Photo: WhatsApp
WhatsApp is rolling out Chat Filters to make it easier to follow up on unread conversations. These filters allow you to swiftly go through your inbox based on unread messages or group conversations.
As WhatsApp has grown in popularity, so has the number of people and brands reaching out to you on the service. This means you’re more likely to miss out on an important message, which Chat Filters can help avoid.
Use Chat Filters to manage your WhatsApp conversations
As the name indicates, Chat Filters will quickly filter your inbox based on the applied filter. Currently, WhatsApp provides three filters: All, Unread, and Groups. All will show your entire inbox, while Unread will only show conversations with unread messages. You can access Chat Filters by simply swiping down from the top of your inbox.
Similarly, if you apply the Group filter, your WhatsApp inbox will only show group conversations you are a part of, irrespective of whether there is an unread message or not. This is particularly helpful when you want to jump to a group chat quickly but cannot recall its name and find it in your inbox.
You cannot apply multiple filters at once. So, you cannot filter your inbox to show group chats containing unread messages. Chat Filters is rolling out as a part of the latest WhatsApp release for iPhone and Android.
iMessage needs a similar filter option
WhatsApp is used by over a billion people daily to send billions of messages daily. While it might not be as popular in the US, it is the messaging app to use in other parts of the world. Given its popularity, the ability to filter out conversations based on unread messages or groups is handy. This is a feature that perhaps Apple could take inspiration from and add to the Messages app in iOS 18.
If you avoid using WhatsApp, read our iMessage vs. WhatsApp comparison to understand why Apple cannot win the messaging war.