WhatsApp to let users prioritise important chats, archive other messages

Archived chats will stay tucked away permanently, unless users choose to manually un-archive the conversation

WhatsApp is making it easier for users to stay on top of their most important chats, and to help de-prioritise other messages that can get in the way.

Starting from Tuesday, it is rolling out new settings for archived chats which will give users more control over their inbox and more ways to organise Archived Chats folder.

"We have heard that users want their archived messages to stay tucked away in the Archived Chats folder, instead of moving back into your main chat list when a new message arrives. The new Archived Chats settings mean that any message thread that is archived will now stay in the Archived Chats folder, even if a new message is sent to that thread," the company said.

Now, these chats will stay tucked away permanently, unless users choose to manually un-archive the conversation.

The move is aimed at letting users have greater control over their messaging experience.  

"If you try it out and decide it’s not for you, you’ll also be able to change it back to how it worked before," WhatsApp said.