- Notifies users about unread messages from high-priority contacts.
- Currently available in beta (Android v2.24.25.29).
- WhatsApp Beta testers can enable it via the Notifications settings.
A new Message Reminders feature will help WhatsApp improve user experience as it rolls out for beta testers. This feature will notify users about unread messages sent from the users they most interacted with.
Currently (in the latest beta for Android v2.24.25.29), Message Reminders provides a policy to remind users of unread messages. Compared to our current notification system, this one is about reminding myself of unread chat messages and ordering them according to how often I have engaged with each contact in the past.
How It Works
The feature works by an internal algorithm deciding the most important contacts for a user. It also prioritizes reminding the user about chats with contacts they interact with most often.
Reminders will be sent sparingly to avoid overwhelming the user. WhatsApp’s goal is to deliver relevant, non-intrusive alerts that increase utility without intruding on user experience.
The contact priority list is recalculated because the data is not stored on WhatsApp’s servers, and if users reinstall the app, all the reminders remain dynamic and up to date.
How to Access the Feature
Message Reminders is now available only to a small set of beta testers. Here’s how to enable it:
- Update to the latest WhatsApp beta version via the Google Play Store.
- Go to Settings > Notifications > Reminders.
- Toggle the option to allow reminders for unread messages.
However, missed messages from important contacts are problems that the Message reminders feature was designed to solve. What WhatsApp does is provide little nudges, little reminders on your most important conversations, rather than with a wall of notifications.
What’s Next?
However, the feature is currently available only to beta testers, and WhatsApp is likely to refine it with feedback from users before rolling it out to more users. If this works out, it could be a big improvement to WhatsApp’s notification system, making it more user-friendly and closer to what the user wants.
There will be more on the feature’s progress leading to its public rollout soon.
