When sending a message in a WhatsApp group, it’s important to address the recipient properly to avoid confusion. There are a few options for addressing someone specifically in a group chat:
Use their name – This is the clearest way to indicate who your message is for. Simply write out their first name or nickname.
Example: “John, could you send me that file we discussed earlier?”
Use @mention – You can tag a person by putting @ before their name. This will notify them and highlight your message.
Example: “@Sarah did you get my last message about tomorrow’s meeting?”
Reply privately – If you want to have a private chat within a group, tap and hold on the recipient’s name and select “Reply privately” from the menu. This will open a separate chat window with just that person.
Reply to a specific message – Tap and hold on the message you want to reply to, then select “Reply” to thread your response under their original message. This keeps conversations organized.
When to use names vs @mentions
Using someone’s name is generally better for an initial message to grab their attention. The @mention has more utility when replying within an ongoing discussion, so the person knows you’re addressing them specifically.
Here are some best practices:
Use names:
– When making an important announcement to the group that requires action from someone
– When asking a direct question to one person for the first time
– When sending a message directly to one person within a large group chat
Use @mentions:
– When replying to someone’s previous message in an active discussion
– When tagging someone who may have missed messages in a fast-moving chat
– When drawing particular attention to a single person in a crowded chat
– When commenting publicly on something that person said previously
The @reply takes no extra effort, so use it liberally once a conversation gets going. But use names judiciously when initiating new conversations to avoid over-notification.
How to check if someone has read your message
WhatsApp has read receipts that show when your message has been opened. Here’s how to check them:
Individual chats: In a one-on-one chat, each message will have one check mark when delivered, and two check marks when read.
Groups: In groups, you won’t see read receipts for each person. But if you tap and hold on the message you sent, choose “Info” from the menu, then scroll down on the message details, it will show which group members have read your message.
Read receipts off: People can turn off read receipts in their settings. If so, your messages will only ever show one check mark.
View once messages: If you send a “view once” photo or video that disappears after being opened, it will show “Opened” under the message when viewed.
So in summary:
– One check is delivered, two checks is read in individual chats
– Check “Info” to see who read a group message
– No second check means they have read receipts off
– “Opened” on view once media means it was seen
This allows you to see if your important messages are being ignored or overlooked.
How to mention someone who’s not in the group
You can only @mention people who are already participating in the WhatsApp group chat. There is no way to tag someone external to the existing conversation.
If you want to grab the attention of someone not in the group, you have a couple options:
Add them to the group – The only way to directly mention them is by adding them to the chat. Be aware that once added, they can see the entire message history.
Private message – Open a separate chat with just that person and send them a direct link to the relevant messages in the group. Say something like “Thinking of you for this thread in [Group Name].”
Screenshot – Take screenshots of the conversation and send them to the intended person externally. Add some context by explaining why it’s relevant to them.
Describe the situation – Without sharing direct messages, explain the situation in your own words and give the necessary background. For example, “We were discussing your marketing ideas for the conference in the planning group chat. Wanted to get your thoughts.”
Quotations – You can paraphrase or directly quote relevant messages without screenshots, then give credit. For example, “Per Sarah in the chat, she recommends a Facebook ad strategy. What do you think?”
The main workaround is to reference the discussion, then make it clear who/what you’re referring to. But there is no built-in WhatsApp feature for tagging external people.
How to mention multiple people in a group chat
You have a couple options for mentioning or tagging multiple group members at once in WhatsApp:
Sequential @mentions – List each person consecutively in your message like so:
@John @Sarah @Mike check this out!
Separate messages – Send individual messages addressing each recipient one at a time.
Group notification – From the group info screen, you can send a message that mentions “Everyone” or “All participants” which pings all members at once.
Forward messages – Forward relevant messages into a new group with just the people you want to mention. The forwarded messages will show up as from you.
List names in text – Within your message text, organically list all the people you’re addressing without using @ tags.
Ex: “John, Sarah, Mike – thinking of you all for this project discussion.”
The sequential @mention method is best for getting multiple people’s attention in a busy chat. But be judicious – avoid spamming the group if possible.
How to mention someone in WhatsApp Web
Mentioning or tagging someone in WhatsApp Web works the same as on mobile:
On PC:
1. Open the relevant group chat in WhatsApp Web
2. Type @ followed immediately by the person’s name
3. Select their name from the dropdown that appears
4. Finish your message and hit Enter to send
This will notify them and link to their profile as if you mentioned them on mobile.
On Mac:
1. Open WhatsApp Web and go to the group chat
2. Type @ then the first few letters of their name
3. Select the matching name from the pop-up that appears
4. Complete your message and send
Things to note:
– Works the same way in both individual and group chats
– Won’t work if you just type a full name without @
– Make sure your spelling matches their profile name
– Mobile and Web mentions will both notify them
Mentioning on WhatsApp Web is straightforward – just initiate it with the @ symbol like you would on mobile. This lets you seamlessly tag people whether on your phone, tablet or computer.
What happens when you @ mention someone on WhatsApp?
When you use the @ symbol to mention someone in a WhatsApp message, it does a few helpful things:
– Notifies them – They will get a notification even if muted
– Pings them – Their profile pic will bounce/pulse to further alert
– Links profile – Their name appears as a clickable link to their profile
– Highlights message – The @mention text will be bold/colored
So in summary, @ mentioning someone:
– Alerts them with sound/pop-up notification
– Visually indicates the message is addressed to them
– Lets people quickly view their profile pic/info
– Makes it easy to see who/what is being mentioned
This is useful when you want to explicitly call out a specific person within a busy group conversation. The @reply catches their attention, tags them for others to see, and links directly to the person you’re addressing.
How to mention multiple people in an individual WhatsApp chat
In a one-on-one WhatsApp chat, you can only @mention the person you are messaging. For example:
@John did you get the meeting invite for Monday?
However, there are a couple workarounds to mention other people:
Forward message – Forward a relevant chat to a new group with multiple people, then @mention them.
Start new group – Make a fresh group chat containing who you want to mention, then tag them.
Send separate chats – Message each person directly from your individual chats.
List names – In your text, organically list the people relevant to the discussion.
Ex: “John, I was chatting with Sarah and Bob earlier about the proposal, let’s discuss.”
Send summary – Paraphrase a conversation without directly quoting anyone else.
Ex: “Based on the discussion with others earlier, I think we should meet at 10am.”
So while you can’t natively @tag multiple people in a one-on-one, you can reference them in your messages or move the chat to a group where you can mention them directly. This helps communicate the relevant context.
How to mention someone on WhatsApp without notifying them
There is no direct way to @mention someone in WhatsApp without triggering a notification. By design, the @tagging feature is meant to alert the person that they are being addressed.
However, there are some subtle workarounds:
Turn off their notifications – You can mute the chat or turn off notifications for the whole group, so @mentions don’t make sound/popup alerts. But their name will still be highlighted.
Use their name naturally – In your message text, organically write their name without the @ symbol before it. This avoids the tagging behavior.
Quote or summarize – Paraphrase their words or quote from an earlier part of the discussion without directly @tagging them.
Reaction emoji – Instead of mentioning them inline, reply with a reaction emoji to their original message.
Delayed tag – Wait for a while before @mentioning them, so it’s less intrusive out of context.
The only way to avoid notifying someone entirely is to refrain from directly mentioning them with the @ altogether. Instead, use alternative creative ways to refer to them or their content without literally tagging their profile.
Conclusion
@mentioning someone on WhatsApp is a useful way to get their attention, link to their profile, notify them, and visibly indicate they are being addressed in a group chat. Use people’s names directly when initiating a new conversation, and @tags when replying within an ongoing discussion. Be judicious when mentioning multiple people to avoid spamming the chat. While you can’t eliminate the notification when @tagging someone, you can get creative by summarizing, quoting, or referring to them indirectly instead.