WhatsApp: 16 tips and shortcuts to make the most of the messaging app

A constant presence on Google Play and the App Store's top apps charts, it's one of the first apps you'll download when you buy a new phone and almost certainly your biggest source of notification on a typical day. The app has developed dramatically since it emerged almost a decade ago, picking up the ability to transfer files and make voice and video calls – all now core features – along the way. More useful than SMS, slicker than Hangouts and easier to use than Skype, it's no wonder WhatsApp is the number one communications service of choice for hundreds of millions of smartphone users. Even if you use it on a daily basis, WhatsApp is packed with lots of handy, little-known features you might not be familiar with. We've rounded up the best.