This new WhatsApp feature is going live today

The world’s most popular chat platform WhatsApp is giving groups a makeover with a list of new features for group conversations. WhatsApp announced several updates to group chats that allow members to catch up on what they’ve missed quickly and also giving administrators additional controls of the group chats.

The first change in the latest update of WhatsApp gives groups a brief description. With this new feature, we can clarify the purpose and guidelines for the group chat. The description will come at the top whenever someone new joins the group. The company says that group description space could be used to clarify the guidelines, purpose, or topics for that particular group.

The second new change will allow admins of the group chat to choose whether or not to restrict changes to the icon, subject, and description. This option gives the admin power to select which members are allowed to make those changes. The Administrators of the group can also revoke admin permissions and prevent the group’s creator from being removed from the group.

These features are quite amazing for group members catching up after being away from the conversation, a new catch-up option helps recap what you’ve missed. By tapping the @ button in the bottom right of the chat will highlight any replies or tags to your messages. The company has been testing these updates for a while but are now going live with them and it will help users quickly get up to speed inside a group after being away from the chat.

When you click on the group info icon, there is a search bar added in which members can now search for other group participants as well.

The announcement blog post reads,

“Groups have been an important part of the WhatsApp experience, whether it’s family members connecting across the globe or childhood friends staying in touch over the years, there are also people coming together in groups on WhatsApp like new parents looking for support, students organizing study sessions, and even city leaders coordinating relief efforts after natural disasters.”

The group video calling features are also coming to WhatsApp. The latest update comes after WhatsApp gained compatibility with Instagram and Facebook videos, a feature announced during parent company Facebook’s F8 conference. These group updates of WhatsApp are rolling out today, May 15, for both iPhone and Android users.