How to Message Yourself on WhatsApp, Discord, and More

Sometimes when you’re chatting with someone, you need to take down notes. While most phones have an integrated notes app, it’s easier not to switch out of the messaging app and open a different one. Fortunately, most messaging apps allow you to send a message to yourself, which can be useful as a note. This post demonstrates how to text yourself on popular apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more.

Good to know: learn about securing your social media accounts.

How to Message Yourself on WhatsApp

If you’re a frequent WhatsApp user, you should know that the app doubles as a note-taking app. This comes in handy if you need to quickly jot down information you don’t want to forget, such as tasks or items for your shopping list. However convenient this may be, it’s important to note that WhatsApp (and the majority of the other apps on this list) lacks extensive formatting options, such as bold, italics, or bullets, as well as built-in organizational features. Yet, depending on your needs, it still may be a good option for you.

Open the app on your mobile device, and tap the message button in the bottom-right corner if you’re on Android. On iOS, press on the + button in the upper-right corner.

Underneath Contacts of WhatsApp, the first option should be to Message yourself. Tap on your name to intimate a text exchange.

Start typing as you normally would in a WhatsApp chat. You can add emojis as well as GiFs and stickers. On top of that, you can share videos and images with yourself, ensuring you have access to them if you need to retrieve them again quickly.

FYI: organize your messages by creating chat folders in Telegram.

How to Message Yourself on Telegram

Telegram is one of the more popular WhatsApp alternatives, so it’s no wonder the app also offers the option to send texts to yourself.

Open the Telegram app on your device. Press the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner if you’re on Android. On iOS, press Settings at the bottom.

Select Saved Messages.

Start typing your message, and Telegram will save it for you. It’s also possible to send media and files.

Your Saved Messages thread will be visible at the top, the same as any recent conversation.

Alternatively, press the pencil icon on the main Telegram screen, and find your own name in your contacts list to go to Saved Messages.

How to Message Yourself on Signal

Signal has also attracted its fair share of users – and for good reason. The app boasts some impressive privacy features, such as the ability to connect through Signal servers when voice calling, rather than connecting directly to your contacts. It also offers the option to message yourself.

Open Signal on your phone. Tap on the pencil icon in the lower right.

Swipe down, then tap the Note to Self option under the S section. Alternatively, search for “note” at the top.

On iOS, search for “note” on the main screen, as you won’t see this option when creating a new message.

Once you’ve created a chat with yourself, you can add notes, images, emojis, GIFs, and more.

Tip: if a person is unavailable on Facebook Messenger, it may be due to several reasons.

How to Message Yourself on Facebook Messenger

You can also leave notes to yourself for later viewing using Facebook Messenger.

Open Messenger on your device, and press the pencil icon in the upper-right corner of the display to start a new chat.

Type your name at the top, then tap on it to open a chat with yourself.

Type messages and add photos and videos, as well as stickers, emojis, and GIFs.

Your chat will show up at the top in Messenger, but with regular recent chats.

How to Message Yourself on Instagram

You can send texts to yourself using Instagram. If you tend to use this app a lot, know that you can quickly write notes that will be available only to you. Keep in mind that this is different than writing Notes, which are shared with your mutual followers for 24 hours via Direct Messages.

Open Instagram on your device, and go to Direct Messages.

Use the search bar at the top to type your Instagram username.

Tap your profile picture, and a new chat window will open, where you can type your messages, share images, and add stickers.

You’ll find this thread at the top of your Direct Messages, the same as any recent conversations.

Tip: learn how to set up a Discord server, and invite your friends.

How to Message Yourself on Discord

Discord is one of the world’s largest chat communities, where you can participate in massive group discussions on various servers. But if you want to jot down a quick note to yourself, that’s all possible.

Open Discord on your mobile device, and press Messages at the bottom.

Tap on the new message button in the lower-right corner.

Select New Group on the next screen.

Type your own username in the search bar. You won’t see any matches appear underneath. Disregard that and press the Create button.

You’ve just created a new chat with yourself, where you can share messages, as well as images, videos, files, and emoji.

How to Message Yourself on iMessage

iOS users can use iMessage to leave notes to themselves. This is Apple’s proprietary instant messaging service that allows you to exchange messages, photos, videos, documents, or contact information with other Apple devices.

Open iMessage on your device.

Tap on the pencil icon in the upper-right corner.

Type your name in the To: field, and select it when it pops up.

A new chat window will open, and you can start sending messages to yourself. You can also share photos, music, audio files, and stickers.

How to Message Yourself on Snapchat

Snapchat is another chat app that lets you write messages to yourself. However, keep in mind that these texts will be deleted after 24 hours, although you can retain the media files.

In the Snapchat app, press on the message icon at the bottom to access your chats.

Tap on the new message icon in the lower right.

Type your name in the search bar at the top, and select it once it shows up.

Press the Chat button at the bottom.

Send messages, as well as images, emojis, stickers, and GIFs.

To prevent the app from deleting the images you’ve shared, tap on 24 hours after viewing at the top of the chat, and toggle on the Keeps Snaps in Chat option.

Good to know: did you know that you can connect your TikTok with your Instagram? Get started by checking our post.

How to Message Yourself on TikTok

Those who spend a lot of time on TikTok will be happy to hear that the app also enables you to leave messages for yourself.

Open the TikTok app, and press on the Inbox icon at the bottom.

Press the + button in the upper left.

Type your name in the search box, and select it once it pops up.

Send messages, emojis, stickers, and GIFs. Note that you can’t share photos or videos, but can share videos from your TikTok feed to the conversation.

TikTok also lets you Pin to top a conversation, to make it easier to remember to check notes.

Tip: can YouTube be considered a social media app? We explain.

If you’d rather use a more sophisticated notes app, try Google Keep, a cross-platform tool that offers many useful features. Or, if you prefer the Sticky Notes format and are a Mac user, check out the best apps for jotting down post-it-like notes.

Image credit: Freepik. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.