WhatsApp testing chat history access for new group members

WhatsApp is developing a new feature that will allow users joining a group to view previous chat messages, giving newcomers immediate context to ongoing discussions.

According to early testing details, the platform is introducing an option for members to share up to a week’s worth of past messages with new participants. Currently, the feature covers only the previous 24 hours of chat activity, though this window may change before the official rollout. Meta may also impose a limit of around 1,000 messages to prevent excessive data usage.

Group admins will retain control and can enable or disable the feature from the group settings.

The update aims to make group conversations smoother and more inclusive by ensuring new members are not left out of earlier discussions.

WhatsApp has also redesigned its status-sharing interface, making short-term updates more visible and interactive without requiring users to open additional screens.

In addition, the platform is testing an AI-powered image editing tool for Android beta users, allowing them to generate photos in 3D, Watercolour, Anime, Cartoon and other styles, as well as add or remove backgrounds.

Despite the wave of new features, WhatsApp says user security remains a priority. A new strict security mode—currently available to select beta testers—automatically blocks media from unknown senders, silences calls from strangers, restricts group invites, and enforces two-step verification.