WhatsApp is constantly testing new features, and the latest one will be handy for anyone looking to limit the distractions caused by regular messages.
WABetaInfo spotting this upcoming update, which will be a welcome change for anyone who's tried and failed to keep the app from going off constantly with different group chat notifications.
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These changes are from the newest WhatsApp TestFlight beta (version 2.20.130.16) for iOS. Android users need not worry about being left behind though, as this feature is also present in the beta for Google's OS too.
"Read Later" takes the existing Archived Chats section, which is always present at the top of your list of chats, and combines it with another beta feature called "Vacation Mode." This results in a more useful and cohesive experience.
When you put a chat into this folder, you'll get no notifications, even if there are new messages to read. This is different to how it worked previously, where new messages would cause chats to pop out of the archived folder and back into the main list.
Selecting the edit button within the Read later menu lets you pick multiple chats to delete or put back in the normal chat list, or to change how the Read Later section works. For example, you can choose whether chats automatically leave Read Later when there are new messages, or if they stay in Read Later until you move them yourself.
It's a subtle change for sure, but a smart one. Users with many group chats can often find it hard to keep up with all the updates, particularly at the moment when so much conversation happens online. Soon however, they can lock certain chats away in Read Later, knowing they won't be bothered by notifications until they decide otherwise.
