WhatsApp added four group features, including one that lets a member send past messages to a newcomer. Admins may want to decide whether to allow it.
WhatsApp announced four group chat updates on 29 October 2026. The one most people will talk about lets someone send a new member the recent chat history, so the newcomer can read what was said before they joined. The other three help you keep important messages in view, share photos with one group only, and find messages meant for you.
Until now, pinning a message meant choosing how long it stayed at the top. Pinning with no time limit suits things like a meeting address, the account number for a group contribution, or house rules.
Group status works like the status that disappears after 24 hours, but only one group sees it. Members can view it, react to it and post their own. A family group can see the wedding photos while your work contacts do not.
The new filter sits with the other filters at the top of your Chats list. It shows only unread groups where someone tagged you, replied to your message or used @all. If you are in 30 groups, it cuts out the noise.
When someone joins, for example through an invite link, a "Send message history" link appears in the notice in the chat. Tap it to send them recent messages. WhatsApp says the shared messages stay end-to-end encrypted, which means only people in the chat can read them. They also look different from normal messages, so the new member can tell them apart.
Nothing is shared automatically. Someone has to tap to send it, and everyone in the group gets a notice with the time and the name of the person who sent it.
Anyone in a group, but admins most of all. WhatsApp says admins can switch message history off for their group, and members can decline to send it. There is a catch: admins can still share history even when it is switched off.
If your group discusses private matters, such as a family dispute, staff issues or members' money, decide as admins whether history sharing should be on. Then tell the group.
The updates are rolling out in stages, so not everyone has them yet. Update WhatsApp from the Google Play Store or the App Store, then check again over the next few weeks.
WhatsApp also pointed to three group tools many people miss: replying privately to one person from a group message, setting a poll so each person can choose only one answer, and member tags that show someone's role. Busy groups are also where scams spread, so be careful with any message asking for money or a code.
After updating WhatsApp, admins of groups that discuss money, staff or family matters should decide whether history sharing stays on, and tell everyone.
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