WhatsApp Introduces New Feature Allowing Users To Pin 4 Messages: Here’s Who Can Use It
- WhatsApp is testing a fourth pinned message slot in chats, expanding beyond the current limit of three
- The new feature is available to select Android beta users on version 2.26.35.8 via the Google Play Store
- Group chats stand to benefit most from the extra slot, which could hold announcements, schedules or location details
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WhatsApp is trialling an update that would allow users to pin up to four messages at the top of a chat, adding one extra slot to the existing three-message limit.
The Meta-owned platform is rolling out the change to a limited group of Android beta testers.
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The feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.35.8, available through the Google Play Store.
Because the rollout is being managed in phases, installing that specific build does not automatically unlock the new functionality for every user.
How the fourth pin works
The process for pinning a fourth message is identical to pinning the first three. A user taps and holds a message, selects the pin option from the menu that appears, then chooses how long the message should remain highlighted.
The pinned entry joins the others displayed at the top of the chat window.
Scrolling through multiple pinned messages works the same way it always has, by tapping the pinned message bar to cycle through each item.
The update simply adds one more slot without introducing any new steps or interface changes.
Group chats set to benefit most
The additional pin is expected to make the biggest difference in busy group conversations.
As reported by WABetaInfo, groups organised around schools, workplaces, communities or events could use the extra slot to highlight "an important announcement, a meeting detail, a location, a schedule or another frequently needed piece of information."
With only three slots previously available, group members were often forced to remove an existing pinned message before adding a new one.
The fourth slot gives administrators slightly more room to keep critical information visible without sacrificing anything already pinned.
Group admins continue to control which members have permission to pin content through the standard group settings.
Notification alerts also under testing
Alongside the expanded pinning capacity, WhatsApp is also testing dedicated notifications that alert chat participants whenever a message gets pinned.
These alerts display the pinned content directly, so users can read it without needing to open the conversation.
Chats that have been muted will not receive these specific alerts, keeping things consistent with how muted notifications already behave across the app.
No confirmed date has been set for when four pinned messages will arrive on the stable, public version of WhatsApp.
Until then, most users will continue working within the three-message limit.
WhatsApp to charge GH₵0.12 per message
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that reports of a GH₵0.12 charge per WhatsApp message had sparked alarm among Ghanaians, but the fee did not apply to ordinary users.
Meta was changing how it billed businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform for large-volume automated messaging from October 1.
Banks, fintechs, telecoms and e-commerce companies sending millions of messages monthly faced the biggest financial exposure.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
