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WhatsApp Rolls Out Optional Group History Sharing for New Members

The phased release lets groups share recent context for joiners, preserving end-to-end encryption.

Overview

  • Admins or group members can choose to send 25, 50, 75 or up to 100 recent messages to someone who is added to a group.
  • Reports indicate the default selection can include up to 100 messages from the past 14 days, with the full chat history remaining hidden.
  • All participants receive a notification when history is shared, and the forwarded messages are clearly labeled with original timestamps and sender details.
  • WhatsApp says the shared content stays end-to-end encrypted, and technical reporting notes a new key is generated with selected messages re-encrypted when someone joins.
  • The feature is rolling out gradually on Android and iOS and can be turned off by group admins, aiming to reduce screenshots and manual forwards during onboarding.