WhatsApp is working on bringing chat filters to all accounts

WhatsApp message thread on iPhone X (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz/iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp is testing allowing people to filter their chat threads.
WhatsApp Business users can already make use of filters.

WhatsApp is testing a change that will roll out filterable chat threads for all users across all platforms, according to a new report. Filters are already available or WhatsApp Business accounts, but this change would make them available to all.

As reported by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is already testing the change for some. A new filter button will be available at the top of the chat view, allowing people to select to only see unread chats, chats from groups, from contacts, or non-contacts as they desire.

As you can see in this screenshot, the filter button is visible to business accounts when tapping the search bar on Desktop: thanks to this feature, WhatsApp is making it easier to search for unread chats, contacts, non-contacts, and groups. Standard WhatsApp accounts will also be able to use the same feature in a future update of the app, but there is another difference: the filter button will be always visible even when you are not searching for chats and messages.

Whatsapp Filters In Beta (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

While this screenshot above shows WhatsApp on the desktop, the feature will also come to iOS.

There is currently no indication of when we can expect this change to roll out to everyone and it's possible that WhatsApp might ultimately decide against it. That seems unlikely, however.

WhatsApp is already one of the best iPhone apps for people who need to stay in contact with others across other platforms, including Android. It's end-to-end encrypted for security and is available as a free download from the App Store.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.