WhatsApp’s latest update fixes a big problem with archived chats

WhatsApp is working on a feature which keeps chats archived even when a new message arrives.

WhatsApp beta for Android gets new features. (REUTERS)

WhatsApp recently rolled out a feature to prevent others from adding users to groups without their permission. WhatsApp is now working on new features that will allow users to completely ignore chats on the app.

The new features are an update to archived chats on WhatsApp. First spotted by WABetaInfo, these features are available in WhatsApp's Google Play Beta Programme, but not yet for public beta users. WhatsApp improves archived chats by giving the feature more visibility and more control as well. Archived chats have been introduced in the main menu section of the app.

Tapping on the three dotted menu pulls a menu for new group, new group, WhatsApp Web and more. Here, archived chats will also be available and users can tap on it see chats they have archived.

The second update coming to archived chats is "Vacation Mode", a feature introduced last October. According to the latest report WhatsApp will call this feature "Ignore Archived Chats". Archived chats on WhatsApp are moved to the bottom of the app but a new message brings it back up. The new feature keeps the archived chats at the bottom, until the user disables it manually.

Ignore archived chats feature on WhatsApp. (WABetaInfo)

Ignore archived chats feature on WhatsApp. (WABetaInfo)

'Ignore Archived Chats' will be available in the notifications menu of WhatsApp. Here, enabling it will keep chats archived chats even when new messages arrive. Users can still opt to see new messages from archived chats by disabling the feature. This feature however doesn't work with muted messages on WhatsApp. Users can either archive or mute chats, not the two together.