WhatsApp is testing threaded replies on Android to make group conversations easier to follow. The feature, spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.25.25.7 by WABetaInfo, groups multiple responses to a single message into a separate thread view so users can read a focused side conversation without scrolling through the whole chat.
How it works
- Threads appear only in group chats and kick in when a message receives at least two replies from different users.
- A small “X replies” icon will show under the original message, where X is the number of replies. Tapping that icon opens a dedicated window that lists all replies in chronological order.
- Replies posted inside the thread are flagged as “Follow-up reply” and still appear in the main group feed, so people who do not open the thread will not completely miss activity.
- The system does not support nested threads. You cannot create threads within threads.
- New messages will show threads when replies meet the threshold, but older messages will not be reorganized. Early tests indicate the thread view can be accessed even if some participants do not yet have the feature enabled on their device.
Group chats can become noisy and hard to follow when side conversations branch off. Threaded replies can reduce that clutter by isolating related replies and making it easier to track a specific exchange.
The approach resembles comment threads on platforms such as Reddit or X, although WhatsApp’s implementation is simpler and not deeply nested.
There are UX tradeoffs to consider. Threads can keep chats tidy but they can also fragment conversations if users split into multiple side threads.
Cross-platform parity will be important: limiting the feature to Android beta testers may create inconsistency for groups that mix iOS and Android users.
WhatsApp will need to ensure the feature respects the app’s end-to-end encryption and does not introduce confusion around message context.
The feature is currently limited to a small group of testers. WhatsApp may widen the test pool in the coming weeks, but no official rollout timeline has been announced.
Threaded replies are one of those quality-of-life additions that look small on paper but can meaningfully change how large groups communicate, provided the company gets the UX and cross-client behavior right.
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