Performance

The 12 Best WhatsApp Features You May Not Know About

WhatsApp might be your go-to app for just about everything, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t little tricks that you haven’t yet picked up on along the way. There are many great features that you probably aren’t using (and should be).

Need more tips for improving your WhatsApp experience? Check out some of the best WhatsApp features you may not know about.

Change Your Number
Switching to a new phone number? Make sure you change your WhatsApp number. Simply visit WhatsApp’s “Settings” > “Account” > “Change Number” and follow their instructions.

Stop the Data Hog
WhatsApp will eat up your data quickly. End it by visiting “Settings” and determining what sort of media will automatically download over your mobile connection.

Disable Read Receipts
When you don’t want someone to know you have read his or her message, visit “Settings” > “Account” > “Privacy” > “Read Receipts” and uncheck the box.

Group Chat
Who has read your message? Find out by holding the sent message and then hitting the info key.

Mute the Group
When enough is enough already, hit the menu button and select “Mute.”

BFF Chats
Have a great convo going on? Save it to your home screen. Tap and hold your favorite chat and click “Add Chat Shortcut.”

Fave MessagesDon’t lose that important message. Mark it with a star, just like you do in your email inbox. Press down on the message, then tap the star icon. Visit it anytime by heading to “Starred Messages” in the app’s main menu.

Mass-Messaging
Tell everyone at the same time. Head to the main menu, then click the “New Broadcast” button.

Last Seen
If you don’t want everyone to know when you hop onto the app, visit “Settings” > “Account” > “Privacy” > “Last Seen” to hide your status.

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Use Your Desktop
You can’t whip your phone out to check every new message. Instead, you can add Whatsapp to your desktop so you receive notifications. While in the app, choose “WhatsApp Web” and follow the prompts.

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The dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.