WhatsApp to Finally Let New Group Members See past Messages

WhatsApp is finally fixing one of its most annoying group chat limitations. The messaging platform is rolling out a new feature to beta users that lets existing WhatsApp group members share recent chat history with newly added participants. This will ensure that such new members don't join conversations completely out of context.

WhatsApp now lets new group members see past messages

Reported first by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp Beta for iOS (version 26.2.10.73) adds a new feature that lets new joiners see the old messages. When a user adds a new member to a group, they will have the option to share the last 100 messages sent within the previous 14 days. 

This eliminates the work needed to be done by new users and existing users to ask and share the information and summaries of the previous chats, like screenshots or relevant text context. Besides, for a new member, the restored messages will be highlighted with a different colour to distinguish them from the live conversation.

When adding a contact via the group info screen, users will see a toggle at the bottom, letting the inviter share the recent message. This option is disabled by default, ensuring that history isn't shared without explicit consent. The maximum limit is set to 100 messages as of yet, and users can reportedly opt to share a smaller batch if they prefer.

When the user shares the messages, all the group participants will be alerted by a notification that the inviter has shared recent history with the new group member. Also, this transfer maintains WhatsApp's security standards, uses the encryption keys from the inviter's device to securely deliver the logs to the new member.

As of writing this, the feature is rolling out to select beta testers via TestFlight, although Android beta testers already got the feature. A public release is expected soon after the feature is deemed stable and ready to go. It was recently spotted that WhatsApp web could gain voice and video calling capabilities. More WhatsApp features are arriving soon, and until then, stay tuned.