WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app worldwide, with over 2 billion users. It allows you to stay in touch with friends and family through one-on-one and group chats. While WhatsApp’s default settings work well for basic messaging, there are many ways to customize your chats and text differently in the app. Here are some tips and tricks to spice up your WhatsApp messages.
Use Formatting Options
WhatsApp has several formatting options to make your messages stand out. Here are some formatting choices to try:
Bold – Add asterisks before and after a word or phrase to make it bold. This can help emphasize important points.
Italic – Add underscores before and after a word or phrase to italicize it. This can help differentiate certain words.
~Strikethrough~ – Use tildes to cross out words. This can be useful for indicating changes or corrections.
`Monospace` – Use backticks to format text in a monospace font. This can make text look more technical or mechanical.
[Links](https://www.example.com) – Square brackets around text and parentheses around a URL will create a clickable link. Useful for sharing websites.
Use Emojis and Emoticons
Emojis and emoticons are a fun way to express emotion and nonverbal cues. WhatsApp has a huge library of emojis you can insert in your messages. Some ways to use them include:
– Replacing words or phrases with corresponding emojis like a heart ❤️ or thumbs up 👍
– Adding emojis at the end of sentences to indicate tone, like a smiley 😊 for something positive
– Using many emojis together to represent an idea, like celebration 🎉🥳🎊
You can also make emoticons out of basic punctuation marks, like 🙂 for a smile or 😉 for a wink. Get creative with emojis and emoticons to add personality to your texts!
Change Text Size and Color
For special emphasis, you can change the size and color of your WhatsApp texts. Here’s how:
**Size** – Use brackets around a word with a size indicator inside to change text size. For example, [200%] enlarges text and [50%] shrinks it.
**Color** – Use brackets around text with a hex color code inside to change text color. For example, [ #FF0000] makes text red. There are many color codes to choose from.
This can help highlight urgent messages, make announcements stand out, or just add some flair! But use sparingly as overuse can make texts hard to read.
Use WhatsApp Statuses
WhatsApp statuses let you post updates, photos, and videos that disappear after 24 hours. There are a few ways to get creative with statuses:
– Make a status photo collage with the layout and sticker tools. Add some captions with the text tool as well.
– Post a status poll or quiz to interact with friends. See who replies and how they vote.
– Record short video statuses to share moments from your day. Get creative with filters, effects or stickers.
– Share useful tidbits or “thought of the day” style wisdom bites. Give your status some personality.
While less permanent than normal messaging, statuses are a fun way to differently interact with your WhatsApp contacts in a casual, playful way.
Message Yourself
You can use WhatsApp to message yourself for reminders, notes or saving things for later. Here are some handy uses for self-messaging:
– Shopping/to-do lists – Make itemized lists you can reference anytime.
– Notes and links – Save bits of info you don’t want to forget but don’t need clogging up your main chats.
– Reminders – Set yourself notification reminders for events, tasks, or habits you want to build.
– Drafts – Start messages to yourself that you can complete and send later when needed.
Your chat with your own number will be at the top of your WhatsApp chats for easy access. Make sure to pin it for convenience!
Use WhatsApp on Multiple Devices
WhatsApp recently introduced the ability to use one account across multiple devices. This opens up new ways to text differently:
– **Multi-device copy/paste** – Start drafting a long message on one device, copy it, then paste into another. Great for long statuses or group announcements.
– **Quick referencing** – Have chats open on two devices to easily check back on previous messages while drafting new ones.
– **Seamless switching** – Move between devices without losing your spot or context. Start on laptop, continue on phone.
– **Privacy** – Lock chats on your main phone and use a secondary device like an iPad for more private conversations.
With proper setup, you can text from your preferred device at any time. Just make sure read receipts and notifications sync correctly using the device pairing process.
Explore WhatsApp Web Features
WhatsApp Web allows you to use WhatsApp on your computer’s desktop browser. In addition to the multi-device benefits above, Web has some unique features to make messaging more efficient:
– **Keyboard shortcuts** – Use keys like Enter to send, Esc to go back, Ctrl+B for bold, etc. Makes frequent messaging faster.
– **Drag and drop** – Instantly attach files from your computer by dragging them right into the message box. No need to manually upload.
– **Desktop notifications** – Get desktop pop-up notifications of new messages so you don’t have to constantly check the window.
– **Dark mode** – Enable dark mode on WhatsApp Web for comfortable nighttime chatting.
– **Third-party tools** – Services like Watusi can add even more capabilities like message scheduling, chat backups, and more.
WhatsApp Web streamlines your desktop chatting experience. Pair it with your phone for next-level messaging.
Use Third-Party WhatsApp Tools
Beyond the default WhatsApp features, there are various third-party apps and tools to enhance your messaging:
– **Custom keyboards** – Keyboards like Go, SwiftKey, or Gboard add special features like gif search, stickers, typing shortcuts and more.
– **Notification history** – Apps like NotiSave store past notifications so you can check messages you missed.
– **Chat analyzers** – Tools like Chat Analyzer for WhatsApp can generate statistics like your most frequent contacts, chat times, and word usage.
– **Auto responders** – RespondBot and similar apps can automatically reply to incoming WhatsApp messages with preset responses.
– **Chatbots** – Business accounts can utilize chatbot tools like Chatfuel and ManyChat to create conversational bots.
Be sure to research trusted tool providers first, but third-party apps can take your WhatsApp game to the next level.
Avoid Disruptive Texting Habits
While you should get creative with your WhatsApp messages, be careful not to pick up disruptive texting habits that can bother recipients:
✅ Do:
– Text at reasonable hours, accounting for others’ routines
– Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation for clarity
– Keep statuses and forwards relevant and appropriate
❌ Avoid:
– Spamming stickers, emojis or GIFs that provide no value
– Sending too many messages at once without breaks
– Texting solely in brief phrases or sentence fragments
– Relying only on voice notes for conversations
Your creativity should enhance your messages, not make them distracting. Be considerate of others as you explore new ways to text.
Conclusion
WhatsApp offers many customizable features to make your messaging creative, expressive and fun. From fonts and colors to statuses and third-party tools, you have lots of options to try. Keep these tips in mind:
– Use formatting like bold, italics and links for emphasis
– Insert emojis and emoticons to add tone and personality
– Change text size and color for highlighting
– Post engaging statuses and polls
– Message yourself for reminders and drafts
– Utilize multi-device messaging and WhatsApp Web
– Explore helpful third-party keyboard and chat tools
– Avoid disruptive texting habits
With the right approach, you can text differently and make your WhatsApp chats pop. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works for your personality and conversation style. Just remember to stay thoughtful of others as you customize your messaging experience. What WhatsApp tips will you try first?