How to Use Hidden Features on WhatsApp

Smartphone users don't seem to have the WhatsApp messaging application. WhatsApp is an application for various messages, photos and videos under the auspices of Facebook and is well known in the world. Its function is not limited to sharing messages, but also being able to make calls and video calls.

Behind the popularity of WhatsApp, there are a number of features that not many people know about. These features can facilitate work or other functions in social media relationships.

There are at least 8 secret features in WhatsApp, and here are the reviews:

1. Fingerprint unlock

The fingerprint unlock or face ID feature is currently available on WhatsApp. How to activate it is as follows:

• Go to Settings in WhatsApp
• Select "Account"
• Select "Privacy"
• Select unlock for "Fingerprint lock/fingerprint unlock"
• Activate options and customize as needed

2. See who you chat with the most

WhatsApp now has a new feature that lets you see which contacts you chat with the most or in which groups you share media content the most.

To view it, do the following:

• Go to "Settings"
• Select "Data and storage usage"
• Select "Storage usage"
• Manage storage

3. Pin important conversations

We all have one or two people we almost always text/chat with on WhatsApp. However, the chat has the potential to be buried with new chats that appear, especially if many messages arrive in different chats.

To ensure that certain chats stay on top, you can pin chats. The method is as follows:

• Tap and hold on the specific contact or group you want to pin
• Press the "Pin" icon at the top
• Meanwhile, for iPhone users, it can be done quite easily, namely swipe right on any chat and tap the "Pin" icon.

4. Change the text font

WhatsApp allows the text or font of your message to be in bold, italics, or strikethrough mode quickly. To do so, you need to add some special characters before and after the text you want to format.

• If you want to bold text on WhatsApp, use an asterisk (*bold*).
• Italicizes the text with an underline (_italics_).
• And to create strikethrough text with tilde (~strikethrough~).

5. Automatic message deletion feature

WhatsApp is currently rolling out a new feature that lets you enable disappearing (due to deletion) messages for certain conversations. When enabled, all your messages will disappear from chat after seven days automatically.

This means that you don't have to bother deleting old messages that are occupying your phone's memory manually. To enable automatic message deletion, as follows:

• Turn on "Disappearing Messages" by tapping the contact or chat name at the top of your screen
• Select "Disappearing Messages" from the list of options
• Tap "On"

Please note that any images you send or receive are automatically saved to your or the recipient's phone. So when the message with the photo disappears, the actual image can still be saved.

6. View message details

Ever wonder what time a message is delivered or read? You can check the message details by following these steps:

• Click the message and hold Select "Info"
• For iPhone users, you can simply swipe left on the messages you send to see those stats on your phone

7. Mute the conversation

When you're in a meeting or don't want to be bothered by the sound notification of an incoming message, you can turn off/mute the conversation.

For Android users:

• You can long press on the chat you want to mute
• Tap the crossed out speaker icon at the top of the screen

For iPhone users:

• Swipe left in the conversation
• Press the three dot button
• Select "Mute"

8. Hide "last seen" status

Sometimes it's too much stress knowing that people can see when you were last online and it makes you feel like you have to reply to a pending message. As reported by Kompas, if your status is not wanted by others and you want to hide it, do these steps:

• Go to "Settings"
• Select "Account"
• Select "Privacy"
• Uncheck the box or slide the switch next to "Read Receipts" to the Off position

Please note, disabling this feature automatically prevents other people from knowing whether you have read the message or not. However, group chats will still use read receipts or blue ticks.