WhatsApp Adds 4 New Group Chat Features

If you've ever opened WhatsApp to find 300 unread messages in a family group and no idea which ones were for you, this update is for you. WhatsApp has added four new group chat features, and one of them could save you a lot of scrolling.

What happened

WhatsApp announced the changes in a post on its official blog this week. Here's what's new:

• A "Mentions and replies" filter. It sits with the other chat filters like Unread, Favorites and Groups. Tap it and you'll only see unread group chats where someone mentioned you or replied to you directly. @all messages count too.
• Pin messages with no time limit. Before, a pinned message had to expire after 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. Now you can leave it pinned for good, which is handy for rules, addresses or a shared plan.
• Send chat history after someone joins. Earlier this year, WhatsApp let you share recent messages with a new member while you add them. Now you can do it later as well, just by tapping their name in the chat.
• Group status. You can post a status that only members of one group can see. Everyone in it can view, react and add their own, and these disappear after 24 hours like normal statuses.

9to5Mac noted that, like most WhatsApp updates, these are rolling out gradually, so not everyone will see them at once.

Why it matters

Groups are where WhatsApp gets messy. Work groups, school parent groups and housing society chats can move so fast that the one message you actually needed gets buried. The mentions filter goes straight at that problem, and honestly I'm surprised it took this long.

Group status is the more interesting change to me. Right now, if you post a status, everyone in your contacts who's allowed to see it does. Being able to share running club photos with just the running club, and not with your boss or your relatives, gives you a lot more control without fiddling with privacy lists.

The forever-pin and late history sharing are small, but they fix real annoyances. Anyone who's re-pinned the same message every month will appreciate it.

What to do

• Update WhatsApp from the App Store or Google Play. The features turn on from WhatsApp's side, so give it a few days if you don't see them yet.
• Swipe down on your chat list to find the filters and look for "Mentions and replies".
• To pin something for good, long-press a message in a group, choose Pin, and pick the option with no time limit.
• To catch up a new member, tap their name in the group chat and look for the option to send recent messages.

WhatsApp has been busy lately. I also covered the scheduled messages test on iPhone, which pairs nicely with these group tools.