WhatsApp has introduced a new feature that lets users message themselves. The feature has long been available on other instant messaging apps, such as Signal and Telegram. While the former offers a feature called ‘Note to Self’ that allows users to write down messages and notes for personal use, the latter has a similar feature called ‘Saved Messages’ that can be used to jot down notes and reminders for future reference. While the feature works somewhat differently across the three apps, they all offer essentially the same function – creating notes and keeping track of to-dos.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular instant messaging apps globally, alongside Facebook Messenger, Signal, Telegram, and iMessage. One of the features that makes it so popular is its cross-platform availability, meaning it not only works on both Android and iOS, but also offers a uniform experience across both platforms. It also has apps for Windows and Mac, and a WhatsApp Web interface that can be used in any browser.
The ‘Message Yourself’ feature is now available on WhatsApp for both Android and iPhone users as well as WhatsApp Web. To use it, open the app and go to the Contacts list by tapping on the floating green Contacts button in the bottom-right corner (Android) or tapping the new chat icon (iPhone and WhatsApp Web). The Message Yourself option will now be visible at the top of the Contacts list, just below the New Group, New Contact and New Community entries. Simply click on that entry and send a message as usual.
Why Messaging Yourself Is Useful
Once a message is sent, it will show up as a thread in the main Chats tab. However, as with all other WhatsApp chats, it will be pushed down the list as new messages are exchanged with other contacts. To avoid that, users can pin their self-chat messages to the top of the conversation list if they want to access it quickly without having to search for it. To do that, first navigate to the Chats tab if not there already. The next step differs between Android and iOS. On Android, tap and hold the chat and select the pin icon from the options that appear at the top. On iOS, simply swipe right on the chat and tap ‘Pin.’
There are plenty of use cases for the self-messaging option on WhatsApp. Apart from using it to add to-dos or make notes that can be forwarded to other contacts, it can also be used to easily share photos, videos, and documents between a smartphone and laptop, provided a user has WhatsApp Web or the Mac/PC app open on the latter.
Message Yourself is the latest feature to have been rolled out by WhatsApp. Some other notable WhatsApp features include disappearing messages, daily status updates, custom notifications, and two-step verification, among others. Earlier this year, WhatsApp also rolled out ‘Message Reactions’ that allows users to react to a chat bubble with different emojis.
