The 8 biggest WhatsApp mistakes

With around two billion active accounts, WhatsApp is still one of the most popular messenger apps out there. Yet users of the green chat guru still make many mistakes – some of which are not without danger. Here are the eight biggest WhatsApp pitfalls to avoid

1. Take photos and selfies directly with WhatsApp

To save bandwidth, WhatsApp compresses some photos and videos before sending them. However, this only affects media you create directly in the app using the small camera icon.

To send photos or videos in the best quality, you should not take such photos with WhatsApp, but with the phone’s own camera app. Then add the image directly as an attachment in the chat window, so that you do not have to tolerate any loss of quality.

2. Messages like a machine gun

A serious breach of good chat etiquette: instead of sending thoughts as formulated (or at least coherent!) messages, some users just send bits of text – but a lot of them.

The recipient will then not only receive a discrete signal tone for one message. They are virtually bombarded with beeps and ringtones – until the annoying nuisance has to be muted to protect their mental health. Here is an example of such pushiness:

Hi! (Thing!)
I’m in town (Ding!)
where are you? (Thing!)
meet tonight? (Thing!)
would be cool! (Thing!)
Hello? (Thing!)
…
did you block me?? (no more hassle)

Such chat terrorists get bonus points if they drive several users crazy at the same time with their behavior in group chats.

Also read: WhatsApp gets a completely new look including ‘Super Dark Mode’.

3. Falling for scammers

Even careful users have fallen into the trap: anyone who uses WhatsApp too gullibly or naively can quickly become the target of scammers and fraudsters. This happens with apparently innocent links (phishing) or the infamous child trick. Here, scammers pose as so-called relatives and claim, for example, that they have a new mobile phone with a new number that you should keep.

Example message:

“Hi mom/dad! Unfortunately I lost my mobile phone and am now using this new number. Save it and delete the old song immediately!”

A short time later they emphatically beg for money. Although such scams have been around for years, many helpful users still fall for them – and not just parents.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

4. Not using the WhatsApp desktop app

With a little practice, no octopus in the world can type as quickly and accurately on a touchscreen as on a keyboard. So if you spend a lot of time at your PC, WhatsApp Desktop is always a good choice (download here for Windows and Mac).

The client displays sample messages as desktop messages, provides plenty of space to view videos or images, and makes keyboard chatting as quick and easy as possible. Messages can also be received when the smartphone is offline.

5. Show messages on the lock screen

It’s practical, but can be embarrassing: if you allow WhatsApp messages to appear on the lock screen in the Android system notifications, you run the risk of prying and perhaps even unwanted looks.

Especially since the written word is easily misunderstood without context, problems can arise if colleagues, friends or the boss catch a glimpse of the smartphone at the wrong time.

Therefore: For better data protection, it is better to deactivate the function in the device settings.

6. Share status online without thinking

By default, WhatsApp shows contacts in the individual chat window when they were last online and whether they are currently online.

However, sometimes you don’t want to share this information at all: after all, not everyone needs to know that you couldn’t sleep at night or didn’t feel like responding to certain messages.

Many also feel pressured when WhatsApp reveals that you are viewing a chat but don’t have a response ready yet. In the past, spy apps have also emerged that have used such data to spy on WhatsApp users.

The solution is to easily adjust and check your WhatsApp ‘Last seen’ and ‘Online’ status.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

7. Create group chats and use link invitations

The group function is especially popular with WhatsApp. Administrators can add new users directly via the app here or send access links with the messenger – but this comes with a risk.

Such links allow any user who has access to a link to join the group. Even the ones you might not want in the group.

Therefore, if you want to maintain control over joining the group chat, only invite others directly. Namely in the group chat window: Menu (three dots) > Group info > Add members.

Who hasn’t experienced this (and regretted it): You finally convinced Aunt Erna to jump on the WhatsApp bandwagon – but now she sends us eight cat videos a day, four clips from her favorite cooking show and every gag GIF from the senior club. Wow, Erna!

Fortunately, you can protect your phone memory and your nerves: simply arrange the automatic media download in the WhatsApp settings under “Storage and data” and at least exclude videos.

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