CHAT'S GOOD
Massive WhatsApp change fixes messy group chat problem EVERYONE hates – and even saves your own texts from being ignored
Not everyone has it yet though
A MAKEOVER for WhatsApp chats will fix one of the most annoying texting problems.
It might even mean that your own texts end up being ignored less often.
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WhatsApp is secretly working on a threads feature for your conversations, according to early screenshots of the feature.
This would group replies together in the Meta-owned so you can see conversation threads separate from the main chat.
It means it'll be way easier to see messages – and have your own texts seen – in messy group chats.
The feature was discovered by the WhatsApp investigators at WABetaInfo, who regularly unearth secret features being developed at Meta HQ.
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It was found in the beta version of WhatsApp, which is a test app where Meta trials changes.
"Instead of scrolling through a long list of individual replies, users will be able to follow and view all the related responses in a dedicated thread, keeping the conversation structured and easy to follow," WABetaInfo said.
"In group chats, where discussions can quickly become overwhelming, his organization will save users from the effort of scrolling through the entire chat history to find one specific response.
"As they can easily navigate through threads and focus on relevant conversations without losing context."
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The app sleuths also said that the feature would "eliminate confusion" in busy group chats where you've got multiple people replying to one message.
You'll simply be able to tap on a thread and see all of the responses in a single chain.
WhatsApp users can now message ChatGPT directly within app
It's no surprise that WhatsApp is working on threads, given that other apps already offer it.
For instance, Apple's Messages app for iOS on has offered threads for a while now.
And Meta's own Facebook Messenger has a threads feature too.
WABetaInfo says that it's expecting threads to appear all across WhatsApp.
HOW TO LIMIT YOUR GROUPS
Are your WhatsApp groups getting out of hand?
WhatsApp has this advice so that you can limit who can join your chat groups...
Open the WhatsApp group chat, then click the group name.Click Group settings.Choose to turn on Approve new members.
- When turned on, admins must approve anyone who wants to join the group.
- When turned off, this group is open for people to join without admin approval.
- Click Confirm.
Picture Credit: WhatsApp
"This feature is expected to be released in a future update for individual conversations, group chats, communities, and channels," WABetaInfo explained.
The bad news is that there's no guarantee that the feature will make it to the live version of WhatsApp.
Sometimes features are tested in beta and then scrapped altogether.
And a feature making it to beta doesn't mean it's about to launch. It could still be months away.
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That said, it could also arrive very soon – only WhatsApp knows for sure.
Just make sure to keep updating your app in the App Store or Google Play Store for the latest features.
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