WhatsApp users can mute both individual and group chats if they feel the need to pause some notifications from the app. Since the pandemic hit, people around the world have relied on instant messaging applications like WhatsApp to stay in touch with their friends, family, and even colleagues. However, there are times when a user’s phone might be buzzing all day due to notifications from WhatsApp, either from a group chat or a specific contact.

Fortunately, WhatsApp has a convenient feature to deal with this situation. The platform lets users selectively mute chats so that they can stop receiving notifications. This allows them to ignore or postpone replying to a chat, without blocking a contact or leaving a group. WhatsApp even allows users to choose how long they want to mute a chat for.

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To mute an individual chat on WhatsApp, find the contact in the Chats section of the app and open the chat. Tap on the person’s profile picture located at the top left corner. In the interface that opens, tap on Mute notifications on an Android phone or Mute on an iPhone. From the pop-up, choose to mute the chat for eight hours, one week, or permanently. To mute the chat but continue receiving notifications in the notification shade, tap on the Show notifications checkbox. Android users can also mute a chat from the WhatsApp home screen. Tap and hold the chat and select the mute icon at the top right corner of the display. This allows multiple chats to be selected and muted at the time time.

Mute WhatsApp Group And Desktop Chats

The steps to mute a group chat on WhatsApp are similar to muting an individual chat. All users have to do is tap on a group chat, and then on the group name at the top. Scroll down and tap on the Mute notifications option. Select the time period the chat needs to be muted for, choose whether to enable notifications, and it’s done.

WhatsApp also allows users to mute chats from its web client and desktop app. To do this, move the cursor over a chat (individual or group), and click on the downward arrow icon that appears. Select Mute notifications from the drop-down list, and choose the duration the chat needs to be muted for. Click on Mute Notifications again to confirm. Alternatively, WhatsApp Web users can also open a chat, click on the contact or group’s name, and turn on the Mute notifications toggle.

WhatsApp users will continue to receive messages whether they mute chats for eight hours or permanently. However, their device won’t make notification sounds or vibrate when new messages are received. Additionally, chats that are muted won’t display a badge count for unread messages unless someone mentions the user directly or replies to them. WhatsApp users can choose to unmute a chat at any point by following the same steps outlined above.