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WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature that will give users more control over the number of unread messages in its Android app. This feature is currently in development, so beta testers enrolled through the Google Play Beta program may not have access to it yet. This reported feature could be a boon for people who receive a lot of text messages on the app and therefore struggle to manage their conversations.

According to a report from WhatsApp update tracker WABetaInfo, the instant messaging platform is testing a new feature that resets the number of unread messages every time a user opens the app. This feature was seen in the beta version of WhatsApp for Android 2.24.11.13, but is currently not active, so beta users may not find this feature even if they install the latest beta version. According to the report, this feature will be accessible (once it becomes visible on WhatsApp) via the notification settings.

New settings options have been added to notifications based on the screenshots shared in the release. Currently, users are presented with two options under the Lite option. One enables notification previews and the other shows reactive notifications. In the screenshot between these two options, you’ll see a new option titled “Delete unread when app opens.” “Every time you open the app, your unread message count will be cleared,” the description reads.

This can be a useful feature for people who are inundated with a large number of text messages. For example, I get 15-20 new messages every day and it can be difficult to read them all. Some of these I don’t have to answer. However, if you don’t open it, the chat icon at the bottom will still show the number of unread chats. People who are added to multiple groups with a large number of messages may also face the same problem.

It’s a bit inconvenient to see an app disorganized with so many unread messages, but it’s good that the platform is aware that this could impact the experience for some users. The report highlighted that if users enable the settings option, the number of unread messages will drop to zero every time the app is opened, eliminating the need to open every chat manually.

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