WhatsApp for Android is experimenting with a new feature aimed at making group chats more organised and easier to follow. The feature, currently in testing, introduces threaded message replies, where all responses to a particular message are grouped together and displayed in a separate window. This would allow users to track side conversations without having to scroll through long chat histories.
The feature was first spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.25.25.7, and it is currently available only to a select group of testers. According to reports from the WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, WhatsApp may roll it out to more users in the near future. The new threaded replies will only appear when a message receives replies from at least two different users.
Based on screenshots shared by testers, the threaded replies feature seems similar to comment threads found on platforms like Reddit or X (formerly Twitter). However, unlike these platforms, WhatsApp’s threaded replies are not deeply nested. This means users cannot create chains of replies within replies, which keeps the conversation clean and easier to follow.
Once a message gets multiple replies, an icon labeled “X replies” will appear beneath it. Tapping this icon takes users to a new screen where all replies are displayed in chronological order. This helps participants track discussions without having to search through the entire group chat.
If a user replies within the thread, the message will be tagged as a “Follow-up reply”, and it will still appear in the main group chat. This ensures that no important updates are missed, even by users who do not interact with the threaded view.
Interestingly, the feature does not require both sender and receiver to have access to it. As long as the sender’s app supports threaded replies, the threads will remain visible and accessible to others, even if they haven’t received the update yet.
However, this feature will only organise new messages moving forward. Older messages won’t be grouped into threads, which means the conversation history will remain unchanged.
With this new feature, WhatsApp aims to offer users better control over group discussions, making it easier to manage multiple conversations happening at once. As group chats grow larger and more active, threaded replies could help users stay organised and avoid confusion.
