WhatsApp

By MacRumors Staff on October 21, 2026

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WhatsApp How Tos

WhatsApp: How to Set a Message Reminder

Thursday September 18, 2025 4:51 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature on iPhone that lets you set reminder alerts for specific messages that you want to come back to later. Available in version 25.25.74 of WhatsApp, the feature allows you to long press on any message in a conversation thread and select a new "Remind me" option in the popup menu. You can then choose between 2 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours, or set a custom...

Stop WhatsApp Auto-Saving Media to iPhone Photos App

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:05 am PST by Tim Hardwick

Billions of messages are sent over the WhatsApp chat platform every day. One of the reasons for the service's massive popularity is that it lets users send and receive as many media-rich messages as they want, which – as long as they've limited WhatsApp's use of their cellular data plan – costs them next to nothing. That's great news for senders, but one of the drawbacks of receiving...

Find WhatsApp Conversations Faster With New Custom Chat Lists

Friday November 1, 2024 5:58 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has made it easier to organize your conversations with the global rollout of custom chat lists. This new feature expands on the chat filters introduced earlier this year, and offers a more personalized way to manage your messaging. To create a custom list, tap the plus (+) icon in the filter bar at the top of the Chats tab. You can add both individual contacts and group chats to...

How to Master WhatsApp's Text Formatting Options

Thursday February 22, 2024 4:05 am PST by Tim Hardwick

Meta's WhatsApp chat platform offers more than just the ability to send messages. It also provides various text formatting options to help you emphasize your messages. Whether you want to make your text bold, italicize it, strikethrough, or change the font, WhatsApp has you covered. Here's a quick guide on how to use these text formatting features to enhance your chatting experience,...

How to Make Custom WhatsApp Stickers on iPhone

Thursday January 11, 2024 8:39 am PST by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has introduced a custom sticker creation tool for iPhone users running iOS 17 or later. Keep reading to learn how to use it. In the world of instant messaging, stickers offer a dynamic and playful way to express your emotions and thoughts. But instead of using standardized stickers from an existing stock, wouldn't it be better if you could create your own? WhatsApp on iPhone has...

How to Send Original Quality Photos and Videos in WhatsApp

Monday December 4, 2023 4:36 am PST by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has rolled out a new option that lets users on iPhone share photos and video over the messaging platform in their original quality. Here's how it works and how to use it. Previously, WhatsApp users could only send media in high resolution or "HD quality." But while that is a welcome improvement that addressing the service's low quality media sharing limitation, it still involves...

How to Send High Resolution Photos and Videos in WhatsApp

Friday August 18, 2023 6:50 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has rolled out a new option that lets users send photos and video over the messaging platform in high resolution. Keep reading to learn how it's done. WhatsApp has released an update allowing iPhone and Android users to send photos and videos in high resolution, finally addressing the service's low quality media sharing limitation. Called "HD quality," the option means users can...

How to Silence Unknown Callers in WhatsApp

Wednesday June 21, 2023 3:09 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Unsolicited phone calls are a regular annoyance and even a cause of stress for many smartphone users these days. Thankfully, iOS includes an option to automatically silence calls to your iPhone from unknown numbers, and now you can do the same for calls you receive via WhatsApp, too. WhatsApp announced a new Silence Unknown Callers feature for the encrypted messaging platform in June 2023....

How to Lock Individual and Group Conversations in WhatsApp With Chat Lock

Friday May 26, 2023 1:56 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp in May 2023 introduced a new Chat Lock feature that allows you to secure select conversations in your inbox behind a passcode, fingerprint, or Face ID authentication. Keep reading to learn how it's done. Millions of users rely on WhatsApp as a means of privately and securely communicating with others, which is why the company's developers are continually seeking new ways to improve...

How to Edit Sent Messages in WhatsApp

Monday May 22, 2023 9:23 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp is rolling out a new ability for users to edit messages after they have been sent over the popular Meta-owned encrypted chat platform. Keep reading to learn how it works on iPhone and Android. It's been a long time coming, but WhatsApp has finally brought its much-anticipated sent-message editing feature to the chat service. When Apple released iOS 16, it introduced the ability...

How to Use Your WhatsApp Account Across Multiple Phones

Friday May 12, 2023 5:47 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Previously, WhatsApp has allowed users of the encrypted messaging platform to link up to four devices to their account, but only one of those devices could be a smartphone. Happily, that's now changed, and WhatsApp has introduced the ability to use the same account on multiple phones. So now you can link another phone as one of up to four additional devices, the same as when you link with...

How to Hide Your WhatsApp 'Last Seen' Status From Specific Contacts

Tuesday August 9, 2022 5:17 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

In a new privacy-centric update released in August 2022, WhatsApp has added the ability for users to adjust the visibility of their "Last Seen" status on a contact-by-contact basis. Keep reading to learn how it's done. As regular WhatsApp users will know, the "Last Seen" status of a contact you're in conversation with sits atop the conversation thread, informing you when that contact last...

How to Transfer Your WhatsApp Chat History From Android to iPhone

Wednesday June 15, 2022 6:35 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

After a long wait, Meta this week announced the ability to transfer WhatsApp chat history, photos, videos, and voice messages from Android to iPhone while maintaining end-to-end encryption. The system uses Apple's Move to iOS app for Android phones, and can be initiated during the setup process for a new (or factory reset) iPhone. This article runs through the steps involved in transferring...

How to Enable Disappearing Messages in WhatsApp

Tuesday January 25, 2022 8:06 pm PST by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp in 2020 launched disappearing messages on its end-to-end encrypted chat platform as a way of doubling down on user privacy. If you want to have control over how long a message lasts in WhatsApp, read on to learn how it works. When you sit down and have a face-to-face conversation with someone, usually you're reasonably confident that your conversation isn't being recorded and stored ...

How to Hide Your 'Last Seen' Status in WhatsApp

Wednesday January 12, 2022 9:36 am PST by Tim Hardwick

For a long time now, WhatsApp has included a feature that shows when a user was last online or last active on the messaging platform, which can be either helpful or a hindrance, depending on your personal or business situation. As regular WhatsApp users will know, the "Last Seen" status of a contact sits atop the conversation thread, informing you when that contact last opened the app and...

How to Use WhatsApp on iPad

Tuesday January 11, 2022 4:44 pm PST by Tim Hardwick

Despite strong competition from the likes of Telegram and Signal, WhatsApp remains the most popular mobile messaging platform by a mile, connecting over a billion active users around the world every day. As a smartphone app, WhatsApp messages are principally exchanged between iPhones and Android phones, but WhatsApp is known to be developing an iPad app that would increase the number of...

How to Use WhatsApp on Mac Without a Connected iPhone

Monday November 8, 2021 11:09 am PST by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has rolled out multi-device support to all users on iOS and Android, allowing WhatsApp to be used on up to four linked devices without users needing to be connected via a smartphone. Previously, the WhatsApp mobile app was required to authenticate an account used on another device, such as a computer, and used a QR code to link a user account to a web browser or desktop app. While...

How to End-to-End Encrypt Your WhatsApp Chat Backups in iCloud

Friday October 15, 2021 1:03 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp end-to-end encrypted backups are now rolling out for iPhone users, Facebook has announced. Until now, WhatsApp let users back up their chat history to ‌‌iCloud‌‌, but the messages and media contained in the backups weren't protected by WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption while in ‌‌Apple's cloud servers‌. End-to-end encryption ensures only you and the person you're...

How to Review and Delete WhatsApp Media

Thursday April 8, 2021 4:47 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick

If you're a heavy WhatsApp user and your iPhone is running low on storage, it may be that all the videos, voice messages and photos stored in the app are taking up a hefty amount of space on your device. Fortunately, WhatsApp features a built-in media management tool that can help you identify, select, and bulk delete GIFs, photos, and videos that may be filling up your phone. The tool...

How to Use WhatsApp on Your Mac

Thursday February 11, 2021 9:21 am PST by Tim Hardwick

Despite strong competition from the likes of Telegram and Signal, WhatsApp remains the most popular messaging platform by a mile. At the last count in 2020, the Facebook-owned service had more than 2 billion WhatsApp users around the globe and rising. If you consider that it had 1.5 billion users in 2018 and 1 billion in 2016, then the number of active WhatsApp accounts has been increasing...

How to Import WhatsApp Chats into Telegram on iPhone

Wednesday February 3, 2021 6:33 pm PST by Tim Hardwick

Over 100 million new users joined encrypted messaging app Telegram in January 2021. The stunning growth in the platform's user base was linked to an exodus from rival chat app WhatsApp, which concerned many of its users with a confusing privacy policy update that seemed to imply that more of their data would be shared with Facebook. WhatsApp tried to deal with the fallout by clarifying that...

How to Customize Alert Tone for Individual WhatsApp Contacts

Wednesday June 17, 2020 2:46 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick

In WhatsApp, you can set a custom alert tone for messages and calls from a specific person in your contacts, just like you can in the Contacts app on iPhone. Setting a special alert tone for a WhatsApp contact enables you to recognize when that particular person is calling you or has sent you a message, without you even having to look at your phone's screen. To know instantly when someone...

How to Disable WhatsApp Message Previews on iPhone

Monday June 15, 2020 11:05 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Facebook's free WhatsApp instant messaging app uses end-to-end encryption so that messages exchanged over the platform can only be read by the intended recipient. If you use WhatsApp for important conversations and you want to further ensure your privacy, you can prevent WhatsApp messages from showing previews on your iPhone. When you receive a WhatsApp message on your iPhone, the...

How to Lock WhatsApp on iPhone With Face ID or Touch ID

Thursday June 11, 2020 11:31 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp on iPhone includes an option to lock the app with your device's Face ID or Touch ID authentication. This article explains how to enable the feature. Locking WhatsApp is a neat way of doubling the security and privacy of your messages, and especially useful if your iPhone isn't set up to automatically lock after a few minutes of idle time, because even you leave your iPhone unlocked,...

How to Create a Group Video Chat With Up to 50 WhatsApp Users

Wednesday June 3, 2020 1:06 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has been updated to allow users to create group video chats with up to 50 people on the social platform, thanks to an integration with Facebook's recently announced Messenger Rooms feature. Facebook unveiled Messenger Rooms as an alternative to Zoom and Group FaceTime in April, releasing it to a small trial group of users. Facebook said part of its plan was to extend the capability to ...

How to Group Video Chat With Up to Eight People in WhatsApp

Tuesday April 28, 2020 2:56 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has upgraded its end-to-end encrypted video call feature, which now allows groups of up to eight participants to chat together, up from the previous limit of four. WhatsApp has been gradually developing its group video call capabilities through beta builds, as rival video call services like Zoom, FaceTime and Skype have exploded in popularity amid the ongoing stay-at-home measures....

How to Enable WhatsApp's Dark Mode for iPhone

Thursday March 5, 2020 7:15 am PST by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp messenger recently rolled out its long-awaited Dark Mode theme for iPhone, which is good news for anyone who uses the chat app in bed when they just can't sleep. With Dark Mode enabled, users will benefit from no more bright white splash screen blinding them upon opening WhatsApp, a less harsh app interface, new dark themes for chat threads, and potentially less battery drain....

WhatsApp Articles

WhatsApp Developing In-App Browser for All Chat Links on iPhone

Tuesday October 20, 2026 9:15 pm PDT by Hartley Charlton

WhatsApp is developing an optional in-app browser for its iPhone app that would let users open any link shared in chats without leaving the app, according to WABetaInfo. A new "In-app browser" option under Settings and Chats would let users enable the feature or continue opening links in their default browser. Users would also be able to clear cookies, cache, and other browsing data. The...

WhatsApp Now Lets Anyone Join Calls, No Account Needed

Wednesday October 14, 2026 7:00 am PDT by Juli Clover

Popular Meta chat app WhatsApp today gained guest calling, a feature that lets users invite anyone to join a voice or video call, even if the invitee doesn't have a WhatsApp account. WhatsApp says everyone has access to free, end-to-end encrypted calls with no time limits and support for up to 32 people at once. A guest joining a call needs permission from the call host, and guests will...

WhatsApp Now Lets You Save a Contact's Username

Thursday August 13, 2026 2:10 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Following its username feature rollout, WhatsApp is now letting users save a contact's username when they add their name and phone number. The username field is shown between the first and last name fields and the phone number section. You can add a new contact in WhatsApp by tapping the + button in the navigation bar of the Chats tab. According to WABetaInfo, when usernames become more widely ...

WhatsApp Adds '@ all' Mentions and Poll Upgrades to Group Chats

Tuesday August 4, 2026 7:00 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

WhatsApp today announced a series of updates to group chats, including an "@all" mention feature, three new poll upgrades, and a faster way to spin off new groups from existing ones. The most notable addition is @all, which lets a group member alert everyone in a chat at once instead of tagging people individually. WhatsApp says the feature is meant for important, time-sensitive messages,...

WhatsApp Rolls Out Web Calling, Call Transfer Across Devices, and More

Wednesday July 29, 2026 3:05 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has announced a handful of enhancements for group calling over the encrypted platform, including seamless call transfers across devices and a new web calling feature. It's now possible to make and receive audio and video calls, including both one-on-one and group calls, directly from WhatsApp Web. The new browser-based service provides access to common features available on other...

WhatsApp Rolls Out Redesigned Message Bubbles for iOS

Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:47 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp is rolling out a new design for message bubbles on iOS, reports WaBetaInfo. Old design (left) vs. new design (Image: WaBetaInfo) The platform's message bubbles are rounder than before with a softer shape – similar to iMessage – while shared media files appear without the original borders, giving them a cleaner look. The message bubble update follows several Liquid...

WhatsApp Announces New CarPlay Experience, iPad Sign-Up, and More

Wednesday July 22, 2026 6:00 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp just announced a raft of new features spanning CarPlay, iPad, and iPhone that are "designed to work wherever you do, across your devices and the other apps you use." First up, WhatsApp for CarPlay and Android Auto has been completely refreshed. Now you can hear and respond to messages, make calls, see your call history, and reach your favorites, all hands-free directly from your...

WhatsApp Begins Rolling Out New Username Feature

Friday July 17, 2026 5:32 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has started rolling out its new username feature, reports WABetaInfo. Some users who reserved their username have started receiving a notification that their username is active, and that they can now use it to send and receive messages to other users without revealing their phone number. When someone creates a username, WhatsApp will notify people who already have an active chat with...

WhatsApp Beta Reveals iCloud Backup Alternative for iPhone

Tuesday July 14, 2026 3:06 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp is developing a first-party cloud storage option for chat backups on iPhone, providing users with an alternative to iCloud for the first time, according to app tinkerer WABetaInfo. Code found in the WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 26.28.10.16), available through TestFlight, suggests that users will eventually be able to pick their preferred backup destination directly from the app's...

WhatsApp Beta Adds Green Dot to Show Who's Online

Monday July 6, 2026 3:56 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp appears to be introducing a new visual indicator that shows when a contact is online, according to WaBetaInfo. The feature adds a small green circle to a contact's profile photo when they're active in the app, and which disappears the moment they leave, all updated in real time. The indicator is now being tested for the WhatsApp iPhone app in TestFlight after it debuted on Android...

WhatsApp Now Lets You Reserve a Username

Monday June 29, 2026 4:01 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Popular messaging app WhatsApp is now allowing users to reserve usernames ahead of plans to launch username-based messaging. Right now, WhatsApp uses a person's phone number as an identifier, but usernames will allow people to interact without having to exchange personal information. Username reservations are rolling out starting this week, and not all users will have access to the...

WhatsApp Working on View-Once Text Messages for iPhone

Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:48 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp is working on a way to let users send text messages that can only be viewed once, similar to the feature already available for photos, videos, and voice notes. According to WABetaInfo, after typing a message in the chat bar, users will be able to select a new "Send as view once" option by long-pressing the Send button. When the message is sent, the recipient will be able to open the ...

These Older iPhones Will Need an Update to Keep Running WhatsApp

Thursday June 11, 2026 3:36 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Some older iPhone models will need a software update to keep running WhatsApp from the end of November 2026, after Meta confirmed it is raising the app's minimum system requirements. From November 30, WhatsApp will require iOS 15.5 or later, up from the current requirement of iOS 15.1. The models affected are the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 7, and iPhone...

Instagram and WhatsApp Down Today on iPhone [Updated]

Friday June 12, 2026 8:36 am PDT by MacRumors Staff

Meta platforms including Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger are currently experiencing issues for some users around the world. Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger are down or loading intermittently for some users across devices like the iPhone and the web. In addition, some affected users are receiving an unexpected error when attempting to log in. The outages have been ...

Meta Wants You to Pay for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp Now

Wednesday May 27, 2026 12:53 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Meta is rolling out paid Instagram Plus, Facebook Plus, and WhatsApp Plus plans worldwide as of today. Instagram Plus is priced at $3.99 per month, Facebook Plus is priced at $3.99 per month, and WhatsApp Plus is priced at $2.99 per month. According to TechCrunch, the paid plans provide features like profile customization, super reactions, and story insights. Instagram Plus lets users see ...

WhatsApp Tests Read-Triggered Disappearing Messages

Wednesday May 20, 2026 3:57 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp is getting a new setting for disappearing messages that causes them to vanish based on a countdown that starts only after they've been read. Spotted by WaBetaInfo in the latest WhatsApp TestFlight beta, the new option starts a countdown after the recipient reads the message, rather than starting the countdown when the message is sent. The countdown options with the "After...

WhatsApp Begins Rolling Out Redesigned Media Share Sheet on iOS

Tuesday May 19, 2026 7:46 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp is rolling out a new media attachment sheet on iOS, providing iPhone users with a faster way to share their most recent files without losing sight of the chat. Usually in WhatsApp, sharing media within a chat requires you to tap a plus button to reveal the app's custom share sheet, and then tap into photos to see your full library, which takes over most of the screen. As spotted...

Meta AI App Gets 'Incognito Chat' as OpenAI Faces Lawsuits Over Stored Chat Logs

Wednesday May 13, 2026 1:23 pm PDT by Juli Clover

The Meta AI app and Meta AI on WhatsApp have a new "incognito chat" option, which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said is a "completely private way to interact with AI." Zuckerberg also said that Meta AI's incognito mode is the first major AI product where there is no log of conversations stored on servers. Zuckerberg likened the feature to end-to-end encryption, and said no one will be able to...

WhatsApp Plus Lands on iPhone With Custom Themes, Icons, and More

Monday May 11, 2026 2:41 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has started rolling out its paid WhatsApp Plus subscription to iOS, following beta testing of the new personalization-focused tier amongst a small group of users, reports WABetaInfo. The plan is light on practical features, and is aimed more at heavier users who want to customize various aspects of the WhatsApp experience. It gives you access to premium sticker packs with fullscreen ...

WhatsApp Testing Paid 'Plus' Subscription Tier – Here's What's Included

Tuesday April 21, 2026 6:22 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

WhatsApp has started testing a paid subscription tier called WhatsApp Plus, which adds a set of personalization options on top of the standard messaging experience, according to WABetaInfo. The paid plan Meta is testing appears to be geared towards hardcore users who spend a lot of time in the app: subscribers get access to premium sticker packs with fullscreen overlay animations (visible to ...

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