WhatsApp Launches “Favorites” Filter for Important Chats

WhatsApp has introduced a new “favorites” filter, allowing you to handpick which people or groups you want to prioritize. The filter only shows conversations from your selected few, reducing the chance of important messages getting lost in the noise.

If you’re tired of wading through endless WhatsApp chatter, a new feature will make it easier to find the chats you want to read.

How To Pick WhatsApp Favorites

If you’ve never used the Favorites feature before, you’ll find the filter at the top of the main screen. The first time you select it, you’ll be invited to manage your favorites.

WhatsApp conveniently sorts your contacts by those you chat with the most, making it easier to select your favorites. You can also scroll down or search for people/groups you wish to add if they’re not already among your regular contacts.

Once you’ve picked a few favorites, you can click the filter to see messages only from those people. Switch back to “all” to view the regular timeline with all of your chats.

If you can’t see the favorites tab at the top of your chat screen, visit your app store and ensure you’ve got the latest version of the app installed. Don’t panic if it’s still not visible—WhatsApp says the feature is rolling out now and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

While the favorites filter makes it easier to find important chats, there’s currently no way to limit WhatsApp notifications to just your favorites. You’ll still need to manually mute conversations you don’t want to be constantly disturbed by.

The favorites feature also applies to calls. People picked as your favorites will now appear at the top of the list in the calls section of the app, making it easier to jump into a voice or video call with your chosen few.

Given WhatsApp’s notoriously noisy reputation, it’s surprising the app took so long to introduce a favorites filter. Favorites have been a staple of messaging and phone apps on iOS and Android for many years, but this is the first time WhatsApp has allowed you to prioritize certain people.