If you think WhatsApp is just for quick check-in texts and planning trips that never make it out of group chats, you’re barely scratching the surface.
For more than two billion monthly users worldwide, WhatsApp keeps not just conversations but also critical business agendas flowing. Yet, very few of those who install WhatsApp tap into its full potential.
Whether you’re managing projects with multiple stakeholders, struggling to stay connected with clients, or simply trying to keep your inbox from becoming a black hole, mastering powerful WhatsApp hacks can change the game.
In this guide, you’ll find actionable, real-world strategies to make your everyday WhatsApp experience smoother, sharper, and significantly more productive. And if you stick around, we’ll also show you a smarter alternative (read: ) to move from plain conversations to productive action!
Let’s go! 💪🏼
WhatsApp Hacks You Should Know
Must-Know WhatsApp Hacks for Everyday Users
WhatsApp offers countless hidden tricks that can save you time, organize your chats better, and even protect your privacy. Here are seven must-know WhatsApp hacks to turn you from a casual user into a productivity pro:
1. Pin essential chats to the top
Tired of scrolling to find a crucial chat? Or worse, forgot to reply to one because your unread chats kept piling up?
The ability to pin up to three critical chats in WhatsApp ensures the most important conversations—both personal and professional—stay at the very top of your inbox. And, consequently, at the top of your mind.
To pin a chat:
- On an Android device, long-press the chat and tap the pin icon
- On iPhone, swipe right on the chat and tap “Pin”
This is a lifesaver for keeping clients, your team, or family conversations easily accessible.
💡 Pro Tip: Regularly update your pinned chats based on changing priorities.
2. Use Starred Messages as quick bookmarks
Important addresses, deadlines, or key info often get lost among hundreds of texts. “Starring” a message marks it for easy access later.
- To star a message, long-press it and tap the star icon
- To view your starred messages, go to Settings > Starred Messages
Think of it as your personal highlight reel for WhatsApp. It’s especially useful when you’re juggling multiple projects or coordinating events, with details scattered across multiple tools.
3. Search like a pro using filters
Trying to find that one product photo you sent a client, but can’t remember which client it was?
Manually scrolling through endless messages to find it is the stuff of the worst business nightmares.
WhatsApp’s search bar makes it easier. Tap the search icon, filter by media type—like photos, documents, links, videos, GIFs, or audio—and then enter a keyword. You’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in seconds, without digging through one chat history after another.
📮 Insight: 1 in 5 professionals spends 3+ hours daily just looking for files, messages, or additional context on their tasks. That’s nearly 40% of a full workweek wasted on something that should only take seconds!
’s Connected Search unifies all your work across tasks, docs, emails, and chats, so you can find exactly what you need when you need it without jumping between tools.
4. Broadcast messages without creating groups
Want to send updates to multiple people without trapping them in a group chat?
Use Broadcast Lists to send the same message to many WhatsApp contacts individually. They’ll receive it like a normal private message, without seeing each other.
To create one, follow these steps:
- iPhone: Chats > Broadcast Lists > New List
- Android: Menu > New Broadcast
This is perfect for sharing important announcements, invites, or business updates without overwhelming recipients.
5. Format your text for emphasis
For those of us who love the energy of in-person communication, texting can feel a little…flat.
With WhatsApp’s simple text formatting tools, you can bold, italicize, or strikethrough your way to clearer, more expressive messages.
Here’s how it works:
- Bold: Add asterisks *bold*
- Italic: Add underscores _italic_
Strikethrough: Add tildes ~strikethrough~- Monospace: Add three backticks ( “`text“` )
This can sharpen your communication and make your tone and intent harder to miss, especially when giving instructions or clarifying essential points. Sarcasm, excitement, emphasis…it all comes through more clearly.
6. Read messages without triggering read receipts
Need to read a message without tipping off the sender? (Hi-five, no judgment!)
Instead of opening the app:
- Enable airplane mode
- Read the message
- Close WhatsApp completely
- Then disable airplane mode
This sneak peek technique lets you stay informed without feeling obligated to reply immediately—a huge stress-saver during busy days.
7. Speed up voice message playback
Long voice notes can be a drag. Sometimes, you’re grateful for the full story; sometimes, only the highlights will do.
WhatsApp now lets you play voice notes back at 1.5x or 2x speeds. Just tap the 1x button next to the voice note to cycle through speeds.
It’s a small feature that saves a surprising amount of time, especially in work contexts where colleagues might send long updates or debriefs with the occasional irrelevant detail or two.
📮 Insight: While 60% of workers reply to instant messages in under 10 minutes, 15% take more than 2 hours to respond. This mix of lightning-fast replies and delayed responses can create communication gaps and slow down collaboration.
With , all the messages, tasks, and updates are in one place, ensuring no conversation is left hanging, and everyone stays in sync, no matter how quickly—or slowly—they reply.
WhatsApp Privacy and Security Hacks
WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption offers strong baseline security. But if you stop there, you’re leaving yourself vulnerable. Whether you’re handling sensitive client info, managing access for teams, or just value your personal privacy, these five WhatsApp privacy and security hacks will help you lock things down tighter without sacrificing usability:
8. Enable two-step verification for extra protection
Passwords get leaked. Devices get stolen. That’s why turning two-step verification on as an additional layer of defense is a smart move.
With it enabled, you’ll need a six-digit PIN whenever your number is registered on a new device, stopping unauthorized access cold.
And it hardly takes a few seconds. Simply head to: Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification > Enable.
💡 Pro Tip: Use a unique PIN that’s hard to guess but easy to remember, like the last four digits of your best friend’s old phone number or your favorite athlete’s jersey number plus digits from your ZIP code. Also, add an email address to recover your WhatsApp account if you forget the PIN.
🧠 Fun Fact: According to Google’s findings, enabling 2FA can effectively block 100% of automated bot attacks, 96% of bulk phishing attacks, and 76% of targeted attacks when using SMS-based verification. Employing more secure methods like on-device prompts through authenticator applications can further enhance these figures, achieving 100% effectiveness against automated bots, 99% against bulk phishing, and 90% against targeted attacks.
9. Control who can see your personal information
WhatsApp lets you fine-tune who can view your:
- Last Seen & Online status
- Profile photo
- About
- Status updates
Go to Settings > Privacy and choose between Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts Except…, or Nobody.
📌 For example, if you often get unsolicited messages, setting “Profile Photo” visibility to “My Contacts” dramatically reduces exposure. Small tweaks like these can seriously minimize risks like social engineering or unwanted attention.
10. Use fingerprint or face lock for the app
👀 Did You Know? Passwords rely on “something you know,” making them vulnerable to brute-force attacks where attackers try numerous combinations to guess the password. In contrast, biometrics rely on “something you are,” which cannot be guessed or easily brute-forced in the traditional sense.
Even if your phone is locked, consider adding an extra layer of WhatsApp security with fingerprint or Face ID authentication. You can also set a short auto-lock timer (e.g., immediately after exiting the app).
Further, WhatsApp’s Chat Lock lets you lock individual conversations behind your fingerprint, Face ID, or a custom PIN, which is especially useful if you share a phone with family, friends, or coworkers.
When you lock a chat, it moves to a separate folder away from your regular chat list, so only you can access it. New messages from locked chats won’t pop up with full previews, either, keeping your conversations even more discreet.
11. Disable cloud backups for sensitive chats
👀 Did You Know? WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted, but your cloud backups aren’t (unless you specifically encrypt them).
By default, WhatsApp backups stored on Google Drive or iCloud can be accessed if those accounts are compromised.
If privacy is your priority:
- Turn off cloud backups under Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Backup to Google Drive (or iCloud) > Never
- Enable encrypted backups under the same menu (if you must back up your chats)
This move is critical if you’re handling confidential work communications, healthcare data, or financial discussions over WhatsApp.
12. Beware of WhatsApp scams and phishing messages
Sophisticated phishing scams target WhatsApp users daily, from fake tech support requests to malicious “verification” links.
🚩 Any message asking for a verification code, even from a known contact, should be treated as suspicious. Remember, WhatsApp will never message you directly or ask for personal details.
🤝 Follow these best practices to stay secure:
- Double-check URLs before clicking
- Never share verification codes
- Report and block suspicious accounts immediately
According to the Federal Trade Commission, messaging scams led to $470 million in losses in 2024, a 5x increase over what was reported in 2020, even though the number of reports declined. Staying vigilant is just as crucial as using technical security features.
WhatsApp Productivity Hacks
Sure, WhatsApp’s core is messaging, but what if we told you it can be your dumping ground for midnight ideas, a note-taking tool for storing (and retrieving) essential details, a to-do list app, and even an AI assistant?
These WhatsApp productivity hacks will help you get more done with less friction:
13. Create a personal WhatsApp notes chat
Ever wanted to text yourself quick ideas, to-dos, links, or even voice notes?
Create a personal chat window where you can pen everything from grocery shopping lists to the next big business idea, and even notes from your favorite book or podcast.
How to set it up?
- Save your own phone number in Contacts
- Start a new chat with yourself
This keeps valuable ideas and to-dos from slipping away—especially if you don’t have pen and paper (or a dedicated note-taking app) handy.
🧠 Fun Fact: WhatsApp now natively offers the “Message Yourself” feature as an alternative to manually creating a new personal chat window. To access it, tap New Chat > “Message Yourself.”
14. Use WhatsApp Web/Desktop for faster typing and multitasking
Tired of typos when sending long replies on WhatsApp? Switch to WhatsApp Web or the desktop app to breeze through conversations with full keyboard and mouse control.
Go to web.whatsapp.com and scan the displayed QR code using your phone.
The desktop version also lets you drag and drop files easily into chats, saving tons of time during client onboarding, project collaboration, or marketing content approvals. And you can even make and receive WhatsApp calls from your system!
15. Set Custom Notifications for priority contacts
Some pings deserve instant attention, others can wait. Custom Notifications let you differentiate critical messages at a glance without even unlocking your phone.
Set them by opening the desired chat, tapping the contact’s name, and selecting Custom Notifications.
Assign different sounds, vibrations, and pop-up settings for VIP clients, managers, or family. This subtle hack trains your brain to prioritize more effectively and reduces unnecessary context switching.
📮 Insight: Nearly 20% of our survey respondents send over 50 instant messages daily. This high volume could signal a team constantly buzzing with quick exchanges—great for speed but also ripe for communication overload.
With ’s integrated collaboration tools, like Chat and Assigned Comments, your conversations are always linked to the right tasks, enhancing visibility and reducing the need for unnecessary follow-ups.
16. Automate replies with WhatsApp Business
If you use WhatsApp for work, setting up automated replies saves huge chunks of time. It helps you strike a balance between being responsive and maintaining focus without constantly interrupting your workflow.
With a WhatsApp Business account (free to set up), you can:
- Send instant away messages
- Create greeting messages for new contacts
- Set quick reply templates for FAQs
📌 For example, you can automate an “I’m currently in meetings, will reply in X hours” message so you’re not leaving leads or customers hanging.
👀 Did You Know? According to HubSpot, 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response as important or very important when they have a customer service question, and 60% of customers define “immediate” as 10 minutes or less. Automation helps you meet that expectation without burning out.
17. Label your chats for better organization
Overwhelmed by dozens of simultaneous chats? Use the “Labels” feature (available in WhatsApp Business) to organize conversations into categories like:
- New Lead
- Pending Payment
- Support Request
- Personal
This creates a semi-CRM inside WhatsApp itself—perfect for solopreneurs, agencies, or service providers who need lightweight organization without investing in another expensive tool.
18. Mute distracting groups
You don’t always want to exit a group (especially family, alumni, or work teams), but the constant buzz can shatter your focus.
The solution? Mute them.
Here’s how: Open the group > Tap group name > Mute Notifications > Select duration (8 hours, 1 week, or Always).
Muted groups still update in the background—no hard feelings, no burnt bridges—but your brain gets breathing space to focus on what truly matters.
With these simple tweaks, WhatsApp can transform from a distraction machine into one of your most efficient daily tools. Whether it’s messaging yourself tasks, speeding through chats on desktop, or labeling conversations like a mini-CRM, these WhatsApp tricks are practical upgrades you can implement today.
Now, let’s take it a step further by uncovering some hidden features that even seasoned users often miss.
Hidden WhatsApp Features You Probably Didn’t Know
WhatsApp is so versatile that chances are, you’ve still not unlocked some of its seriously useful hidden features. These under-the-radar tools can make your communication faster, smarter, and a lot more organized…once you know they exist.
Here are six worth mastering:
1. Edit sent messages (within 15 minutes)
Ever sent a text with a typo that completely changed the intended meaning…and blushed with absolute embarrassment when you realized what happened?
WhatsApp lets you edit sent messages to avoid such situations. But it’s possible only within 15 minutes of sending.
To do so, long-press the message > Tap “Edit” > Correct and resend.
Edited messages show an “edited” label, but without revealing edit history. It’s a massive relief for business conversations where precision matters, or simply avoiding awkward autocorrect fails.
2. Send HD photos and videos
Until recently, WhatsApp compressed your media by default, making it less than ideal for sending design proofs, contracts, or visual portfolios.
Now you can send photos and videos in HD quality without sacrificing clarity. All you’ve to do is tap the “HD” button at the top of the selected media before sending.
This eliminates the need for third-party apps or sending giant email attachments—a big win for marketers, photographers, and consultants!
3. Use Companion Mode (multiple devices, same account)
Previously locked to one device per number, WhatsApp now offers Companion Mode, allowing you to link up to four devices to the same account.
This feature is a godsend if you’ve ever wanted to access your chats from both your work phone and personal device, for example.
The best part? Your messages stay synced, and encryption remains intact across devices.
4. Retain messages from disappearing chats
If you or your contacts use disappearing messages for privacy, but you want to keep specific texts from such a chat, WhatsApp now allows you to do so selectively.
To retain a disappearing message, long-press the message and tap “Keep”.
It stays in the conversation, even after the auto-deletion timer runs out, giving you better control over what stays and what vanishes.
5. Search chats by date
Need to find that address your friend sent months ago? Instead of endless scrolling, now you can search messages by date.
Open the relevant chat. Tap Search. Select the Calendar icon and pick a date.
It’s a tiny feature, but when you’re chasing down old project briefs, invoices, or travel plans, it’s a major time-saver.
Now that you’ve unlocked some of WhatsApp’s hidden superpowers, let’s level up even further, especially if you’re using WhatsApp for professional communication goals.
Advanced WhatsApp Business Hacks
If you’re serious about using WhatsApp as part of your customer experience or sales strategy, WhatsApp Business has benefits that go far beyond the basics. Here are five advanced WhatsApp tips that can make customer interactions smoother, automate repetitive work, and give your brand a more polished, responsive presence:
1. Set up a full business profile (and optimize it)
Your WhatsApp Business profile acts as a mini-website inside the app. You can use it to display:
- Your business description
- Working hours
- Location
- Website link
- Catalog of services or products
To set it up:
- Go to Settings
- Choose Business Tools
- Head to Business Profile
A complete profile establishes trust and professionalism, giving customers confidence when reaching out. It’s like having an online business card with everything they need to know right in front of them, reducing back-and-forth and increasing the chances of securing a lead.
Plus, by optimizing your profile, you make it easier for clients to find, contact, and engage with your business.
2. Create quick reply shortcuts
Tired of typing the same answers over and over? Quick Replies allow you to save frequently used WhatsApp messages and send them with a few taps.
Set them up by following this path: Settings > Business Tools > Quick Replies
📌 Example shortcuts:
- /hours = “Our office hours are Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM.”
- /pricing = “Here’s a link to our current pricing list: [Link]”
This reduces response times dramatically and ensures consistent, professional communication without putting you under undue pressure during times of peak demand.
3. Automate away messages and greeting messages
First impressions matter, even when you’re unavailable. Set automated greetings to welcome new customers and away messages for after-hours queries, so your potential customers know to wait (and not turn cold).
Setup path: Settings > Business Tools > Away Message / Greeting Message
💡 Pro Tip: Customize away messages to set clear expectations about response times (“We’ll get back to you within 2 hours”) to maintain trust and avoid customer frustration.
4. Set up a product catalog for instant browsing
Instead of sending complex PDFs or pricing spreadsheets, showcase your offerings inside WhatsApp itself to convert leads faster.
Under Business Tools > Catalog, you can:
- Upload product images
- Set pricing
- Write short descriptions
- Add purchase links
This turns WhatsApp into a mini storefront, letting customers browse and inquire instantly, reducing friction and shortening the sales cycle.
5. Delegate busywork to AI
With Meta AI’s business assistant in the WhatsApp Business app, you can get help with tasks like crafting better product descriptions, generating images for your catalog, or setting up WhatsApp marketing campaigns and WhatsApp marketing templates. Just tap a suggested prompt or send your own to get started.
📮 Insight: 88% of our survey respondents use AI for their personal tasks, yet over 50% shy away from using it at work. The three main barriers? Lack of seamless integration, knowledge gaps, or security concerns.
But what if AI is built into your workspace and is already secure? Brain, ’s built-in AI assistant, makes this a reality. It understands prompts in plain language, solving all three AI adoption concerns while connecting your chat, tasks, docs, and knowledge across the workspace. Find answers and insights with a single click!
While WhatsApp offers plenty of clever features and powerful business tools, it’s essential to acknowledge its limitations too, especially if you’re relying on it for professional communication or managing larger teams. Not everything scales as neatly as it should, and not every conversation belongs inside a casual messaging app.
Limitations of Using WhatsApp for Communication
WhatsApp shines in simplicity but shows cracks when stretched for complex communication needs.
- It wasn’t built for real-time team collaboration or formal project management. Group chats quickly become noisy and unstructured, making it hard to track decisions, action items, or deadlines
- Message search and history retrieval can also feel clunky once you cross a few thousand texts
- Security, while strong for individual chats, has gaps in cloud backups unless specifically encrypted
- WhatsApp lacks administrative controls. There’s no way to assign permissions, moderate conversations, or set structured workflows like you can in dedicated workplace tools
- Another key challenge is professionalism: not every client, partner, or colleague appreciates being messaged via a platform associated with casual communication
It becomes clear that WhatsApp is a great starting point, but it’s not a complete solution for serious, scalable collaboration. Recognizing the gaps WhatsApp leaves wide open is the first step. The next? Moving toward a communication tool that doesn’t just patch the problems but actually powers your team’s efficiency.
That’s where comes in. It offers a solution that combines the ease of instant messaging with the structure businesses need to truly collaborate.
Leveraging for Effective Group Management and Communication
While WhatsApp keeps conversations moving, moves entire projects forward.
As the everything app for work, combines project management, knowledge management, and chat—all powered by AI that helps you work faster and smarter.
Chat is built for real-time conversations inside your workspace, which means ideas, updates, and action items stay connected to tasks, timelines, and goals.
Managing group dynamics also becomes radically easier. With , you can:
- Assign permissions (who can see, participate in, or moderate chats)
- Create private or public channels
- Grant specific access to chats or channels as needed to people outside your organization’s workspace
Here’s how Chat creates a real productivity edge for you:
1. Message in real time with your work context built in
Instead of isolated messages lost in a sea of chats, Chat lets you create channels based on your projects, Lists, and Spaces within .
So, you can have a dedicated channel where your entire marketing and sales teams interact, and another one that’s just between your paid media and ABM teams.
There can be a separate channel for each team working on a specific product feature, and a consolidated product launch channel where they all share updates together.
Plus, you can link the relevant Tasks to specific conversations, attach media or Docs to the chat directly without hunting for external links. And even create action items or tasks straight from a chat thread when something important pops up.
This convergence means nothing critical gets lost in floating discussions. Everything stays trackable, assignable, and actionable.
2. Choose among different message types for clarity
Chat lets you differentiate between a simple text message and a special message, aka a Post. A Post is great for commanding greater attention and can take the form of an Announcement, a Discussion, an Idea, and an Update.
By categorizing messages, team members can immediately understand the purpose of a message without needing to read through its entire content.
- Announcements: Highlight important decisions that everyone should be aware of, including team-wide announcements, company-wide policy changes, and product launches
- Discussions: Encourage collaborative conversations around a specific topic or decision
- Ideas: Share creative thoughts or suggestions for brainstorming
- Updates: Provide progress reports or status updates on tasks or projects
Different message types help team members prioritize their attention. For example, an Announcement might require immediate attention, while an Idea could be explored later. It ensures that the context of the message is clear, reducing misunderstandings and unnecessary back-and-forth.
3. Save time with AI actions
With Brain, ’s native AI integrated directly into Chat, you can:
- Summarize chat threads you’ve missed automatically, instead of manually piecing together what happened while you were offline or heads-down
- Select an unsent message and get help editing or writing it. You can also ask AI to post the response to the thread once done
- Assign a sent message to a team member as an action item
- Generate a task from the message’s content in one click
- Find tasks and Docs related to the message
- Ask AI to fetch answers and key details from any conversation, even if it happened months ago
This integration allows you to manage tasks, summarize conversations, and automate workflows without leaving the chat interface!
4. Collaborate in real time with SyncUps
Sometimes a quick message isn’t enough — you need to talk it out.
With SyncUps in Chat, you can seamlessly launch an audio or video call with a colleague or your whole team simultaneously, without leaving your workspace or switching to external apps like Zoom or Meet.
Unlike WhatsApp, which requires clunky switching for group calls and has no real workspace integration, requires no app-hopping or context-switching to get things done.
Share your screen to walk through discussions live. Brainstorm on Whiteboards. And capture decisions directly into tasks or Docs as you collaborate.
For remote teams, distributed startups, or fast-moving project squads, this means fewer fragmented tools, faster problem-solving, and tighter alignment—without needing five different platforms just to communicate effectively.
💡 Pro Tip: As with WhatsApp, you can customize which chat notifications you receive in . By default, the Channels you follow will use your global notification settings, but you can customize each Channel’s notifications to your preference.
Move Beyond Messaging to a Powerful Execution Engine
Mastering WhatsApp hacks can instantly speed up, organize, and secure your personal and professional messaging. Small improvements add up to real efficiency, whether you start by pinning important chats, automating replies, or tightening your privacy settings.
But when your communication needs start scaling—when you’re managing projects, coordinating across teams, or building client relationships—WhatsApp’s limitations quickly become bottlenecks.
That’s where WhatsApp alternatives like step in.
integrates real-time chats, task management, AI-powered workflows, announcements, and instant audio/video calls inside a structured workspace. This workflow convergence means faster execution, fewer dropped balls, and dramatically tighter collaboration. It makes all the difference between “we discussed it” and “we shipped it.”
So, if you’re ready to move beyond juggling apps and start connecting each conversation with meaningful action, is the smartest next step. Try for free, today!
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
