What you need to know
- WhatsApp has announced a new feature, allowing users to pin their messages in individual and group chats.
- Users can set a time limit for pinned messages, although the feature is currently not available for Channels.
- Being able to pin messages is a feature found on other top messaging apps.
Starting this week, Meta is bringing new functionality to its popular messaging platform WhatsApp, which is the ability to pin messages in one-on-one chats and groups.
WhatsApp will now allow users to pin their chats/messages, which can include individual messages or even polls within the conversations, be it in one-on-one chats or groups. Users can also set a time limit for pinned chats, which can remain pinned for 24 hours, seven days, or 30 days.
introducing Pinned Messages 📌 now everyone can stay on top of a chat by keeping the important messages up top 🙌 pic.twitter.com/nDcsgoJygaDecember 12, 2023
Pinning a message is also fairly easy in the conversation pane. Users can select the respective message and click on the three dots on the top right of the conversation to reveal the options menu. Here, they will find the “Pin” option, and users can similarly remove the pinned message whenever they want using a similar process.
In a corresponding support page, WhatsApp has further revealed how users can set their pinned messages on various devices, including Android phones, iOS devices, and web and desktop versions of the messaging platform. If users want to navigate to the message within the chat, they can tap on the chat within groups or one-on-one messages. All users can pin conversations in groups provided admins on the respective group allow them to do so.
Pinning a chat would provide all users associated with the chat or group a system message indicating that a message was pinned and who has pinned the message in the chats. Furthermore, WhatsApp explains on the support page that new users who join after a message was pinned won’t be able to view it. This also applies to users who clear or lose their chat history.
WhatsApp is considered one of the leading messaging apps, and rivals like Telegram have been using the “Pin” chat feature for a long time. The latest move from the Meta-owned messaging platform is an excellent addition to the host of features that it recently introduced, including disappearing voice messages, secret code for your locked chats, and Channels. The latter, however, doesn’t yet have the Pin feature, which is currently limited to one-on-one chats and groups.