Messaging platform WhatsApp has introduced a major new feature called Group Message History for its users.
This update is especially useful for groups where new members are added frequently and often struggle to understand the context of ongoing conversations.
Earlier, when someone joined a group, they could only see messages sent after they were added. This disrupted the flow of conversation, and existing members often had to manually forward old messages to bring new members up to speed.
New Members Can Now See Earlier Messages
According to the company, the Group Message History feature solves this issue. With this update, new members will be able to view recent messages that were sent before they joined the group.
This will make it easier for them to understand discussions without repeatedly asking questions like “What’s going on?”
The feature is optional, meaning the group admin can decide whether to enable it or not.
Group Admins Get Full Control
Group admins will have complete control over this feature. They can choose whether to share past chat history with new members and also decide how many earlier messages should be visible.
The company states that at least 25 previous messages can be shared. This flexibility allows different types of groups—professional, community, or personal—to adjust settings according to their needs.
Strong Privacy Protection with Encryption
The platform, owned by Meta, says this feature is designed with privacy in mind.
Group Message History will work under end-to-end encryption, ensuring that any shared messages remain visible only within that group and cannot be accessed by outsiders.
The company has also clarified that this update does not weaken its encryption system in any way.
Notifications and Clear Message Details
To maintain transparency, all group members will receive a notification whenever previous message history is shared with a new member. The shared messages will clearly show timestamps and sender names.
