WhatsApp is testing a new method of dealing with archived chats

WhatsApp logo (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is testing a new way for iPhone users to deal with archived chats.
Chats that receive new messages will remain archived, while chats will be easily accessible at the bottom of your chat list.

WhatsApp is testing changes that will alter the way users deal with archived chats, including the ability to have new messages no longer move a chat from the archived area.

According to a new WABetaInfo post, the latest TestFlight build includes support for the new features, something the outlet is calling "new archive."

The main change will be the way archived chats remain archived even when someone receives a new message. Currently, such chats are moved from the archived sections and appear as regular, active chats.

The new beta includes more changes to how archived chats behave, too.

The archived chat cell is also pinned at the top of your chat list if you have archived chats into
The archived chat cell is always visible and cannot be hidden.
The archived chat cell reports the number of unread chats.
If someone mentioned you in an archived group, you will see the symbol @ in the archived chat cell.

The update is currently only available to those who are on the closed TestFlight beta, but it's surely only a matter of time before these features are made available to everyone.

The question is whether that will happen before Apple announces iPhone 13 this fall. It's sure to be the best iPhone yet, and hopefully we'll be installing this WhatsApp update on it soon enough.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.