• New upgrade aims to smooth onboarding for users joining group chats
• Optional setting lets admins customize automated welcome messages in groups

WhatsApp’s Android beta version 2.26.19.2 indicates the app is developing a feature that allows group admins to send automatic welcome messages to new members, with the goal of helping them integrate into conversations more quickly.

The update comes as part of broader efforts to improve the group chat experience, following an earlier feature that lets users share chat history with newcomers. That tool allows 25 to 100 recent messages from the past 14 days to be shared, with messages highlighted in a different color and protected by end-to-end encryption.

The company is planning to add a new option within group permission settings, allowing admins to set a welcome message that automatically appears when someone joins. This helps introduce the group’s purpose and rules to new participants.

Groups may use a single unified welcome message even when multiple admins are present, ensuring consistency for all new members joining the chat.

The feature will be optional and disabled by default, meaning admins must manually activate it before setting and customizing the message.

Still under development and testing, the feature is expected to roll out in a future update, as WhatsApp continues refining how welcome messages are displayed and managed within groups.