WhatsApp has rolled out four new features for group chats, aimed at giving users better control over pinned messages, chat history, status updates and unread conversations. The changes are designed to help members keep up with busy group discussions and quickly find the messages that need their attention.

The first update lets users pin a message indefinitely. Until now, a pinned message had to be assigned a specific duration before it expired. With the new option, important details such as plans, schedules or announcements can stay at the top of a group for as long as needed. Alongside this, WhatsApp is extending chat history sharing to people who are already in a group. Earlier, recent messages could be shared only while adding a new member. Now, admins or members adding context can share them after the person has joined, simply by tapping their name in the conversation. The shared messages remain end-to-end encrypted, as in personal chats.

WhatsApp is also introducing group status, which lets users post updates visible only to selected groups rather than their entire contact list. Members can view, react to and publish their own statuses, making it easier to share moments with family groups, clubs or other communities. Like regular status posts, these disappear after 24 hours.

Finally, a new filter surfaces unread group conversations where a user has been directly mentioned or replied to. It also includes @all mentions, helping users prioritise messages that need a response instead of scrolling through every unread group chat.