WhatsApp is introducing a small but meaningful change to group chats, fixing a long-standing annoyance for anyone who has ever added a new member to an ongoing conversation.
Previously, new group chat members could only see sent messages after they were added, so they were inserted without context. In busy family threads, office groups, or event planning chats, newbies were often thrown into the middle of a conversation with no idea what was already being discussed. The usual workaround was to copy and paste important messages or send a series of screenshots to bring them up to date.
With its latest update, WhatsApp is addressing this issue with a new feature called Group Message History, which was first spotted in a beta version earlier this year. When adding a person to a group, users can now choose to share a portion of recent messages so the new participant can quickly keep up to date. Instead of summarizing everything manually, the chat itself can provide the necessary context. Shared messages appear directly in the conversation view, complete with timestamps and sender names.
Shared group chat history with protection measures
According to WhatsApp, like all other chats on the platform, group message history remains end-to-end encrypted and is not automatically shared. The option to share recent messages appears when a new participant is added, and users can choose to send just 25 messages or up to 100 messages. The app notifies all group members when previous messages are shared to ensure transparency.
Group administrators can also disable the feature to prevent other members from sharing message history. However, they always keep the option when adding a new person. Group message history isn’t a major overhaul, but it’s a welcome addition that addresses a very common annoyance. For anyone managing large or fast-paced group chats, it could make a noticeable difference.
