WhatsApp just made group messaging more like Slack
WhatsApp's newest feature is one you might be familiar with if you've used another popular messaging app: Slack.
The Facebook-owned messaging service is trying to make big group chats easier to manage, and who better to borrow from than the company that "disrupted" how teams communicate (even if that disruption sometimes comes at a cost)?
Among the new WhatsApp features: a new "group catch up," which aims to make it easier for people to catch up on the often long conversations that happen in ongoing group message threads.
Now, instead of having to scroll back to the last messages you read, group chats have a new "a" button, which will automatically direct you to the messages where someone has either mentioned you or specifically replied to one of your messages. If you're familiar with Slack, it's similar to the "show activity" feature, which is also meant to help you keep tabs on only the relevant parts of group conversations.
It may sound like a small feature, but it helps solve what can easily be one of the most annoying parts of being part of massive group chats. Even with only a few participants, group chats can quickly explode into hundreds unread messages if you're not keeping a close eye on them.
That's not the only Slack-like feature coming to WhatsApp's group chats, though. The app is also introducing the ability for group chat admins to set administrator controls, so only authorized participants can do things like change a group chat's icon or subject. And there's a new search feature that lets you search for specific users from within a group thread.
In addition, the app is looking to reduce spam and harassment by adding new time limits that prevent people from adding someone to a group chat if they've recently left.
All of the new features are rolling out in WhatsApp's iPhone and Android app right away. Even though the line between WhatsApp and Slack is blurring, try to resist the temptation to throw down a party parrot in your family message thread.
Topics Facebook Social Media WhatsApp
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
