WhatsApp releases new pin chat feature for everyone, allows users to highlight important messages

Meta announced a new pin message feature for WhatsApp on Tuesday. This feature allows users to pin one message at the top of a chat, mimicking the ability to pin chats in the home window. The rollout is now underway for Android, iOS, and PC users.

According to WhatsApp, pinned messages allow users to highlight important messages in both group and individual chats. This feature is designed to save users time by making it easier to find important messages quickly. Whatsapp ensures that all message types, including text, polls, images, emojis, and more, can be pinned and remain end-to-end encrypted.

How pin message feature work

Notably, while pinned chats remain fixed in the WhatsApp home window, there is a limitation regarding the ability to set the time frame for how long one wants to pin messages in the chat pin window. According to the official blog post, pinned messages can be set to last for 24 hours, 7 days (the default), or 30 days. A banner will appear during pinning to let you choose the duration. In group chats, admins can control who can pin messages: either everyone or just admins themselves.

It's worth noting that if you don't manually unpin a message, it will unpin itself after its set duration expires. However, unpinning simply removes the message from the banner at the top of the chat and returns it to its original position in the conversation, without affecting its content or accessibility. This way, you can keep important information readily available while removing outdated messages for a more organised chat experience.

Here's a detailed guide on how to pin a message in WhatsApp across different platforms:

Pin WhatsApp message in Android

• Tap and hold on the desired message.
• From the context menu that appears, tap More options.
• Select Pin.
• Choose the desired duration for the pinned message: 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
• Tap Pin again to confirm.

Pin WhatsApp message in iPhone

• Tap and hold on the message you want to pin.
• Tap More options from the menu that appears.
• Select Pin.
• Choose the desired duration: 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
• Tap Pin to confirm.

Pin WhatsApp message in web and desktop

• Select the message you wish to pin.
• Click the three dots icon.
• Select Pin message from the dropdown menu.
• Choose the duration for the pinned message: 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
• Click Pin to confirm.

How to pin message in WhatsApp group chats

In group chats, admins have the power to decide who can pin messages. To enable this feature:

• Android: Open the group chat, tap More options > Group Settings, and turn Edit group settings on.
• iPhone: Open the group chat, tap Group info > Group Settings > Edit Group Settings, and choose "All members" or "Only admins."
• Web/Desktop: Open the group chat, click Group info > Group settings > Edit group info, and select "All members" or "Only admins."

Once enabled, anyone with permission can pin messages. When this occurs, a system message informs everyone in the chat, including who pinned it. However, there are limitations to viewing pinned messages.

Meanwhile, if you no longer need a message pinned to the top of your WhatsApp chat. Here's how to unpin a message across different platforms:

Android:

• Tap and hold on the pinned message.
• From the context menu, select Unpin.
• Tap Unpin again to confirm.

iPhone:

• Tap and hold on the pinned message.
• Select More options from the menu that appears.
• Choose Unpin.
• Tap Unpin again to confirm.

Web and Desktop:

• Go to the pinned message.
• Click the three dots icon.
• Select Unpin message from the dropdown menu.
• Click Unpin again to confirm.