WhatsApp is one of the most used apps on Android and other mobile platforms. Used by millions of users, WhatsApp is brilliant as it is. That being said, there are various different tips, tricks and hacks that you can use in order to make WhatsApp even more awesome.
To be honest, I didn’t like WhatsApp until last year and my friends kept on nagging me to download it. However, after using it for a couple of days, I became a fan.
If there are some features that you don’t like on WhatsApp or if you’re looking for some cool WhatsApp tricks, then continue reading to find out the best tips, tricks and hacks for WhatsApp that you can use right now.
1. Hide WhatsApp Images And Videos From Appearing In Your Gallery
One of the most annoying things for me on WhatsApp is that it automatically shows images and videos in your phone’s Gallery. If you haven’t visited your Gallery app for a while, then you’ll find all those useless videos and images sent to you by your contacts.
I’ve made a habit of going to my Gallery app every time someone sends me a useless image or video. If you’re doing the same, then there’s an easy way to hide these files from your Gallery. Your phone will still have these files and you’ll be able to use them later, but they won’t appear in your Gallery.
Step 1
Open Notepad on your PC and create a new blank file.
Step 2
The saved file should now have a .txt extension. Change the name of this file to “.nomedia”. So, there is no file name and “.nomedia” is only the extension. The image below might make this more clear.
Step 3
Connect your Android device to your PC using a micro USB cable and transfer the “.nomedia” file to the WhatsApp folder.
That’s it! Now you won’t see those annoying videos and images in your Gallery. In order to hide only images, transfer the “.nomedia” file to the WhatsApp Images folder, and in order to hide only videos, transfer this file to the WhatsApp Video folder. You’ll find these two folders under the Media folder in the WhatsApp folder on your phone.
2. Set WhatsApp Profile Picture As Your Local Contact’s Photo
This trick is easier than some of you might think. Simply go to the Profile Pictures folder in the WhatsApp folder on your phone. You’ll now see profile pictures of your WhatsApp contacts. Open the picture that you want to use and set it as a contact photo. That’s it!
3. Restore Older Messages
WhatsApp automatically backs up your messages, so in order to restore them, uninstall WhatsApp and install it again from the Google Play Store. Tap on the Restore button while setting up WhatsApp to get back your messages.
If your older messages have not been restored, you’ll need to restore them manually. Follow the steps below to manually restore your older messages.
Step 1
If you don’t want your new messages to be lost, you’ll need to create a manual backup. Tap on Menu in WhatsApp, select Settings and go to Chat settings. Tap on Backup conversations.
Step 2
Once you’re done backing up, uninstall WhatsApp from your Android device.
Step 3
Go to the Databases folder in the WhatsApp folder on your phone. The new backup will either be saved as msgstore.db.crypt8 or msgstore.db.crypt7. In order to avoid further confusion, add “current” in the file name of the backup file. So, it either becomes msgstore.db.crypt8.current or msgstore.db.crypt7.current.
Step 4
While in the Databases folder, you’ll see other msgstore files with the date and year included in the file name. They will also be in a crypt7 or crypt8 format. You’ll need to decide which backup file you want to restore.
Once you have selected the file, rename the file to msgstore.db.crypt7 or msgstore.db.crypt8 depending on whether the file was in crypt7 or crypt8 format. So, for instance, “msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt7” will become “msgstore.db.crypt7”.
Step 5
Install WhatsApp from the Google Play Store and tap on the Restore button during the setting up process in order to restore the old backup.
4. Lock WhatsApp
Privacy is one of the biggest issues that many WhatsApp users face. When someone takes your phone, they can easily read all your messages on WhatsApp.
If you don’t use a password or pattern lock on your Android device, then you can easily lock WhatsApp using a third-party app.
Step 1
Download the WhatsLock app (free with some in-app purchases) on your Android device. You can get it through the Google Play Store button below.
Step 2
Open the app and create your new password. You’ll also need to enter an email ID for password recovery.
Step 3
Enable WhatsLock by turning the toggle to On. That’s it! Every time you open WhatsApp, you’ll need to enter the password that you set up earlier.
5. Share PDF, Zip And Other Files
You probably know that WhatsApp only lets users share certain types of files, such as images and videos. If you want to share other types of files, then follow the steps below.
Step 1
Download and install the CloudSend app (Free) on your Android device. You can get the app through the Google Play Store button below.
Step 2
Open the CloudSend app, go through the introduction screens and tap on Setup. You’ll now need to allow access on Dropbox for CloudSend.
Step 3
After allowing access, go to the file that you want to share, long press it and select the Share option. Select CloudSend from the list of options.
Step 4
The file will now starts uploading, and once the process is complete, you’ll see a Send button below the file name in your notifications panel. Tap on the Send button below the file name and select WhatsApp. You can now select your desired contact for sending the link.
Conclusion
WhatsApp is already an incredible app that lets you chat with your friends and other users. In order to take your WhatsApp experience to a new level, you can use the tips, tricks and hacks listed above. All the tricks mentioned above should work with most Android devices.