Category Archives: HOW TO

WhatsApp has quickly become one of the most-used applications to send instant messages. One of its favourite options is the one that allows you to create group chats, so you can stay in touch with your friends, your family or your colleagues. But when a group is too big and you constantly get messages it could be annoying, especially when you are at work. But there is a solution. You can solve the problem simply turning off the notifications of a group of WhatsApp. Let’s see how.

To mute the conversation tones of one group chat without silencing your mobile, the first thing you have to do is to open your WhatsApp group chat. Then click on the Menu button if you are an Android user, the Info button if you use an iPhone. From here tap on Mute. Now you can choose the time period for which the notifications from this group chat should be muted (it can be 8 hours, 1 day, 1 week or 1 year). At the end of this period, notification tones will be back to normal.

And if you want to mute just a single contact on WhatsApp? I bet you too have a friend who bombards you of WhatsApp messages at any time of the day. If you want to “shut him up” for a while, and do not receive notifications even by the group chats where he participates, there is a simple and fast method. If you use an Android smartphone, you just have to launch the application and select the last conversation you had with the user you wish to block. If there are no recent discussions involving this person, press the button for creating a new message (the one with the + symbol in the upper right corner) and select the name from the contact list.

Now tap Menu and select first Other and then the option Block. From here you can confirm you want to “mute” this contact by clicking on OK. From the moment a contact is “muted”, he can not check the status of the person who locked him (or her!) – so this contact has no possibility to know whether you are online or when you were connected the last time – and all his  messages will not be delivered to the recipient (those messages will have one single gray check mark). So, even if he won’t receive a notice that you “muted” him, he can easily understand what happened.

If you change idea, you simply have to click on the button to create a new message (the one with the + symbol), hold your finger pressed on the contact anc click Unmute.
If you use an iPhone, there is a similar procedure. Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked. From here you just have to press the button Add new and select the contact you wish to block. To unblock this contact, you simply have to open the same menu and, when you are on the name of the interested contact, swipe from right to left and tap Unblock.

If you frequently use WhatsApp, you certainly already know every secret of this successful instant messaging app. But, if you are a new user, probably you are not yet aware of all the functions it offers. For example  there is an option that lets everyone know when a message has been read by the recipient. With the introduction of this option you can no longer pretend that you have not read a message, because whoever sent it, will receive a notification as soon as it has been read.

In fact on WhatsApp, when a message has been seen and read, a double blue check marks will appear next to the message. It happens on Android, Windows Phone and iPhone smartphones. So, let’s see in detail what happens. When you see a single check mark (v), it means that the message was sent successfully. If you see a double check marks (vv), it means that the message was received but not yet read. Finally, if you see two blue check marks, it means that the message was read.

If you need to see more info regarding your messages, you will be able to see a Message Info screen, where you can “track” your message history seeing when it was delivered and read by the recepient, or even when it was listened (if it was a Voice Message). To access the Message Info screen you have to open a chat with a contact or a group, then you need to tap and hold on your sent message. Tapping again the Information symbol, the Message Info Screen will then show: Delivered when your message has reached your recipient’s phone, but the receipient has not yet read it; Read if the recipient has read the message (or seen, if the receipient has seen a picture or a video).

So it seems that the only way to hide the two blue check marks is to open WhatsApp without entering into the conversation, as only opening it the double check marks turn blue. There are actually another couple of tricks: using your smartphone in Plane Mode or reading WhatsApp through the widget on Android. To add the WhatsApp’s widget on Android, you can select it from the main screen.

Android users who have the latest versions, can download straight from WhatsApp site the update which allows to disable the two blue check marks. It is a simple procedure. Once downloaded the update, you just have to go to Settings, Account, Privacy, and then you can remove the blue check marks.

You have so many apps installed on your Android smartphone that you fear it could collapse? Do not worry, it is a common feeling and today we will discover together a solution to this problem. It is often WhatsApp who take a lot of space on our smartphone memory, so we may need to move it to the SD card.

If you have tried to solve this problem by looking to WhatsApp f.a.q., you surely have found this not very encouraging sentence:  “Moving WhatsApp to your memory card (microSD card) is not possible at this time. We are working on improving our application size and memory utilization. There are technical hurdles that do not allow us to move our application to the microSD card. In the meantime, we recommend that you help make room for WhatsApp by moving as many other applications and media files as you can, to your microSD card.” But despite their statement, we think that there actually is a solution.

The following short guide is valid for many Android devices. But it is important to know that sometimes the producers put limitations. In that case, you will need root permissions to move the app. If you still have problems, you can do that anyway using Titanium Backup or Link2SD. First of all, you need a PC with Windows connected to the Internet and your smartphone USB cable. The procedure is quite simple and involves the use of ADB to move apps to the external SD card of your Android smartphone.

But let’s see how to do it. Go to Settings -> Developer Options and enable the option “Usb Debug”. Now download and save on your C: the last SDK Android version from this page, being very careful to rename the folder as a “adt”. At this point, you have to download and install the drivers for your device from here. Now connect your smartphone to the PC and open the Prompt application.

Open the folder containing the SDK by typing “cd\ adt“. Open the folder containing the adb.exe and type “cd sdk\platform-tools“. Now we have to check whether our phone has been properly recognized by typing the command “adb devices -l” ;if not, disconnect and reconnect the smartphone or reinstall the driver. Now, after typing  “adb shell“, you will see a window opening.

Now we can move the app by typing the command “pm set-install-location 2” or, in case of error, “setInstallLocation 2 pm”. Now we have to disconnect the device, open Settings -> Application Management -> and then select Whatsapp. Now you will note that the button “Move SD Card” is enabled: select it and wait for the procedure to end. That’s it, procedure completed!

You want to install WhatsApp on your iPad but can not find it in the App Store. Why? Because WhatsApp is available only on smartphones and its use on tablets is not yet officially supported. But we have found some tricks to do it anyway.

If you have an iPad with iOS 7.0 or higher (any model), and an iPhone that already has WhatsApp Messenger, you can transfer the application to your tablet through the jailbreak (the procedure used to unlock Apple devices and install unofficial software). The procedure is a little bit difficult and requires time, but if you really want WhatsApp on your iPad it is the only thing to do.

First af all, before installing WhatsApp on your iPad, you have to unlock your tablet by performing the jailbreak on it, and, depending on the iOS version installed on the device, you have to download a different software. Even with different softwares, the procedure for the jailbreak is almost always the same. In most cases, you simply have to start the program (a simple .exe) and click a button. At this point, you need to find out which iOS version is installed on your device, so press the Settings icon > General > Menu info, here you will find the number placed next to “Version”.

If you are using a version of iOS between the 7.0 and 7.06, you must download Evasion by connecting to the website of the software and click the Download button. When the download is completed, open the file you just downloaded and start the file evasi0n7_Setup (1).exe contained in it and launch the installation process of Evasion. Now, you have a new window opened. From here click first on Accept to accept the terms of use of the program and then Decline to avoid downloading software offers.

At this point you just have to wait for all the elements needed for the installation of Evasions to be downloaded on your PC. After that, it will start automatically. Now you can connect your iPad to the computer, and when Evasion finds it, click on the Jailbreak button. During this phase be careful not to accept proposals to update iOS.
The process to unlock the terminal will go on for a few minutes, until you will see this message: To continue, please unlock your device and tap the new “evasion7” icon. From here, you have to open the home screen of your iPad and click on Evasion from the Springboard.

Be patient for a few more minutes, when you are asked to log in again from the home page of your iPad (you will read: To continue, please unlock your device) and the procedure to unlock your device will be completed. From Evasion, when you read: Done! click on Exit to close the application. On the iPad, however, after disconnecting the device from the computer, you have to wait for the latter to process the files of the jailbreak. It will take a few seconds, during which you will see a white screen with the logo of Evasion in the middle.

Users of iOS versions between the 8.0 and the 8.1 will have to follow another procedure and use Taig. It is easy to download, simply connecting to the site and clicking on Download Taig Jailbreak Tool. Users of this versions can also use PanGu, which is quite similar to Taig.

After the jailbreak, you have to use Cydia, which is an alternative store for iOS, available only on unlocked devices. Cydia will ask you if you are a standard user, a developer or a hacker. Choose the first option and go to the Search section of the store where you can find WhatsPad, which is a small software that will allow you to unlock the use of WhatsApp on your iPad. Now select WhatsPad and click on Install, then Confirm and Restart the Springboard. At this point you must extract the application from an iPhone backup and transfer it on your tablet using a program called iFunBox (it is free).

To download it on your PC, connect to its website and click first on the download button for Windows (also available for Mac) and then on the first link.zip. When the download is completed, open by double clicking on it the file you just downloaded and extract the files contained in any folder. Later you will need the software. Now open the folder where are contained the files of the iTunes library (\iTunes Music\Mobile Applications) and copy on the desktop WhatsApp x.x.x.ipa.

Now connect the iPad to the computer, launch the program iFunBox2014.exe and click Install app. Select the ipa package of WhatsApp and wait while the latter is transferred to the tablet. When the operation is completed, start WhatsApp Messenger from the home page of your iPad, enter the phone number of your iPhone and click the Finish button (located at the top right). After that, you can choose whether to restore your conversations from iCloud and start using the app normally.

As we know the success of WhatsApp, one of the most complete and popular messaging applications, is constantly growing. This famous app has now an incredible number (more than 700 million!) of monthly active members with, as you can imagine, a huge traffic of information shared between them. For this reason, we think that you will find the following security tips of some use.

1. WhatsApp Lock – WhatsApp Lock is an extremely useful application to avoid nosy people. After installing this app, you will be asked to set a 4-digit PIN. But perhaps the most interesting feature of this app is that it automatically takes a photo from the camera if someone digits the wrong PIN, letting you know immediately who tried to use your device.

2. Hide “last seen” timestamp – WhatsApp usually shows to our contacts the last time we were online. But there is a way to disable this default option. If you use an Android device: go to Settings -> Accounts> Privacy -> Hide last access time. On iOS: go to Settings -> Chat- Settings> Advanced> Hide access time. But remember that if you turn it off, you won’t be able to see other users’ “last seen” times either.

3. Prevent photos and media files received from appearing in the phone’s main gallery. You may prefer not to see pictures received while chatting in the main gallery of the phone. To help you, there is a simply method that can block such function. Android users can use File Explorer and create a file called “.nomedia” in WhatsApp images folder. This file will stop Android’s Gallery from scanning the folder. For users of Apple operating systems (iOS and other devices) it is even easier: just go to Settings-> Privacy-> Photos.

4. Create shorcuts with your most important contacts – This is a very useful option if you frequently chat with the same peaple. In fact, with this function WhatsApp allows you to create shortcuts on the home page. If you use an Android device, just select the contacts you want on the home page, press them and then choose “create shortcut”. If you use iOS, unfortunately, this operating system this function is not provided. But you can always use the app 1TapWA to have a similar function.

5. Profile picture – If you use the same picture on Twitter, Linkedin or your website, and even on WhatsApp, it could be very easy to find more about you through Google Image search. To restrict the access to your profile picture, set it to “contacts only” from the Privacy menu.

6. Disactivate WhatsApp – If you lose your phone WhatsApp offers you a range of options to protect your account. Among others, WhatsApp suggests that you immediately activate the app with the same phone number on another phone, with a replacement SIM. In this way, you will immediately block it from being usen on your lost phone.

WhatsApp is an app that allows users to chat for free with their contacts. This messaging service provides the ability to send and receive unlimited messages at no cost via the internet, simply using the 3G connection or Wi-fi smartphones. WhatsApp is available for different operating systems such as iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.

Installation: We can download WhatsApp simply accessing the App Store directly from our iPhone. After the purchase, the download will start automatically and we just have to wait for the installation to be completed.

How to start WhatsApp: When you open the application for the first time, WhatsApp will ask your mobile number in order to create a unique account without the need for additional entry as a user name or password. WhatsApp Messenger then analyzes your telehone book to find among your contacts the ones who are already using the application, to automatically create a list, called Favorites. To access the list, simply click on the pencil-shaped icon that is at the top right of the screen. Each WhatsApp contact will be displayed with the same name given in the address book of the iPhone, together with a picture and a status.

Sending messages: To send a message with WhatsApp, we have to select a contact from the Favorites list, then we can write the message we want to send in the text box which appears at the bottom and, at this point, we can press the Send button. The message is displayed in a cloud, like the ones used in comic books, where you will see a green tick mark as soon as the server receives it. With a second green tick mark next to the first, WhatsApp indicates that the recipient has received the message.

It is also possible to start a conversation between several people, creating a group chat using the option New Group. As for incoming messages, WhatsApp supports push notifications, so you don’t have to keep the application open to receive them.

Other features: WhatsApp Messenger for iPhone is not only a free alternative to SMS. In fact with WhatsApp you can share images, photos and videos simply by attaching them to your messages. And that’s not all. You can also set different backgrounds for your chat and customize the sound of the notifications, besides the possibility to change your status and upload a profile picture. But pay attention: WhatsApp Messenger is compatible with iOS 4.3 operating systems or higher and can not be downloaded if you own an iPhone with a previous version.

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to chat, WhatsApp is the right chat for  you. It also does not have any additional costs after purchase. Furthermore, WhatsApp allows considerable savings compared to SMS. The important thing is to have a subscription that allows you to be always connected to the internet.

The latest version for iPhone provides the possibility to disable the double blue tick marks that confirm the recipient has read the message. To use this option just open the privacy menu and turn off the “Read Receipt”. Moreover, as for Android, you can make voice calls through the data network.

You are very excited because you have discovered that now you can use WhatsApp also from your computer. So you look for the link to download the program but can not find it. Why? It’s true that you can use WhatsApp from the pc, but it is not an application. In fact it is a web service accessible from browsers, precisely from Chrome, Firefox and Opera (Safari and Internet Explorer for the moment are not supported).

Another important thing to note is that the site only works when WhatsApp is running on your smartphone and only if the phone is connected to the Internet. It is also necessary to remember that the service is not yet available for iPhone users (apparently for the restrictions imposed by Apple in iOS) while on Android, Windows Phone and all other software platforms there are not problems. So, to install WhatsApp on your PC simply follow these steps.

Open WhatsApp Web using Chrome, Firefox or Opera; starts the application of WhatsApp on your phone, press the menu button (the icon with the three dots at the top right) and select the voice WhatsApp Web. Subsequently, tap the OK button. At this point a QR Reader will pop up on your phone; point this at your PC screen in order to read the code and you are automatically logged into WhatsApp on the web. Once logged in, using WhatsApp on your PC is really, really easy.

The service is the perfect copy of the user interface application for smartphones and automatically synchronizes all contents with the latter: discussions, contacts etc. You can even activate notifications and view them directly on the desktop of your computer: just click on Activate desktop notifications, which is located in the upper left, and allow the browser to display alerts. At this point there is not much left to explain.

In the left sidebar you can find the list of recent chats and buttons to start a new conversation and access the settings of the service (the three dots). By clicking on a contact name or on the title of a chat, you can continue the discussion just like on smartphone by inserting, if necessary, also emoticons (smiley icon in the lower left) and image attachment (the paper clip icon in top right). You can even customize your status by clicking on your picture in the top left corner and entering the status that you want to show to your friends choosing from the menu on the left sidebar.

If you use an Android smartphone unlocked by the root procedure, then you can control the computer with AirDroid WhatsApp. This is a free application that allows you to manage messages, contacts, photos and exchange files between Android devices and computers (Windows and Mac) wirelessly. Among its functions there is also the remote control of smartphones and tablet computers, with which you can use WhatsApp and receive notifications comfortably seated at your PC. If you want to download AirDroid on yuor PC, you can find all the instrusctions on the website of the software.

There are also other softwares that allow you to run applications for Android directly on your computer, for example BlueStacks Android Player or x86, but because of the limitations of WhatsApp they can not be used while maintaining active access to the service also on your smartphone: you should repeat continuously the activation process of your account, sometimes on the computer, sometimes on the phone.

So, for the moment, WhatsApp Web seems to be the best solution.