WhatsApp for Android gives you three possible ways to create direct access to a contact: from widgets, from the app itself and from app shortcuts. Let's see each of them below.

Create a shortcut using your launcher's widgets

Go to your device's home screen and make a long press on an empty space on the screen until you see the following:

Home screen menuHome screen menu

Next, click on Widgets:

Widget buttonWidget button

You will access the list of everything you can place on your screen. Search it until you find WhatsApp's:

WhatsApp widgetsWhatsApp widgets

From all available options, choose the second one:

Contact shortcutContact shortcut

Click on it and drag it to the home screen, where you can release it to place it:

Drag and drop shortcutDrag and drop shortcut

When you release it, your contact list will open. Search for the one you want to put on the screen and click on it:

Select contactSelect contact

The contact will be fixed on the screen like this:

Contact on the home screenContact on the home screen

Create a shortcut from WhatsApp

To create a shortcut from the application itself, open WhatsApp and go to the contact (or group) you want to add:

Selecting a conversationSelecting a conversation

Press on it to enter the conversation. When you are there, press the menu button (top right corner of the screen):

Open conversationOpen conversation

Then, click on More:

Conversation menuConversation menu

Now, click on Add shortcut:

More menu optionsMore menu options

A message will appear on the screen announcing that the contact will be added to the home screen. Click on Add:

Confirmation to add the shortcut to a contactConfirmation to add the shortcut to a contact

Check that it is placed on the Home screen:

Shortcut createdShortcut created

Create a shortcut from the app shortcuts

Whether you have direct access to the application on your desktop or have WhatsApp stored in your application box, this method works perfectly. Wherever you have the app, make a long press on it until you see the following:

WhatsApp’s shortcuts appWhatsApp’s shortcuts app

The image shows what is known as app shortcuts or application shortcuts, implemented by Google in Android Nougat to speed up certain actions with the applications. In the case of WhatsApp, you will find the contacts you most frequently interact with. From these shortcuts, make a long press on the icon of the four circles of the contact you want to place on the home screen:

Button to create a shortcutButton to create a shortcut

Then, press hold and drag to space on the screen where you can release it:

Drag and drop the shortcutDrag and drop the shortcut

And that is the final result:

Shortcut createdShortcut created

The process is very easy in any of the three cases, taking seconds to complete and will greatly speed up the way we communicate with our friends and family.