WhatsApp Download

A little known feature on WhatsApp can help you identify your most frequent contacts. This function can also help you keep track of your data usage and save money by limiting the drain messaging can cause to your phone bill.

The feature, which is appropriately called “storage function,” is hidden deep within WhatsApp, and a lot of people do not know about it. According to the tech press, the feature is little known because WhatsApp and its parent Facebook have deliberately failed to publicize it for reasons that are unclear.

Storage function was introduced in June 2015 as part of WhatsApp update 2.12.3, according to Telegraph tech writer Rhionnon Williams . The idea behind the feature is to track the kind of messages that people send and receive.

One possible reason for this feature is to let WhatsApp’s engineers see how the app is actually used so they can make changes to future versions. At some point, it might also be used for advertising or for some sort of integration with Facebook.

What Storage Usage Can Do

Some of the data collected by Storage Usage seems to include:

• The total number of messages.

• The number of messages from each contact.

• A ranking of the contacts so you can see who your most frequent correspondents are.

• The size of the messages.

• The amount of data each message is taking up.

By looking over this information, you should be able to tell you who texts you the most and how much time you spend chatting with them. This could reveal a lot about you, such as the identity of your friends or lover or what is important to you. A person that spends a lot of time texting his or her boss or clients could be identified as a workaholic for example.

Not surprisingly, this raises some security concerns. The data contained in storage function could be used to track you or at least identify your friends and family. Some messages, such as pictures and videos, might even tell more about you.

This is why it is always a very good idea to keep your smartphone secure. A person that steals it or hacks it could learn almost everything about you, including how to target your friends and family for scams.

How to Access Storage Usage

Even though it is hidden and somewhat obscure, Storage Usage is actually rather easy to access and use.

To open storage, follow these simple instructions:

1. Go to settings on the right side of WhatsApp’s main tool bar.
2. Select Account.
3. Select Storage Usage.
4. You should see all the data displayed and ranked once it is open.

Currently, Storage Usage only seems to be available on WhatsApp for Apple products that use the iOS operating system. It is not known whether it is available for the more popular Android yet or not. That means it could be something that Apple requires.

Nor is it clear if Storage Usage has been added to WhatsApp Web yet or not. WhatsApp Web is the app that lets you access the popular messaging service through desktop and laptop computers and tablets.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to check Android, Windows, and other devices to see if it is installed. Even if you are not curious about the identity of your most frequent WhatsApp friends, you probably still want to know exactly what data your phone is collecting about you and why.

How to Cut Your Data Usage and Save Money

You could at least see why your phone bill is so high and why you never have any data left on your phone. That way you will be in a better position to cut your data usage in order to save money.

One way to avoid using far too much data is to try accessing the solution through WhatsApp Web. Another is to use a Wi-Fi connection rather than a phone signal when you log on to WhatsApp Web.

If you want, you could only contact those whom you spend the most time texting when you are using Wi-Fi or WhatsApp Web. You could also try to get them to contact you at times when you are most likely to be using a cheaper connection to the Internet.

You can also contact some people and tell them to stop sending you data-hogging messages such as videos and photographs. This may not always work, but you can at least try. Remember, if they are actually your friends, they will want to help you cut your phone bill.

Some Ways to Keep Your WhatsApp Data Secure

Not surprisingly, a lot of people will want to know how to keep their WhatsApp data secure after seeing how much information is contained in features such as Storage Usage.

Here are a few ways to keep your WhatsApp messages and data secure:

• Deactivate WhatsApp as soon as possible if your phone gets lost or stolen. The best way to do this is to simply reactivate your WhatsApp account on another phone number.

• Make sure you delete your WhatsApp Account whenever you change phones or numbers. You can delete WhatsApp by opening WhatsApp through WhatsApp Web or another device and going to Menu Button>Settings>Account>Delete My Account. All you have to do is type in your phone number.

• Lock WhatsApp. Unfortunately, there is no password encryption built into WhatsApp, but there are a large number of security apps for the solution, including Lock for WhatsApp, Messenger and Chat Lock and Secure Chat. Some of these are free, and many of them are available through Google Play and the App Store.

• Periodically wipe your WhatsApp Data with a cleanup solution such as Whats Cleaner. These apps will go through your data and get rid of everything that you do not want.

• Be careful what you say and send on WhatsApp. A good rule of thumb is if you want something to stay confidential or secret, do not say or send it through a messaging application such as WhatsApp. There is no such thing as perfect security. All it takes for the bad guys to get their hands on your data is one lapse.

• There are some other great security suggestions in this article from our friends at The Indian Express.

Everybody should keep track of his or her WhatsApp usage and be aware of the data this app is collecting. Understanding how features like Storage Usage work can make life safer and easier.

The biggest complaint that many people have about messaging applications is that they cannot get their messages via their PC. WhatsApp has effectively solved this dilemma with WhatsApp Web, which is designed to allow users of the app to receive messages via their desktops.

Interestingly enough, WhatsApp Web seems to work best on a 32-bit PC, and it does work well with most versions of Windows. The current version is compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8, and the ever reliable Windows XP. Unfortunately, anecdotal evidence indicates that it does not work very well on Macs because of Apple’s proprietary operating system.

Basically, that means you can do everything you do through WhatsApp Web on 32-bit PCs that run on Windows, which would include laptops and tablets, including receiving pictures, videos, and audio messages. You can use WhatsApp Web on a Mac, but at this point, you will not be able to receive or send audios,6 videos or pictures through it.

How to Install WhatsApp Web on a 32-Bit Personal Computer

The easiest and best way to install WhatsApp Web on your PC is to use the download available from WhatsApp itself. Installing this download can be a little tricky, but most people should be to do it.

Here is a quick and dirty guide to accessing and installing WhatsApp through your PC.

1. Make sure that you have either Google’s Chrome Browser or Mozilla Firefox installed on your PC because these seem to work better with WhatsApp Web. Note: If you have one of these browsers installed, it might be a good idea to upgrade to the latest version because that may run WhatsApp better.
2. Go to this website: https://web.whatsapp.com/ on your browser.
3. Use WhatsApp on your phone to scan the code. If you are using a tablet, you may have to request the desktop site. Here is how to scan the code
   
4. Launch WhatsApp on your phone.
5. Go to the settings menu and chose WhatsApp Web.
6. A QR reader will open on your phone; point this at the barcode on the PC screen.
7. If it works, this should automatically log you into WhatsApp Web through your PC.
8. You should see WhatsApp on the screen. Desktop notifications are supported. You will have to choose the Desktop Alerts and sounds that you want.
9. You can start new conversations and filter existing chats on the PC just like you can on your phone.
10. You should be able to start messaging all of your contacts as soon as WhatsApp Web appears on your PC screen.
11. As long as you access WhatsApp Web through Chrome or Firefox, you should be able to send and receive videos, audios, and pictures.
12. By using the options, you should be able to log into WhatsApp Web on any computer you repeat this process on.
13. If WhatsApp Web is working correctly, messages between the phone and the browser should be instantly synched.

The WhatsApp Tablet App

There is no such thing as an official WhatsApp tablet app because it is not authorized by WhatsApp Inc. Instead, this is the creation of other designers, but it does seem to work very well.

Before you try this app, you should try installing WhatsApp Web on your tablet. WhatsApp Web should work on your tablet because it is a cross-platform application. That means it is designed to work on a wide variety of devices, including tablets.

That being said, some users report that this app, which is available through Google Play, works better on tablets than the regular WhatsApp: Tablet Messenger for WhatsApp. Here is how to take advantage of it:

• Go to Google Play on your Android tablet or Chrome and search for Tablet Messenger for WhatsApp. Make sure you find the version created by developer GJC. On the app page, tap Accept.

• The app should access your location and photos/media/files and install on your tablet.

• Tap the app, and launch it.

• As with regular WhatsApp, you will have to scan the QR code on the tablet screen.

• If it works, you should be able to access your WhatsApp messages through the tablet.

• You should be able to use WhatsApp Messenger on your tablet just like you use it on your phone.

• If you want, you can turn notifications for WhatsApp on your tablet off, much like you turn them off through your phone. To do this, look for the WhatsApp logo and tap it. You can turn off all notifications or notifications from specific contacts that you may not want to talk to.

WhatsApp for PC Features

There are a lot of advantages to using WhatsApp on a 32-bit PC, including:

• The service should be free provided you paid 99¢ to buy WhatsApp from Google Play or the App Store.

• You will be able to send and receive SMS messages from all over the world on your PC without using up your phone’s data plans.

• You will be to open audio messages and video clips that you receive through WhatsApp on your tablet or desktop. This makes it a lot easier to see the videos because the screen will be bigger. The video quality can also be a lot better. If you want, you will also be able to edit the video and audio messages you get on your tablet.

• Not only will you be able to receive pictures and see them but you will also be able to edit them with solutions such as the ever popular Adobe Photoshop.

• Another great advantage to accessing WhatsApp on your PC is that you will be able to print pictures and documents that you receive through WhatsApp Messenger. That makes it easy to create photos and share them with others.

As you can see, there are many reasons why you should consider adding WhatsApp to your PC. One note of warning here: If you are thinking of installing WhatsApp on your PC at work, make sure you get your boss’s permission first. Some workplaces have policies against adding messaging or texting programs to their computer systems.

If you cannot live without your messages, WhatsApp Web can make your life far more enjoyable.

If you use an Android device, you do not even need to use your hands to send a message over WhatsApp. A new Google Now update allows users to dictate and send messages through third party messaging solutions such as WhatsApp, The Verge reported .

All a user will need to send a message is to say, “Okay, Google, send a WhatsApp message to….” According to The Verge, Google Now will be able to search your address book and send a text version of your spoken message to that person if he or she is a WhatsApp user.

The dictation service is only available on a handful of third messaging solutions, including WhatsApp, and is currently only offered in English, although that could change in the near future, a Google blog post indicates. Google is working to add more languages and apps to the solution. New additions to the service will be announced at Google’s Insidesearch.blogspot.

How to Take Advantage of Google’s Dictation for WhatsApp

If you are sick and tired of tapping out text messages, here is how to take advantage of Google Now. That way you can have some of the advantages of Apple’s Siri without owning an iPhone.

To be able to dictate WhatsApp messages over an Android smartphone, you need:

• A late model Android smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy S6, the Motorola Moto X, or the LG G4.

• The latest version of the Google for Android App installed on your phone; you can find it at Google Play. You may need to install Google Talkback as well.

• The latest version of WhatsApp Messenger installed on your phone. You should probably use the version found at Google Play for best results.

• Once these are set up, you should be able to use the hands-free WhatsApp on your phone.

It is not clear if this feature is on all the time or if it can be turned off, although it probably should be because nobody would want Google Now sending all of his or her conversations out as WhatsApp messages.

A Work in Progress

Persons that use this feature should be very careful because it is clearly a work in progress. It is now clear how well the transcription works and how good a job of turning the spoken word into the written word this feature does.

Those that use it should speak very clearly and be careful what they say. It would probably be a good idea to transcribe a message and send it to yourself to see what it looks like before communicating with friends, family, or coworkers.

Another problem is translation. Even though Google has a translation app available, it is specifically telling users that the voice transcription is only available in English. That probably means the search engine giant has not yet perfected a means of translation but is working on it.

Therefore it is advisable to only use the feature in English and probably American English until Google announces otherwise. This feature looks like a beta test, which means that there are still a lot of bugs to be worked out before it is ready for general use. A beta test is a limited rollout of a new solution designed to test its viability.

Not Available for Siri Yet

Unfortunately for iPhone users, there does not seem to be a WhatsApp voice transcription feature available for Siri yet, although Apple is presumably working on it.

Apple is actually a little behind the curve on text messages; it only unveiled the capability to send and receive text messages on all Apple devices last year. Apple has made some limited efforts at integrating Siri with WhatsApp, but it’s been moving slowly on efforts to bring in other apps.

The most likely scenario here is that Apple wants to bring out its own messaging app at some point. Apple has historically preferred using its own solutions rather than hosting outside apps in its system.

The Future of WhatsApp

Such voice integration is probably the future of WhatsApp because it will make the service easier to use. One strong possibility is that WhatsApp itself will unveil its own transcription feature at some point in the near future.

It is already possible to send voice messages over WhatsApp and to make phone calls through it. At some point, it will also probably be possible to convert text messages on WhatsApp into voice messages and voice messages into text messages.

That means WhatsApp could become Facebook’s answer to Siri. You will be able to take a picture with your phone and say, “Send this to Mom through WhatsApp,” and then say, “Mom, here’s my new car.”

It also means that WhatsApp is going to become a full communications solution at some point. Like Siri, it could act as your personal assistant as well as your messaging solution. You could use it to dictate a letter, send photos to your friends, send a message to your girlfriend or boyfriend, and more.

Apple, Google, and Microsoft will have no choice but to bring out their own solutions and integrate them with WhatsApp. One reason why they will do this is that WhatsApp has the ability to send direct messages to people around the world at no extra charge.

There are some problems to be worked out here, including translation and geographic location. The problem of correlating names to phone and other contact other information also comes up. If you have three people named Dave in your address book, how does WhatsApp or Siri tell which one you want to send a message to?

If you want to see what the future of WhatsApp and messaging will look like, go to Google Play and download the latest versions of Google and WhatsApp. That way you can have your own personal secretary in your phone that will even transcribe messages for you. It will not be perfect, but it could be a lot fun—particularly if you hate typing out text messages.