WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.36.11: what's new?

WhatsApp has released a new Android update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.25.36.11.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is working on a feature that introduces recent history sharing to new members who join a group chat, and it will be available in a future update!

WhatsApp is working on Recent History Sharing for new group members

In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.17 update, we announced that a feature that lets admins share their recent group history with new members was under development. This feature will give new participants the ability to view recent messages with ease, allowing them to enter a conversation with helpful context. It works by letting existing members automatically share that short window of chat history the moment a new user joins, provided the admin has enabled the setting. Messages remain secured by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the intended recipients can read them.

Although the recent history sharing feature is still in development, WhatsApp appears to be actively refining it ahead of its official beta release. This indicates that WhatsApp is working to ensure new group members can seamlessly access recent messages once they join a group, while maintaining security and privacy standards. Following the release of the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.36.11 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on a feature that introduces recent history sharing to new members who join a group chat!

As you can see from the attached screenshot, WhatsApp is currently exploring the implementation of a feature that introduces recent history sharing, scheduled for release in a future update. When this feature becomes available, new participants have access to the messages that were shared shortly before their entry. This means that if a user joins a group via an invitation link or is manually added by an admin, they will be able to see the recent conversation immediately. The feature works by having existing group members securely share the recent messages with the newcomer while maintaining end-to-end encryption.

All messages shared in chats and groups are end-to-end encrypted, so WhatsApp requires that an existing group member share the relevant chat history with the newcomer. To accomplish this, WhatsApp automatically selects one participant in the group to re-encrypt and deliver the messages securely to the new member. Each time a new user joins, a fresh encryption key for the group chat is generated, which ensures that messages remain protected while still accessible to the intended recipients. By re-encrypting messages for new members, WhatsApp maintains the integrity of its end-to-end encryption system, keeping all communications private and secure.

Admins will see this new option in the group permissions screen, where they can manage recent history sharing according to their preferences. Users joining the group will not need to perform any additional steps, as the process is handled automatically in the background. WhatsApp has focused on ensuring that the sharing process does not disrupt ongoing conversations or affect message delivery for existing members. The process involves only the messages from the defined recent period, which currently covers the last 24 hours, though this window may be adjusted in future versions. Since the feature is still under development, the exact duration of the recent message window could be modified before its official release.

In very active groups where hundreds of messages may be exchanged daily, sharing all messages from the last 24 hours could consume significant data. To address this, WhatsApp is considering limiting the recent history sharing to a maximum of 1,000 messages from the past 24 hours. This approach aims to balance accessibility for new members with efficiency and data management, ensuring the feature works smoothly even in high-traffic groups. By setting this limit, the app can provide newcomers with relevant context without overloading their devices or the network.

This feature will also be compatible with situations where someone joins a group later through a group invite link, not just when the group is first created. This ensures that all newcomers receive the same ability to read recent messages, regardless of how or when they join. This will allow users who could not join a group immediately after its creation to catch up with the ongoing conversation without missing any important context.

The recent history sharing feature is particularly useful for large or active groups where newcomers might otherwise feel lost or disconnected from ongoing discussions. In many groups, conversations move quickly, and without access to recent messages, new members could miss important context or feel excluded. This can be especially complicated when important announcements, decisions, or planning discussions have already taken place. The feature addresses this problem by allowing admins to enable the sharing of recent group messages with anyone who joins later. For example, if a group organizes an event over several hours and someone joins midway, they can immediately see the messages sent in the last 24 hours. This ensures that new members are up to date and can actively participate in the ongoing conversation.

At this time, the recent history sharing feature remains in the development phase and it is not yet available for general beta testing. WhatsApp continues to refine the functionality to ensure that when the feature is officially released in a future update, users will be able to access it with a smooth, bug-free experience. Stay tuned with us for updates and make sure your app is always updated to try the feature as soon as it becomes available.

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