Highlights
- WhatsApp's new Group Message History feature allows admins to share between 25 and 100 recent messages with new group members .
- The feature remains end-to-end encrypted and is never shared automatically .
- Everyone in the group is notified whenever message history is shared with a new members.
Meta, WhatsApp's parent company which also owns Instagram and Facebook, describes the feature as "one of our most requested features," offering "a quicker, more private way to keep conversations flowing, with no more screenshots, and no more unnecessary message forwarding."
How it works
When the free update arrives, admins will see a new pop-up whenever they add someone to a group chat, giving them the option to share between 25 and 100 recent messages.
The feature will never share history automatically , it must be actively triggered for each new member. For transparency, all group members will be notified whenever message history is shared.
Shared messages will also appear visually distinct from regular messages, making it clear which content is historical.
Meta chose to cap the feature at 100 messages to "keep things simple," noting that "new members only need to read the most relevant, recent context."
Admins have the option to disable the setting entirely, though those with admin privileges will always retain the ability to share history. Like all WhatsApp messages, the feature remains fully end-to-end encrypted.
The launch follows WhatsApp's recent introduction of Strict Account Settings, an optional security feature designed to protect high-profile users such as politicians and celebrities from sophisticated cyber attacks.
Earlier this year the platform also introduced member tags, text stickers and event reminders for group chats.
