WhatsApp is getting a trio of new chat filters to save you some time and help you get to your most important messages faster than ever before. Going forward, WhatsApp will smartly label your incoming chats under three sections — all, unread, and groups. The “filters” will appear at the top of your chat list following an app update which has started to roll out at the time of writing.
Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg shared the WhatsApp update on his WhatsApp channel and Facebook page. In a press release sent out to the media, WhatsApp notes that people are increasingly doing “more on WhatsApp”, and so, it’s become “more important than ever before to be able to get to your messages fast.” The announcement comes only a few days after WhatsApp was found to be testing Meta AI within the app allowing some users in India (and other markets) to “chat” with Meta’s Llama-based chatbot. Meta AI is also available for some users in Instagram and Facebook Messenger.
WhatsApp chat filters — all you need to know
Filters are pretty straightforward. As their naming suggests, the “all” filter will show you the default view of all your messages. “Unread” will feature messages you’ve either marked unread or those that you haven’t had the time to go through and so, basis of priority, you can choose to read them at your own convenience. The “Groups” tab is of special significance as WhatsApp says that the section was apparently “a highly requested” feature. Sorting and grouping group messages under one tab seems like a great idea especially if you’re part of multiple family and professional groups.
The new chat filters are a fast and efficient way to finding the right conversations without having to scroll through your full inbox each and every time. It is one of those features, that now that it is live, makes you wonder why it didn’t exist before. The filters should start to arrive on your devices now, or soon enough, as WhatsApp says they will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.