CALIFORNIA (Kashmir English): Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has introduced a long-awaited option that allows new group chat members to see recent conversation history sent before they joined the group.
The Group Message History feature gives group admins and existing members the option to share between 25 and up to 100 recent messages with someone who has just joined the group.
Previously, newcomers could only see messages sent after they were added, often leading to confusion in active group chats.
WhatsApp’s official announcement
According to WhatsApp’s official announcement on its blog, the history is not shared automatically, and must be manually selected when adding the person to the group.
Shared messages appear visually marked from regular chat, include sender names and timestamps, and all participants are notified when such history is sent.
Admins also have the option to disable the feature entirely for their groups if they choose.
According to the platform, the rollout has started on both Android and iOS devices, and will reach users globally over the coming weeks.
Messages shared through the feature remain end-to-end encrypted, maintaining the company’s existing privacy protections.
