WhatsApp is the world's most popular instant messaging application. That’s the main reason why Facebook paid a whopping US$19 billion for its acquisition in 2014.Irrespective of all the privacy issues and flaws in its security infrastructure, it is loved all over the world and more than 900 million people use it today.Today we are going to share Whatsapp Tips & Tricks 2017.
It works on almost all the different operating system platforms available in the cell phone market, whether it be android, iOS, blackberry or phones still using java based operational infrastructure.
Whatsapp Tips & Tricks 2017: All that is possible in Instant Messaging
Before going into Whatsapp hacks, tips and tricks you can use, let us give an overview of the application user interface, if you have already been using WhatsApp for some time, you don’t need to peruse through the introduction, and you can just skip to the tips and tricks part.
Setup
First and foremost download the application on your iPhone, Windows, BlackBerry, Android or Java-based device. WhatsApp has no advertisements, which is one of the best features of the app, it is free for the first year and even after that, it’s per year cost will be less than your Saturday lunch.
Once you have downloaded and installed the app, the portal will ask you to enter your mobile phone number, the application needs the number of the phone before it’s installed and initiated as it routes all the messages between you and your contacts just like a normal SMS system does.
User Interface
WhatsApp before its release worked a lot on its interface to make it as user-friendly and seamless as possible, and it still strives to enhance the user experience with the different updates. The things that have not yet changed includes a menu bar at the bottom of the screen, which is common for all the different screens within the app. It has five tabs for jumping to Favourites, Recent, Contacts, Chats, and Settings which can be accessed by a single tap on the respective icons.
When using the app for the first time, the ‘Favourites’ screen would pre-load all of your phone contacts who have already installed the application on their phones. To add more contacts you can simply tap the "plus" symbol which is placed in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. To delete contacts from being shown in the favorites tab you can simply single-tap "Edit", which is placed in the left corner of the screen.
The ‘Recents’ screen displays all the WhatsApp calls you placed and missed. The ‘Contacts’ tab allows you to browse through your pre-saved contacts and gives you the option to invite them to join WhatsApp.
Some Interesting Facts About The User Interface
Next comes ‘Chats’ which encompasses a continuous log of all the active chats you are involved in, with a single tap to the draft symbol placed in the upper right-hand corner, you can start a new chat with a friend, or if you want to converse with a group you can use the "New Group" option to start a group chat, WhatsApp allows you to add up to 100 people in a single chat group at once. Every group created has to have the singular or multiple admins.
There is another feature the application offers, it’s called Broadcast Lists and can be found under Chats. Broadcasting messaging enables you to send the same message to a group of people at once, without indicating who the recipients of the message are, basically exactly like Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) in an email.
The final tab is Settings. Under this, you have access to different options like privacy options, usage stats (network), archiving selected chats, etc.
WhatsApp allows you to do two things
- Messaging: Using a simple chat window for a particular friend or group, you can easily send anything from GIFs and photos to audio files, to do so, simply tap anywhere in the text field placed at the bottom of the screen, this will bring up a keyboard using which you can enter a message, or you can tap on the arrow button placed on the left bottom to take a photo/video or send one already saved on you device, it can also be used to share a location or a contact. You can send audio messages by simply tapping on the mic symbol placed on the right side of the text field. You can also take a photo and then send it using the camera button which can be found on the right side of the text field.
- Wi-Fi Calling: It also allows you to call your friends using your network data or WiFi data by simply single tapping the dialer symbol placed at the top right-hand corner of any chat window. Simply click it to phone the contact you're chatting with, or don't. WhatsApp Calling uses your phone’s internet connection rather than your cellular plan’s voice minutes (so data charges may apply).
To learn more about WhatsApp and its workings, you can check out the app's FAQ page here: https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/
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How to stop WhatsApp Images Cluttering your Camera Roll
Some friends keep on sending NSFW content to your WhatsApp, or loads of stupid pictures which you have already seen, and this is the bunch of useless content is just cluttering up your camera roll. Don’t worry you can easily make sure that the next time you are showing your boss, your cute baby daughter’s photo the kinky poster you got on WhatsApp wouldn’t show up while swiping, here is how(Android):
- Download a file explorer which lets you navigate through your phone’s memory.
- Open the file explorer and navigate to /sd card/WhatsApp/Media
- Now enter the folder WhatsApp Images, the one you don't want to show up in gallery
- Once there, tap the plus button provided at the bottom of the screen to add a folder
- Now, rename the new folder you just created to “.nomedia” and you are done.
How to Lock WhatsApp to Stop Snoopy Friends from Getting into your Personal Chats
We don’t know why WhatsApp has not yet integrated a lock feature into its interface, but if you want to keep your WhatsApp chats and history private, then you can choose from a plethora of security apps which enable you to set a passcode for applications on your phone.
For Android you can use apps like AppLock, WhatsLock, Smart AppLock, WhatsApp Secure etc. and Blackberry users can use Secure for WhatsApp.
How to Transfer your WhatsApp Chat History between Phones
WhatsApp has recently rolled out an update which allows you to have chat backups on cloud storage like Google Drive, but if you are still working with an older device or not yet updated the application, you can easily move your WhatsApp chat history over to a new device using a microSD.
- First, insert a microSD card into the device you want to transfer chats from
- Now, open WhatsApp, and then go to Settings/Chats and calls/Back up chats
- Once the chats have been backed up, remove the SD card and place it on the device you want to transfer the chats to, make sure you have not yet installed WhatsApp on the device
- Now, Install WhatsApp on this device
- The application would itself detect the backup and ask you to use the restore feature, which you should accept to complete the process
How to get Desktop Notifications for your WhatsApp Chats
Are you fed up with going back to your phone time and again to answer chat messages while you are working on your laptop? Do you wish you could have the conversation on your laptop itself? Well, it’s your lucky day, with the WhatsApp Web Chrome extension you can easily get WhatsApp notifications on your desktop.
Once you have installed the extension, you have to also install a simple add-on named WAToolkit. After installing it, you will be able to see a new icon in the toolbar. You just have to hover your cursor over this icon to see recent messages, a right click will take you to options.
If you are not able to do it, here are some simple steps you need to follow to get it done:
- First, install chrome and WhatsApp Web on your PC
- Now, open WhatsApp Web browser window and go to Options > Notifications, here search for Desktop Alerts and ensure that it is ticked
- Now, go to the chrome app store and install the Chrome browser extension “WAtoolkit”
- Open the extension by clicking on the icon and just make sure that the background notifications box is ticked
The feature which makes the tool stand out is that it will notify you of your WhatsApp messages on your PC’s desktop even when Chrome is not running.
How to Avert Stalkers on WhatsApp
Are you getting too many random chats from random people just because your profile pic is too hot for the crowd?
Well, then you can use one of the new features available in the updated versions of the app, just go to Settings> Accounts privacy >Profile Picture option and then select “My Contacts” from the Everyone, My contacts and Not anyone option available.
How to Hide the 'Last Seen' Status
WhatsApp had recently added a feature that lets your friends see when was the last time you checked your chats, but this can sometimes be problematic too.
So if you want to hide this stamp, you just have to go to Settings>Account>Privacy.
Just toggle the ‘Last Seen’ option to "Nobody".
Similarly, you can also hide your profile photo, status etc.
How to Avoid Annoying Group Notifications
If you really hate a group which keeps on pinging all day all night, you can leave the group; but if it’s your family and friends who have gone WhatsApp crazy, then you can mute the notifications from that group so that you aren't awakened every time someone wants to talk. For iPhone users, the option can be found under Group chat>Subject, which will get you to the Group Info screen, and all you have to do is single tap Mute. In Android, on the chat screen, tap the Menu button>Mute.
How to Create a Special Home Screen Shortcut for your Favorite Contacts
It’s always nice to have a direct shortcut to contact our favorites, just as in a phone contact list, you can make a home screen shortcut for your favorite chats. Here’s how you can do it:
- Go to the Chats tab.
- Single tap and then hold the conversation for which you wish to create the shortcut for.
- A list of options will appear, chose Add conversation shortcut
How to Determine the Exact Time when your Message was Sent and Read
Though the new ‘check marks’ feature that’s have been added to WhatsApp, if you want details like the precise time a message was delivered and read then just single tap and hold on a message, once the options come chose Info. For iOS users, you can just tap on a message and then drag it to the left.
How to Recover Deleted Messages in WhatsApp
WhatsApp by default backs up your messages on the cloud every day at 4 am, and this means if by mistake you've deleted some messages before the next auto-backup then you can still recover them. Here’s how:
- First, uninstall WhatsApp from the device, to do this go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Uninstall.
- Now, go to the app store and reinstall WhatsApp.
- Now, just go through the installation process and type your phone number in, then the app would notify you that it has found a backup of your chats and if you want to restore them or not.
- All your deleted messages can come back with just one single click.
How to use WhatsApp Without a Phone Number, on WiFi
If you want to use WhatsApp without a phone number, maybe on a tablet with just wireless connectivity. Then this trick may prove helpful, all you have to do is to activate WhatsApp on some phone number which is not your own, i. e fake. This is how:
- First, uninstall the app from the device completely and download the app and re-do the installation.
- Then, lock your messaging service, you can do this by opting flight mode.
- Once you are in flight mode, open WhatsApp to add your number to it. Once the app reads that it cannot deliver the message to verify, they’ll ask you to choose an alternative way to verify.
- Just, choose the authenticate using message option and then fill up your email address and click on ‘Send’ selection and once you do that don’t wait and simply click ‘Cancel’, this will end the authorization practice.
- Now, what you need to do is forge a message. To do this you can use applications like Spoof text for Android and iPhone you can use apps like Fake- a- Information.
- To spoofing a message: Go to Outbox and copy the message information into the spoofing app and then send the spoofed proof using the following details: To +447900347295, and Coming from: + [Country code] [mobile number], Information: Your email target. That’s it.
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How to Send Work Files with an Extension like Zipping, Rar, PDF etc.
If you want to you use WhatsApp to send files with extensions other than related to music and video. Although, WhatsApp has not yet unfortunately integrated an inbuilt option to send, PDFs, documents, compressed files etc. using chat. But, you can do that using apps like Cloud Send and some cloud storage platforms.
Tell us which of the WhatsApp Tips and Tricks 2017 mentioned helped you. You can also add some hack you have found out, do mention it in the comment sections below. Or if you just want to show some love go ahead to the comment boxes.
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