-downloading of media files to optimize storage usage
To optimize storage usage, WhatsApp has a feature that allows you to limit auto-downloading of media files. By default, WhatsApp automatically downloads all media files shared with a user to the photos app, which eats up significant storage space on your phone. However, by disabling auto-downloads for images, audio, and videos, you can ensure that only necessary files are downloaded, saving storage space. You can access this feature by going to WhatsApp, tapping on More options, selecting Settings, then going to Storage and data, and finally Media. By unchecking the options for Images, Audio, and Video, you can disable auto-downloads. Additionally, consider using the Manage Storage feature and Storage Usage feature to identify and delete large files that you no longer need, further optimizing your storage usage. By keeping these hidden storage optimization features in mind, WhatsApp users can ensure their phone’s storage isn’t bogged down by unnecessary files.
Use the storage usage feature to identify and delete large files
To further optimize storage on WhatsApp, users can take advantage of the app’s storage usage feature. By utilizing this feature, they can easily identify and delete large files that are taking up too much space on their device. This can be easily accessed through the app’s Manage Storage feature under Storage and Data in Settings. Once there, users can view all the files across all chats that are larger than 5MB and decide if they want to keep or delete them. This feature is especially useful for those who frequently send or receive media files like photos and videos. By regularly using the storage usage feature, users can ensure that their WhatsApp conversations remain clutter-free and their device’s storage space is consistently optimized.
Shortcuts for iPhone Users
iPhone users have access to shortcuts for using these features. Double-tap on the text and select the message you want to send. Numerous options will appear; tap on the “B_I_U” option. Afterward, you will see four different options:
- Strikethrough
- Italic
- Bold
- Monospaced
By using these shortcuts, you can easily send messages in your desired text style without the hassle of manually adding special characters.
Quick Reply Shortcut: Swipe Right to Reply
To quickly reply to a message in WhatsApp, swipe right on the message to quote it and type your response.
Text Formatting Shortcuts: Bold, Italic, and Strikethrough
WhatsApp offers shortcuts for text formatting. To make text bold, add an asterisk (*) at the beginning and the end of the text; for italics, use an underscore (_); and for strikethrough, add a tilde (~).
Examples:
Bold: hello → hello Italic: hello → hello Strikethrough: hello → hello
Video Call Shortcuts: Start with Rear Camera
By default, WhatsApp uses the front camera for video calls. However, if you want to start a call with the rear camera, long-press the video call icon.
Sneaky Reading Tips: Disable Blue Ticks
If you don’t want your read messages to be marked with blue ticks, go to Settings → Account → Privacy → Read Receipts and disable this option.
Sneaky Reading with Airplane Mode
To secretly read a message in WhatsApp, enable airplane mode to disconnect all network connections, then read the message. Afterward, disable airplane mode and exit the app. This way, the sender won’t be notified that their message has been read.
Find Your Friends: Add Nearby Contacts
WhatsApp allows you to quickly add nearby contacts using QR codes. To do this, go to Settings → QR Code and either scan your friend’s QR code or display your own for them to scan.
Customize Chat Wallpaper
You can personalize your chat background in WhatsApp to make your conversations more visually appealing. To change the chat wallpaper, go to Settings → Chats → Wallpaper and choose from the available options or select a photo from your gallery.
Archive Chats for a Cleaner Interface
If you want to declutter your chat list, consider archiving chats that are not frequently used. This feature helps keep your chat list organized without deleting the conversation history. To archive a chat, swipe left on the chat and select “Archive.”
Starred Messages: Save Important Messages
Starred messages allow you to bookmark important messages for easy access later. To star a message, long-press the message, and tap on the star icon. To view starred messages, go to Settings → Starred Messages.
Mute Notifications for Specific Chats
Sometimes, notifications from specific chats or group conversations can be overwhelming. WhatsApp allows you to mute notifications for individual chats or groups. To mute a chat, swipe left on the chat and tap “More,” then select “Mute.”
Custom Notification Tones
WhatsApp lets you set custom notification tones for individual contacts or groups. This feature enables you to identify who sent a message without checking your phone. To set a custom notification tone, open the chat or group, tap on the contact or group name at the top, and select “Custom Tone.”
In conclusion, this article has discussed lesser-known shortcuts and tips for using WhatsApp more efficiently and comfortably. By applying these tips, you can enhance your overall experience with the app and make your communication more enjoyable.
Latest Hidden Features of WhatsApp
The latest hidden features of WhatsApp are designed to enhance user experience and improve communication. The self-destructing messages feature ensures privacy and confidentiality, while the disappearing photos and videos feature allows users to send time-limited content. Customized chat wallpapers and QR codes make it easier to personalize and add contacts respectively, while the animated stickers and emojis feature adds a fun and creative touch to conversations. In addition to these new features, earlier ones such as storage optimization allow WhatsApp users to clear up space on their devices by limiting auto-downloading of media files and identifying and deleting large files with the storage usage feature. Overall, WhatsApp continues to improve with new features while retaining the useful ones that users love.
Self-destructing messages
In addition to the hidden features for storage optimization, WhatsApp has introduced some exciting new options to enhance user experience. One of the latest features that WhatsApp has added is self-destructing messages. This feature allows users to send messages that automatically delete after a set period of time. This is especially helpful for users who are concerned about privacy, as messages disappear without a trace. Users can set the self-destruct timer to 7 days, ensuring messages do not stick around longer than needed. This feature is especially useful for accountants and lawyers dealing with sensitive information. Along with self-destructing messages, WhatsApp has also introduced disappearing photos and videos, customized chat wallpapers, QR codes to add contacts, and animated stickers and emojis. By constantly adding new features, WhatsApp continues to stay at the forefront of the messaging app world, providing users with intuitive and secure ways to connect with others.
Disappearing photos and videos
In addition to the Hidden Features for Storage Optimization listed earlier, WhatsApp also offers disappearing photos and videos. These features allow users to send videos and photos that will disappear after they have been viewed. This is a great tool for those who want to send a photo or video clip that they do not want to stay in the recipient’s phone forever. The self-destructing messages and disappearing photos and videos features show WhatsApp’s focus on privacy and security. In addition to these features, WhatsApp also offers customized chat wallpapers, QR codes to add contacts, and animated stickers and emojis, making it a versatile and fun communication app.
Customized chat wallpapers
Customized chat wallpapers are one of the latest hidden features in WhatsApp that can make your chat experience more enjoyable. With this feature, users can choose their favorite images as their chat backgrounds, creating a personalized touch to their conversations. Not only does it add a fun element, but it can also help with optimizing storage usage by changing the wallpaper to a lower resolution image. This feature can be accessed through Settings> Chats> Wallpaper, and users can choose from a selection of preloaded wallpapers or use their own images. By using the Manage Storage feature to identify and delete large files, combined with the ability to customize chat wallpapers, WhatsApp is providing its users with more control over their chat experience.
QR codes to add contacts
In addition to the latest hidden features of WhatsApp, such as self-destructing messages, disappearing media and animated stickers, the app has now added the ability to add contacts through QR codes. This feature allows users to easily share their WhatsApp contact information with others without the need to manually enter their phone number. It’s particularly useful for businesses or individuals who want to quickly share their contact information with customers or friends. To access this feature, go to the Settings menu, click on the three dots icon, and choose the QR code option. Simply share the code with others through any app on your phone and they can scan it to add you as a contact on WhatsApp. With this new feature, WhatsApp is making it easier than ever before to connect with others on the platform.
Animated stickers and emojis
WhatsApp has recently introduced animated stickers and emojis as its latest hidden features, adding more fun and vibrancy to messaging conversations. Coupled with the storage optimization features, users can now enjoy sending animated emojis and stickers without overloading their device’s storage capacity. These new features are perfect for expressing emotions and sentiments in a more dynamic way, making conversations more engaging and entertaining. Additionally, users can customize their chat by choosing wallpapers and adding QR codes to conveniently add new contacts. With these latest additions, WhatsApp continues to provide users with exciting and innovative ways of staying connected with family and friends.
