WhatsApp has introduced a new feature called Group Message History to improve group conversations. The update helps new members quickly understand ongoing chats. They no longer need to ask others to resend messages or share screenshots.

Earlier, users who joined a group could only read messages sent after they entered. Because of this, many people struggled to follow discussions in office groups, community chats and long-running family groups. With this update, WhatsApp solves that problem while keeping its privacy protections intact.

 

How the Feature Works

Group admins can now share recent messages when they add a new member. They also decide whether the feature remains active in the group and how much conversation history to send.

WhatsApp lets admins share between 25 and 100 recent messages. This gives enough context without overwhelming the new member. The app does not send messages automatically. Instead, the admin must choose to share the history manually. If needed, the admin can turn the feature off completely.

Regular members cannot change this setting. However, group admins always control message-history sharing.

 

Privacy and Transparency

WhatsApp keeps its privacy system unchanged. All shared messages remain end-to-end encrypted, so only group participants can read them.

The app also maintains transparency. Whenever an admin shares message history, everyone in the group receives a notification. Each shared message shows the timestamp and sender name clearly. Moreover, the app displays these messages differently from regular chats, making them easy to identify.

 

Rollout and Availability

WhatsApp has started a global rollout of the feature. The company will make it available on both Android and iOS devices. Users who do not see the option yet should update the app and wait for it to reach their region.