We’ve already covered some handy WhatsApp tips and tricks earlier, but those are more mainstream features. What if I tell you there’s more, lesser-known stuff you can do in WhatsApp and become a power user? Let’s quickly get to some hidden features that’ll take your WhatsApp game to the next level.
Table of Contents
1. Unit Conversion in WhatsApp
Typing anything with numbers followed by a unit can be converted directly within WhatsApp. For example, when writing “26cm,” you can simply tap to select it and then tap on Convert to change it to other units, including meters, kilometers, yards, feet, and more.
Similarly, let’s say we select and convert “109kg.” That would change it to tons, grams, and even other units like pounds. It works on Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and Vivo phones, among others. Unfortunately, it’s not possible on iPhones.
2. A Better Way to Message Unsaved Contacts
If you want to message someone without saving their contact, you’d probably use a third-party app like WhatsDirect, iPhone shortcuts, or the URL trick (wa.me/mobilenumber). But there’s an even easier way.
Simply type and send the phone number you want to message to any of your chats (you can even message yourself). Then, tap the number in the chat, and you’ll see an option to Chat with ‘mobile number‘. Tap that to start messaging them directly without having to save their contact.
This is particularly useful when messaging someone you might not need to contact again in the future, such as for a one-time service or delivery.
3. Download ‘View Once’ Photos
WhatsApp allows you to send disappearing photos and videos that can be opened only once. They do not get saved, vanish after viewing, and cannot be screenshotted or screen-recorded.
If you urgently need to bypass this restriction, such as for legal purposes or to save important information, you can use a Chrome extension. Alternatively, you can use WhatsApp within Beeper, where the disappearing media will appear like a regular image.
Here’s our complete guide to saving these view once photos.
4. Save Someone’s WhatsApp Profile Photo
Earlier this year, WhatsApp blocked the ability to save individual contact photos. While you can still save a group photo or even screenshot it, this is no longer possible for contact photos, and you’ll see a “screen capture blocked” or “screenshot not allowed by this app” error.
However, on Android, you can still save contact photos by taking a screenshot of the popup that appears when you tap their profile picture.
- Open WhatsApp and tap the contact’s photo in the chat.
- When you see the popup with their profile photo, press the Volume Down + Power button together to capture a screenshot.
- You can then crop their profile picture from this screenshot.
Alternatively, you can use WhatsApp Web or third-party online tools to download the profile picture as detailed here.
5. View Messages Deleted by Others
At times, people send you a message only to delete it later. Now, if you want to read what they sent earlier, you can do so using Notification History on Android. This feature lets you see all the notifications you’ve received on your phone, including WhatsApp message previews (even if they’re now deleted).
However, it needs to be enabled before it starts logging your notifications. To turn it on, go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Notification History.
Once enabled, refer back to your notification history anytime after someone deletes a message they’ve sent. You’ll find its preview there.
If you’d like to retain images, videos, and other sent files after they’re deleted by the sender, you can download the ‘Get Deleted Messages’ app from the Google Play Store. Whenever someone unsends a message, you can open the app to check the deleted message. But again, remember that using third-party apps has privacy implications.
6. Lock Your WhatsApp Chats With a Secret Code
You may know that WhatsApp lets you protect the app with an app lock. But did you know you can lock your sensitive chats with a secret code only you have access to? These chats cannot be opened by your friends and family even if you unlock your phone and hand your WhatsApp to them. Here’s how.
Here’s how to lock your chats:
- Open WhatsApp and long-press on any chat or group you want to lock.
- Tap the three dots icon in the top-right and then select the Lock chat option.
- Authenticate with your fingerprint or face recognition to lock the selected chat.
- The locked chats will appear in the Locked Chats folder at the top of all your conversations.
Here’s how to hide these locked chats using a secret code:
- Open the Locked chats folder, tap on three-dots icon, and choose Chat lock settings.
- Next, enable the Hide locked chats toggle and tap the Create Secret Code button.
- Enter a secret code with a minimum of 4 characters that can include letters, numbers, symbols, or even emojis. Re-enter the code to confirm.
To access your locked chats, simply enter your secret code in the search bar at the top and you’ll find the Locked Chats option. Tapping it will open all your locked chats.
7. Schedule Your WhatsApp Messages
Want to send a birthday or anniversary wish at the perfect time (like midnight) but worry you’ll forget or fall asleep? You can schedule WhatsApp messages. While WhatsApp doesn’t officially offer this feature yet, there are easy workarounds.
On Android, you can use SKEDit or Autoresponder for WhatsApp apps. iPhone users can utilize the built-in Shortcuts app to schedule WhatsApp messages. We’ve covered both scheduling methods in detail here.
Become a Pro WhatsApp User!
And that wraps up our list of numbered, yet incredibly useful and often overlooked WhatsApp tricks to enhance your chatting experience. Don’t forget to check out our detailed WhatsApp mobile features guide, where we cover everything from using emojis and creating fancy text to sending instant video messages and more.
