WhatsApp may seem like a simple messaging app on the surface, but beneath the surface, it’s packed full of hidden features that let you make the most of your chats.
One feature that seems to stay the same for everyone is the font used in messages, with each chat featuring the same standard text style on the same old green background.
However, WhatsApp actually has secret codes hidden within the app that lets you change the style and formatting of your messages.
By typing a series of special characters around what you write, you can send messages in bold , italics , and even ‘strikethrough’.
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To write messages in bold, all you have to do is write a ‘*’ symbol on either side of the word. For example, type *bold* and the word will become bold.
If you want to type in italics to emphasise something or even show a little bit of sarcasm, you apply the same technique but to an underscore symbol: ‘_italics_’.
Finally, if you want to ‘strikethrough’ words and make them look like they’ve been crossed out, all you have to do is write ‘~’ on either side of a word.
Sadly, the feature only works for whole words or phrases, so you can’t write a word that’s half bold, half italics.
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WhatsApp bosses recently unveiled upcoming changes to the messaging app which will completely transform how group chats work.
WhatsApp Communities will make it possible for people to combine related group chats under one banner into private social networks.
For example, schools could combine all of their group chats into one community along with a parents’ WhatsApp chat in order to deliver important announcements to everyone.
Or, in a work setting, a restaurant could organise three different WhatsApp group chats for various staff teams, all managed by one common admin.