This frequently requested feature is now available to a small group of beta testers via TestFlight. Here’s how it works.
The feature is likely to be officially launched soon.
As WABetaInfo has revealed, Meta launched a WhatsApp beta on TestFlight that allows group members to choose whether they want to share their recent chat history with a new member they’ve just added, “up to the last 100 messages shared in the group in the last 14 days.”
The site also notes that “messages shared using this feature are highlighted in a different color, making them easier to identify for new conversation participants.”
Access to previous messages is a common and useful feature on many messaging platforms that helps new members learn about recent discussions and access important information depending on the context of the group chat.
WhatsApp is currently gearing up to roll out this feature as select beta testers can now preview the feature before the wider rollout.
Here’s WABetaInfo on what they found:
To check if this feature is available, users must add a new member to the group. On the group chat information screen, users must select the “Add Member” option. After selecting a member from your contact list, an option to share recent messages may appear at the bottom of the screen. If so, users can share up to 100 messages, allowing a new member to quickly catch up on recent conversations. However, WhatsApp also allows users to choose fewer messages if they prefer to limit what is shared.
The site also notes that there is a transparency aspect to this feature, as it can potentially be abused by sharing chat history without other participants knowing:
WhatsApp provides transparency by notifying everyone when a new member has sent a recent message. To maintain clarity, WhatsApp adds a new message to the group chat with the name of the user who shared the message with the new group member. The sharing process uses the messages and encryption key on the user’s device where the new member is added. Recent messages are again protected by end-to-end encryption and delivered safely to the new member.
As with most beta features, there’s no timetable for a wider rollout yet. But since it’s also being tested on Android, it probably won’t be long before the official launch.
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