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WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging platform, is reportedly testing a new feature aimed at improving how users organize their conversations. According to WABetaInfo, the popular chat app is introducing a chat filtering button that will allow users to create custom lists of contacts and group chats making it easier to locate and manage specific conversations.
The new filter option will enable users to generate customized chat lists based on their contacts and groups. Once a list is created, WhatsApp will automatically generate a filter that shows only those conversations that are part of the list. This will provide users with a much-needed tool for simplifying their chat interface especially for those with numerous contacts and active group chats.
The chat filter will appear at the top of the chat list, making it easy to access filtered conversations. This ensures that users can quickly navigate to their most relevant and important chats without having to scroll through their entire list.
Users will have the ability to manage their lists with ease. A dedicated entry point located at the bottom of the chats tab will allow users to add or remove people and group chats from their custom lists. In addition, users can rename lists as needed giving them more control over how their chats are organized. This provides a greater degree of customization ensuring that users can tailor the app to suit their specific communication needs.
Another aspect of the new filter system which I consider to be very important is the privacy aspect of it. Such custom lists will be completely private; only the user who owns and manages the lists will have access to them. This way, users can create their own filters and organize their chats without inconveniencing the others.
In an effort to minimize clutter on the platform, WhatsApp has ceased with a limit of 20 custom lists for an individual user. This ensures that the interface is simple and quite efficient when it comes to the app usage. Lists can be created and modified within the app by accessing its settings at the top of the chat tab where the lists are initially displayed and manipulated.
At the moment, this option is available to a few beta testers only who have updated their devices to the latest WhatsApp beta version for Android available on Google Play Store. However, within the next few weeks, the functionality is expected to be available to more users.
The introduction of this feature, however, is still quite interesting for people looking to enhance the structure of their discussions in this app that keeps expanding in new directions.
