WhatsApp, the popular messaging application owned by Meta, is developing a new feature for Android that will allow users to share recent group chat history with new members.
This update will enable new group members to access the last 24 hours of messages, providing them with immediate context and facilitating smoother onboarding. The feature is currently in the latest beta version of the application.
The new functionality allows group administrators to share a portion of the group’s recent conversation history with newly added members. Upon joining, new users will have the option to view recent messages, provided the administrator has enabled the feature. This ensures that new participants can quickly catch up on ongoing discussions.
WhatsApp emphasizes that all messages shared through this feature will remain end-to-end encrypted, guaranteeing that only the intended recipients can read them. This means that whether a user joins via an invitation link or is manually added by an administrator, they will have immediate access to the group’s recent message history.
Currently, new members joining existing groups cannot see any messages sent before their arrival. This update addresses that limitation by offering a window into the group’s recent activity. While the initial implementation covers the last 24 hours, WhatsApp is considering the possibility of adjusting this time frame in future releases.
To manage the potential for overwhelming new members in highly active groups, WhatsApp is also exploring a limit of 1,000 messages for the shared history within the 24-hour period. This measure aims to prevent new users from being inundated with excessive information upon joining a particularly busy group.
