Message threads are coming to WhatsApp

WhatsApp is working on a feature that will group replies to specific messages into a thread, making it easier to keep track of conversations. Instead of scrolling through chats to see scattered individual replies, the feature will create a dedicated view showing every quoted message connecting back to the original message that started the thread, helping users to find specific responses and easily navigate long and messy conversations.

The threads feature, spotted in WhatsApp’s Android beta 2.25.7.7 update by WABetaInfo, is under development and won’t be available for testing until a future update. Message threads are expected to be available for individual conversations, group chats, communities, and channels, though as noted by WABetaInfo, the ability to reply to messages in channels is also still under development.

A screenshot of the preview that WABetaInfo managed to run gives us some idea of what the threaded messages will look like once the feature rolls out, showing a full-screen pop-up displaying replies that have been sent by several users in a group discussion. Users can tap on any quoted message to view all the responses within that chain, though it seems the original message that’s being responded to won’t appear within the threaded view.

There’s no indication of when message threads will be generally available for all WhatsApp users. We’ve asked WhatsApp for more information and will update this story if we hear back.

This is a pretty major change, and a welcome one for anyone who uses WhatsApp to organize and make plans with large groups of people, or frequently uses the search function to resurface older message replies.