WhatsApp’s monthly user base should be around two billion by now. Besides instant messaging and sending stickers/gifs, the messaging app also includes a few hidden gems and features. WhatsApp for iPhone requires some fiddling with the app, unlike its Android counterpart, which easily offers options and settings.
Did you know that WhatsApp for iPhone includes gestures to quickly navigate between features and options? Once you grasp these moves, the whole experience becomes highly productive. Let’s look at the 13 best tricks to use WhatsApp for iPhone like a pro.
1. Pin Chat
After using WhatsApp for a while, the main screen of the application is filled with chats. Following up on important conversations can become a time-consuming process. Mostly because you’ll have to swipe every time you want to revisit someone. Fortunately, the app offers a Pin option that lets you paste the chat at the top.
Swipe left on any chat thread to see the Pin option. Tap on the pin and the conversation will appear above all chats with a small pin icon.
2. Read/Unread Speech
Marking as read for a chat thread is pretty easy. You can open a conversation or swipe left and select Read. This trick comes in handy when you want to mark the chat as unread. Follow the same move and mark it as unread.
3. Mark All Read
We all have one of those busy days when we don’t have time to check WhatsApp messages. Then it feels like a chore to go through every single message from individual conversations and group chat.
You can tap Edit, select chat threads and hit Read All at the bottom to mark pending messages as read. This is helpful when you want to avoid scrolling through group chats.
4. Read Receipt
On iOS, the read receipts of your messages can be quickly reviewed. Swipe left on any message and the following screen will show two important details: when the message was delivered and when the recipient read the message.
5. Archive Chat
Instead of deleting a conversation, you can clear the clutter by hiding WhatsApp’s home screen. In any conversation, swipe right and tap Archive Chat.
On Android, the Archive list can be accessed by swiping all the way to the bottom of the chat list. iOS makes it easily accessible with a single gesture. On the home screen, swipe or swipe down to reveal the Archived Chats option below the search box.
6. Mute Chat
The option to mute a chat is a god sent thing for someone like me. Some of my contacts spam me frequently with business products. With the silent option, I can avoid these unnecessary distractions while working.
There are two ways to activate. You can either tap on the contact name without speaking and hit the mute option at the bottom. Or from the home screen, swipe left on the contact’s chat thread, tap a three-dot button, tap More and select Mute, and repeat the same stream for Unmute.
7. Export Chat
Switching from Android to iOS or vice versa will not transfer all WhatsApp messages successfully. Also, there is no easy way to do this as WhatsApp does not officially support cross-platform backup using Google Drive. This is where the export chat option comes to the rescue.
In any chat thread, swipe left, tap More and select Export chat. WhatsApp provides the option to add or exclude media (photos, videos and documents). After choosing one of the options, you will get the Share page to choose an app to send the copy of the exported chat to.
8. Delete Chat
It is quite easy to delete an unwanted chat thread from WhatsApp. Swipe left on the chat you want to remove, tap More with three dots and select Delete chat.
9. Quick Reply in Chat
Last year, WhatsApp introduced the ability to reply to a specific message with a swipe gesture. In a chat, swipe left on any message you receive and you can start composing a direct reply to that message.
10. Message Search
Let’s say you want to find a specific message and don’t want to navigate or scan through a sea of chats. WhatsApp allows you to search for a specific word or term by picking up the search box with a quick swipe down on the home screen.
Note:
Type a relevant term into the search menu and at the top you’ll find search results showing chat threads and individual messages with search keywords.
11. Private Message From Group Chat
Introduced in the latest WhatsApp for iPhone v2.16, you can now privately reply to a specific message from a group chat. Let’s say you want to talk to a sender privately with a specific message. You can reply to this message privately and join a private chat instead of asking in a group.
Long press the message in the group chat to reveal a rollover menu, tap More and select Reply privately. WhatsApp will initiate a direct conversation with that person and select the message you selected along with the group name. There you can write a reply and start the private chat.
12. Add Stickers to Pictures
Last year, WhatsApp added sticker support. And with the latest update in iOS, you can add stickers to pictures before sending them. Previously, WhatsApp allowed annotating images with color filters and text. You can now add stickers to these photos to add a personal touch.
13. Use 3D Touch to Browse Conversation and Status
Finally, WhatsApp added a status Peek and Pop feature with 3D Touch on supported iPhones. Long press any status from WhatsApp contact and the message will pop up to give you a quick glance.
You can also perform a 3D Tap action in any chat thread to quickly take a look at the last conversation you had with the other person.
Hopefully WhatsApp adds support for the same long press functionality on iPhone XR with the next update.
Pro tip:
Bonus Trick: Lock Using Touch ID / Face ID
With the latest update v2.19.20, WhatsApp received support for using Touch ID and Face ID on iPhones. You can now lock and unlock the app using your phone’s default biometrics.
To turn it on, go to Settings > Account > Screen lock. Open the option.
Use WhatsApp like a Pro
A few years ago, WhatsApp was receiving some criticism for being too simple. This has changed in the last two years. WhatsApp is gradually narrowing the gap between a casual and an expert user. The addition of 3D Touch and Peek and Pop API for nifty gestures is a welcome change.
iPhone users, especially iPhone 6s Plus and above, can take advantage of these tips to save time and get the most out of WhatsApp.
Next up: WhatsApp Groups are always full of messages and can be overwhelming. These 10 awesome WhatsApp Group tips and tricks will help you become a champion in creating and managing Groups.
Support our work ❤️
If you enjoyed this article, consider leaving a tip to help us keep publishing great content.
