WhatsApp is rolling out four new group chat features globally over the coming weeks, aimed at helping people spend less time catching up and more time staying connected.
Key Takeaways
- Pinned messages no longer disappear after 30 days, letting group members keep key information at the top of a chat indefinitely.
- Group members can now send recent message history to new members even after they’ve joined, including those who came in through an invite link; sharing is optional and messages stay end-to-end encrypted.
- A new Group Status feature lets members share photos and updates visible only within that group, disappearing after 24 hours, while a new filter surfaces unread chats where a user was mentioned or replied to.
Longer pins, shared history for new members
WhatsApp is removing the previous 30-day cap on pinned messages, so group members can keep important information at the top of a chat for as long as they need it. Separately, group members can now send recent message history to new members even after they’ve already joined — including people who joined through an invite link. Sharing history is optional, and the shared messages remain end-to-end encrypted like any other personal message on WhatsApp.
A group-only Status, and a mentions filter
A new Group Status feature gives members of a specific group a shared space to post and react to photos and updates, visible only to that group and disappearing after 24 hours. WhatsApp has also added a filter that surfaces unread group conversations where a user has been mentioned or received a direct reply, including @all mentions. The features are rolling out globally over the coming weeks as part of WhatsApp’s ongoing updates to its group chat experience.
