WhatsApp’s top tricks for users on Android, iOS, and desktop

Apart from sharing videos on WhatsApp, you can also create and share GIFs. Here is what you need to do to convert your video into GIF.

From font to GIFs, here are five whatsApp features you need to try out (REUTERS)

It is no surprise that the Facebook-owned messaging app, WhatsApp, is one of the most widely used used chat apps in the world. In India alone, the WhatsApp has around 400 million active users. The app, which has been in Indian market since the year 2010, keeps on adding new features like status updates, stickers to its platform.

WhatsApp had rolled out its web version in the year 2015 to enable its use on desktops and personal computers. WhatsApp Web offers almost all the features as offered by its mobile application. However, WhatsApp users cannot make audio or video calls using the app's desktop based interface.

Here's a list of features that can be used by Android, iOS and desktop users:

1. Using less data on WhatsApp

WhatsApp offers a wide variety of features that can be used to optimize the usage of data on the mobile app and WhatsApp Web. One of the most efficient ways to save data is to turn off the automatic media download. In order to do so, you need to follow these steps:

• Open WhatsApp.

• Go to Settings.

• Tap on Data and Storage usage.

• Under the 'Media Auto Download' section, individually turn of the type of media that you do not want to be downloaded automatically.

2. Turning videos to GIFs

A feature in WhatsApp's in-app camera allows users to convert videos, which are shorter than six seconds, into GIFs. To use this feature users need to record a video or choose one from their phone's galleries. On doing so, a toggle switch will appear on the right corner of the app that will allow users to convert a normal video into a GIF. Next, users need to tap the GIF option and hit send.

3. Font features

WhatsApp users can bold, italicize, and strike-through the text they send on the chat app. Users need to place a symbol pertaining to the font format in the beginning and at the end of the text. For making the text bold, users need to place an asterisk at the beginning and at the end of their messages, while for italicising, they need to use the underscore symbol. Similarly, for strike-through the text, the tilde '~' symbol needs to be used.

4. PIP mode

Picture-in-Picture or PiP is one of coolest features available in WhatsApp. This feature enables users to watch a video sourced from Faceook or YouTube while allowing them to text in the background. The interesting thing about this feature is that not only can you chat with the person who shared the video but you can chat with anyone in WhatsApp. The video will keep playing until you close the app.

5. Stickers

WhatsApp users can share images, videos, GIFs and emojis with their WhatsApp friends to make their conversation interesting. In addition to that, they can also use stickers to turn their dull conversations into something exciting. To use this feature, tap the emoticon option next to the text bar and click on the Stickers option, which is next to the GIF option on the bottom left corner of the app. You can also access stickers created using third-party app on WhatsApp using this method.