Hacks ocultos de WhatsApp: 7 trucos que no sabías sobre nosotros

WhatsApp has been around since 2009. Since then, the app has added numerous new features for its users. So many, in fact, that you might not even be aware of all of them. That’s why we’ve put together seven WhatsApp hacks and tricks you probably didn’t know existed.

Even if you use WhatsApp daily — like most WhatsApp users do — there are probably still many hidden features you’ve never even heard of. To be fair, it’s actually really hard to keep track of WhatsApp’s constant and manyfold updates. 

That’s why we’ve selected seven WhatsApp hacks and tricks that aren’t as well-known, but really helpful once you discover them! 

Most “WhatsApp hacks” aren’t hacks at all. They’re just built-in features most people never turn on. But be careful – some “hacks” out there are actually just scams that could get your account banned. This guide separates the two so you can use WhatsApp without putting your account at risk.

When people talk about WhatsApp hacks, they’re usually talking about one of three things.

The first is built-in features and shortcuts, some of which you can explore below. You might also see them called WhatsApp tricks or WhatsApp features. These are safe, supported, and can save you time or make using the app easier or more enjoyable.

But there are also security threats and scams – techniques designed to steal access to your account, personal data, or contacts. These include verification code scams, social engineering attacks, fake QR logins, or impersonation attempts. These are unsafe and can result in losing your account or having your data stolen.

Finally, there are some “hacks” out there that are actually just unofficial third-party apps or mods – and they aren’t allowed. Apps like GB WhatsApp, WA Tweaker and WhatsApp Plus promise extra features that aren’t found in the official app, but they’re not authorized by WhatsApp, often violate terms of service, and carry significant security and privacy risks.

Act quickly. Try to log back in immediately with your phone number. It’s the fastest way to regain control and automatically log the attacker out.

Step 1: Log back into your account

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Enter your phone number
3. Request a new 6-digit verification code
4. Enter the code

If it’s successful, anyone using your account will be automatically logged out.

Step 2: Handle two-step verification lockouts

If you’re asked for a pin you didn’t set, the attacker may have enabled two-step verification. You may need to wait up to 7 days before you can log in without the PIN. After that, you can try again to recover your account.

Step 3: Contact WhatsApp if you can’t regain access

Try reaching out via the WhatsApp Help Center to report that your account has been compromised. This is especially important if you can’t verify your number or regain access.

Step 4: Secure your account immediately

Once you get back into your account, there are a few steps you can take to make sure you don’t get hacked again.

• Turn on two-step verification
• Check Linked Devices and remove anything unfamiliar
• Review your account for suspicious activity

Step 5: Warn your contacts

If your account was used to send messages, let people know your account was compromised. Tell them to ignore any unusual requests, especially for money or access codes.

Here are some ways you can protect your account to avoid being hacked. 

Add two-step verification

Setting this up prevents unauthorized access to your account, protects you against SIM-swapping hacks, and secures your personal conversations. It’s crucial to the security of your account if someone ever steals your SIM card or tricks you into sharing your SMS verification code. 

1. Go to Settings 🡪 Account 🡪 Two-step verification
2. Set a PIN

Check linked devices

Linked devices show anywhere you’re logged into WhatsApp, like your phone or a computer. It’s where you can check if someone has accessed your account from their device without you knowing (which they won’t be able to do once you turn on two-step verification) and remove them so they can’t access your account anymore.

1. Settings 🡪 Linked Devices
2. Tap unfamiliar devices to remove them

[Callout box] Don’t scan QR codes if you don’t know where they lead. It could be someone trying to hack into WhatsApp accounts.

Now for the fun part. Once you’ve locked down your account, you can try these safe hacks to make using WhatsApp even better.

One of the coolest WhatsApp hacks is to leave a group without really leaving it. Let’s be honest, we all have at least one WhatsApp group chat that we find really annoying, but we don’t want to ruffle anybody’s feather’s by leaving the group publicly. There’s a solution!

Go to the group you want to secretly leave, and select the three menu points (Android) or tap the name of the group (iOS) to open the group settings. Here, choose the option «mute notifications» and «forever». Go back to your chat overview, and move this particular group chat into your archived chats. 

This will not only mute the notifications, but also remove the group from your chat overview, so it’s really out of sight and out of mind. At the same time, since you never left the group, there will be no public note saying that you did, and whenever you want to go back to the group, you can retrieve it from your archived conversations. Brilliant! 

Having a group chat with friends, co-workers or family on WhatsApp is great. However, sometimes you don’t want to share every single detail of the party preparations or the wild night out with every single member. 

That’s why you can reply privately to a group chat message! Simply tap and hold the message that you want to reply to in a private chat. Then, select the three points or menu at the top of your group chat. This opens up a menu with a choice to «reply privately».

This automatically takes you into a private chat with that person, but it includes the screenshot of the group message, which makes it easy to continue the public conversation in private. 

You can select not to save media files from specific private or group chats to your phone’s gallery. No more being annoyed by the hundreds of WhatsApp good morning images and “have a wonderful day” videos that show up in your phone’s gallery? After all, it’s nice to receive them, but most people don’t want them taking up storage space or have your gallery look messy. 

There’s a simple solution! You can actually select not to save media files from specific private or group chats to your phone’s gallery. 

Simply go to the respective chat and tap on the name of the chat. This opens up the information page, where you’ll see the option «media visibility». Choose this option, and then select «no» to not save this chat’s media files in your phone’s gallery. 

But most WhatsApp users probably don’t know that there’s a way to recreate Snapchat’s infamous self-deleting images on WhatsApp as well. 

With this option selected, the image file you send will disappear after it has been viewed once. 

For this effect, go to your media gallery and to the image you want to send, and pick to share it with a WhatsApp contact. You’ll see now the number “1” appear next to your caption field. Tap on it. A message appears that explains the feature. Hit “Okay”, and it’ll activate the “View once” trick.

When used, recipients can’t take a screenshot of your message, and they also can’t share, forward, or copy it. 

🔐 No internet? No problem! These apps let you send offline messages

Did you know that you can also share a voice story on WhatsApp? The voice story appears then as a story under the «Updates» tab where you now see other users’ status messages as well. 

If you want to share a voice story, go to the update tab, and now look for the pencil icon at the bottom of your screen. A blank screen appears where you can type your status, add emojis, and effects. However, you’ll also see a microphone icon. 

Tapping the microphone now lets you record a voice memo that you can share as a status update! Note that the voice clip can’t be longer than 30 seconds. 

This is one of the fun WhatsApp hacks to stand out more with your WhatsApp status (also great for influencers and businesses on WhatsApp!)

Did you know that you can not only see if a user has seen your message, but also at what time? To see the time stamp of a read receipt, tap on the respective message. Now, select the menu and go to «info». 

Here, you’ll see the exact time the message was read.

Of course, this only works if the recipient has their “read messages” feature activated.

If you want to get a little more expressive with your WhatsApp messages, you can format your text. You have three choices:

• type something in bold by adding stars before and after the word you want to *highlight*
• use italics by using the underscore _in front of the words you want to highlight_
• cross out a word by using the ~approximately~ wave
• Secret hack: You can also combine two styles, if you *_want the text to be in bold and italics_*

Yes, you can also change the font on WhatsApp to look more typewriter-style, which is really cool. But for some reason it’s a well-hidden trick. 

Type the French accent grave (`) `in front and after the new font`. Be mindful, it’s not the same sign as the apostrophe (‘)! 

On an Android phone, you’ll find it on the second page of the special symbols. On an iOS device, you’ll find it by long-tapping the apostrophe under the special symbols. It’ll show you several different lines. The accent grave is the one on the far left. 

This article was written by Marinela Potor and updated by Alicia Winokur on April 13, 2026.

Autor/a: Marinela Potor Marinela Potor es responsable de Marketing de contenidos sénior en Sinch. Con formación en periodismo tecnológico, está especializada en mensajería e IA.