WhatsApp is changing group chats: pins that never expire, a filter for unread mentions, wider history sharing and a Status feature only a group can see.
WhatsApp is updating group chats so important messages stay put and urgent ones are easier to find. Pinned messages in groups will no longer expire, and a new filter shows unread groups where someone mentioned you. The Meta-owned app is also adding a Status feature meant only for groups.
Admins could already share a group's message history when adding someone. Now existing members can do it too, even after the newcomer has joined, by tapping the newcomer's name in the group chat.
With Group Status, members can post updates that only people in that group can see. Others can view them, react and like them, and post their own. Like regular WhatsApp Status, each one disappears on its own after 24 hours.
Anyone who runs a team, club or family group stands to gain. A rule, address or schedule can stay pinned for good, and the filter makes it harder to miss a message aimed at you or the whole group.
The report does not say when the features reach all users, which phones get them first, or whether an app update is needed. Check your app for updates if you want to look for them.
If you manage a group on WhatsApp, watch for permanent pins and the unread filter, and remember that any member can now share old chat history with newcomers.
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