The world's most popular messaging app is introducing two key innovations aimed at organizing group conversations. Users gain the ability to hide message content from unwanted spoilers and access to chat history when joining a new group. These features, currently being tested in beta versions for Android and iOS, are set to significantly improve the comfort of planning events and discussing popular culture.
Spoiler Protection Mode
Ability to hide text under a gray bar, which disappears only after user interaction.
Group History Access
New members will see up to 100 of the most recent messages sent before they joined the chat.
Administrator Control
Group administrators will decide whether the conversation history should be visible to new participants.
Beta Version Availability
The features are currently being tested in beta releases for Android and iOS systems.
Meta, the owner of the WhatsApp platform, is implementing systematic changes to eliminate long-standing limitations of the messenger. The most important new feature is the introduction of special "spoiler" formatting. This function allows the sender to hide a selected text fragment or the entire message under a gray, opaque bar. The information remains hidden until the recipient intentionally taps the chat bubble, revealing the concealed content. This solution is modeled on mechanisms known from the Reddit service or the Telegram platform, particularly anticipated by fans of films and series who want to avoid accidentally learning key plot points. Simultaneously, WhatsApp solves the "empty screen" problem for new group members through the Group Message History feature. Previously, people added to existing conversations had no access to prior arrangements, often causing informational chaos. The new option will allow displaying 25 to 100 of the most recent messages sent in that group within the last 24 hours before the new person joined. It is worth emphasizing that the decision to share this content will rest solely with the administrators, ensuring control over privacy and the security of information exchange. WhatsApp was founded in 2009 as a simple alternative to paid SMS messages. After its acquisition by Facebook in 2014, the platform became a global monopolist, yet for years it was criticized for slower implementation of advanced group management features compared to its competitors. Experts indicate that due to the scale of the messenger's reach, used by over 2 billion people worldwide, the new features will quickly become a market standard. While message formatting as a spoiler is a purely aesthetic and organizational change, access to chat history genuinely improves teamwork and communication infrastructure within organizations. The update is currently being distributed to testers in a beta version (e.g., build 26.7.10.72 on iOS), and its public release is expected in the coming weeks for all operating systems.