If your chat list is long, the small buttons at the top of Chats (All, Unread, Favourites, Groups) show only the chats you want. You can also make your own lists, for example "Family" or "Shop", and put chosen chats in them.
Use the filters
- Open WhatsApp and go to Chats. If you don't see the filter buttons, scroll the chat list down a little.
- Tap Unread to see only chats with new messages.
- Tap Favourites to see only your favourite people and groups.
- Tap Groups to see only groups.
- Tap All to go back to everything.
Add a chat to Favourites
- Android: press and hold the chat in the list, tap ⋮ (top right) › Add to Favourites.
- iPhone: press and hold the chat (or swipe left and tap More) › Add to Favourites.
- Or tap the Favourites filter and choose Add to Favourites / Manage favourites, then pick people.
Favourites also appear first in the Calls tab, which helps older users call their children with one tap.
Make your own list
- On the Chats tab, tap + at the end of the filter buttons. Or go to Settings › Lists › New list.
- Type a name, for example "Family".
- Tap Add people or groups and select the chats. A list needs at least one chat.
- Tap Done or Create. The new list appears as a button next to the others.
Change or delete a list
Go to Settings › Lists, tap the list, then add or remove chats, rename it, or delete it. Deleting a list never deletes the chats themselves. You can also press and hold a list button on the Chats tab to edit it.
Lists vs other tools
- Pin keeps up to three chats at the very top of All.
- Archive hides chats you rarely need.
- Lists group many chats without hiding anything.
Read pin, archive and mute chats for the first two.
If it doesn't work
- No filter buttons: update WhatsApp, then pull the chat list down.
- A chat is missing from a list: it may be archived. Archived chats stay in the Archived section.
Safety tip
Lists are only for you; nobody is told they were added. But the Unread filter is a good daily habit: it shows new messages from unknown numbers quickly so you can block scammers before they send more.
This is GroupChatOn’s own easy guide. We are not WhatsApp and are not linked with WhatsApp or Meta. WhatsApp sometimes changes its menus: if a button looks different on your phone, update WhatsApp from the Play Store or App Store.
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Questions, or an error not listed here?
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