WhatsApp Group chats will soon undergo a significant change

If you have ever opened up your WhatsApp group message only to see hundreds of new messages, and had no idea what was going on, then you are not alone.

Users have been asking for years to find a way of preventing conversations from becoming a muddle. WhatsApp is now about to make it happen.

The messaging giant has been testing a new feature which introduces chat streams, allowing users to follow multiple discussions in the same group and not lose their place. It’s a change that could transform how we use the app – and make group chats far less stressful.

What is WhatsApp’s new chat threads?

The concept is simple, yet powerful. Messages will be grouped into topics and linked to the original message that started the conversation, instead of being thrown in the main chat.

Someone suggests dinner for Friday night. Normally, that message would quickly get buried under dozens of replies about unrelated things – someone’s broken boiler, another friend’s new puppy, or a meme that has nothing to do with dinner. Soon, it becomes impossible to keep track.

With threads, you’ll see a ‘reply’ button under the main message. You can tap it to open a mini-conversation with all the replies in one place. You can also see the number of responses to each thread so that you know what’s going on without having to scroll through endless chatter.

This feature is especially useful for large groups of people who are competing for attention. Important details — like travel plans, deadlines, or updates – will no longer vanish in the chaos.

Why WhatsApp is changing?

WhatsApp has been working to make its platform more accessible and organised. This update is part of that effort. WhatsApp has been following in the footsteps of platforms like Slack and X, formerly Twitter.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta Inc., also wants to keep up with the way people use the app. Group chats aren’t just for sharing jokes anymore – they’ve become planning hubs for families, workplaces, school groups, and even local communities. The new system makes it easier to keep up with important conversations without missing out on key information.

WaBetaInfo has spotted this update in WhatsApp Android’s latest beta (version 2.25.25.8). The feature will initially be tested with smaller groups before rolling out to more people. iPhone users should expect it to be available after the Android release, although no specific date has yet been confirmed.

What this means to users

This change will bring relief to most people. You won’t have to wade through 200 unread emails to find out what the dinner plans are. Instead, you can jump directly into the relevant thread.

WhatsApp will also become more attractive for those who use the app to work and organise themselves. Conversations that are on topic and tidy will be a huge benefit to small businesses, community groups, and volunteer networks that use WhatsApp.

WhatsApp will also allow users to reply to another user’s response or add a reply within an existing thread. This is called “follow-up replies”. That means no more confusion about who you’re answering – the context will always be clear.

A small update can have a huge impact

This might seem like a minor change. Anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by messages will understand how revolutionary this could be. WhatsApp finally tackles one of its biggest complaints: the chaos of group conversations.

It is currently being tested, but if everything goes well, the feature could be made available to all users by the end of this year. You can expect a future in which WhatsApp chats become more organised and less overwhelming.

Because let’s face it – no one wants to miss dinner plans just because they got lost between 50 memes and someone’s photo of their cat.