WhatsApp Tests Chat History for New Members, Rolls Out New Status Design and Powerful AI Tools

WhatsApp is experimenting with a major upgrade designed to make group conversations easier to follow and more welcoming for newcomers. The platform is testing a feature that allows new members to view messages sent before they joined, solving one of the biggest pain points in busy or fast-moving group chats.

According to reports from WABetaInfo, the current version of the feature lets new participants access the previous 24 hours of messages, rather than starting with an empty chat window. Meta may also cap this feature at around 1,000 messages to reduce data usage. Group admins will likely have full control over enabling or disabling chat history previews, and members may eventually be able to share a custom range of recent messages — such as the past week — so new users can quickly catch up.

Experts consider this one of WhatsApp’s most useful updates in recent months, particularly for community groups, workplaces, and classrooms where understanding past discussions is essential.

WhatsApp is also improving the Status experience with a refreshed design. The redesigned interface highlights recent updates more clearly, making short-lived posts easier to find without digging through menus. This upgrade aims to boost engagement by increasing visibility and simplifying navigation.

Alongside these interface changes, WhatsApp is expanding its AI-powered tools. A new generative image editor—available to select Android beta testers—allows users to create visuals in styles like 3D, anime, cartoon, and watercolor. The tool can also remove or replace backgrounds using built-in artificial intelligence.

To enhance user safety, WhatsApp is testing a stricter security mode. This protection automatically blocks media from unknown contacts, mutes unwanted calls, restricts random group invites, and enforces two-step verification for stronger account security.