WhatsApp Testing Threaded Conversations to Tame Group Chats

Even though WhatsApp isn’t as popular in the US, it remains one of the most widely used messaging apps in the world. Lately, Meta has been rolling out a host of new features, including status sharing with close friends and username search. Now, WhatsApp is introducing a feature that will help you stay on top of conversations in busy chats.

WhatsApp introduces threaded replies feature for beta testers

As WABetaInfo reports, WhatsApp is starting to test threaded conversations in group chats. It’s currently live in the WhatsApp for Android beta v2.25.25.7. As the name suggests, it’s designed to make busy chats easier to manage. With threads, users can reply to a specific message in a dedicated view instead of letting side conversations spill into the main chat window.

Threads show up only when a message has received at least two replies from different people. A small counter icon appears beneath the original message. Tapping which, it opens a separate window where every reply is listed in order. Within that view, responses are marked, although the tag doesn’t appear for everyone just yet.

The idea is to keep group chats organized without making them feel overwhelming. Side conversations stay tucked away in their own space, while the main chat continues to flow normally. Even if someone doesn’t have the feature enabled, they’ll still be able to read and respond to threaded replies if another participant starts one. What’s important is that threads only apply to new messages once the feature is turned on. So older chats won’t be restructured retroactively.

Right now, the feature is available only to a small pool of beta testers. But WhatsApp may soon expand access more broadly in the coming weeks. Once it rolls out widely, threaded conversations should make WhatsApp’s group chats easier to follow, especially when the conversation takes off in several directions at once.