WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messenger app is introducing a new Archived Chats setting, which will allow users to focus on important messages while deprioritizing less important messages.
This means that unless the user chooses to manually unarchive the chats, they will remain archived permanently. Last week, some iPhone users received the update, which is now being rolled out to Android and iOS users.
Archive on WhatsApp lets you organize your private messages and prioritize important conversations. Your Archived chats will now remain archived and muted but you can always change them back! pic.twitter.com/QbAY6iu81p
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) July 27, 2021
Archiving a chat doesn’t delete the chat or back it up to the SD card. It will stay archived when the user receives a new message from an individual or group chat. Users will not receive any notifications for archived chats unless they are mentioned or replied to, according to the company.
Many users have requested that archived messages be kept in the Archived Chats folder rather than being moved back into the main chat list when a new message arrives, according to WhatsApp. Hence, the new feature update will give users more control over their inboxes and more ways to organize the Archived Chats folder.
The company, in an official statement, said, “We know that not everything always needs to be front and center for you. We want to make sure that WhatsApp remains a private and secure place where you can speak to the people who are most important to you and where you’re in control of your messages.”
Whatsapp has been testing the archived chats feature for a few years. The feature was discovered in the beta version of the app in 2019, but it was later pulled back. The feature reappeared last year, and the company has been working to modify it for release to users on the stable version.
Recently WhatsApp added a Mute Forever option for chats and groups. Users can use the Mute forever option to set chats that they know will never be used.
Related: WhatsApp introduces new update to join ongoing group call
