There’s nothing fun about joining a WhatsApp group chat right in the middle of a conversation. You can’t join in, and asking for a quick catch-up is arguably more embarrassing. Today, Meta announced that ‘Group Chat History’ is coming to the messenger, starting today, allowing newcomers to catch up quickly.
Please do cite the deep magic to me, witch
Meta reckons the feature is one of its most requested. “Group Message History remains end-to-end encrypted like all other personal messages, giving you a quicker, more private way to keep conversations flowing, with no more screenshots, and no more unnecessary message forwarding,” it wrote.
The decision to unleash the group chat’s history rests with the admin, rather than the individual joining. When an admin adds someone to the chat, they’ll be prompted to send recent messages — ranging from 25 to 100 max. “This keeps things simple, ensuring new members only need to read the most relevant, recent context.”
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Or, a group chat’s admin could disable the feature entirely if they wish. For “transparency”, existing members of the group chat will be notified whenever the ancient texts are released to the newcomer. Each message includes clear timestamps and sender information. The messages, too, are visually distinct from a regular message.
Meta says that Group Chat History has already begun rolling out “gradually”, meaning it may take some time to reach your specific device. Keep the app up to date, however, and it’ll be along shortly.
