WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Its multi-platform availability and end-to-end encryption make it a convenient way to communicate. One of its handy features is the ability to star messages – but can someone see if you’ve starred their message?
Quick Answer: No, other users cannot see if you have starred their messages on WhatsApp.
Starring a message on WhatsApp is a way to bookmark or highlight important chats for your own reference. When you star a message, it is not shown or indicated to the sender or any other members of the chat. The star icon and highlighted message are only visible to you within your own app. So you can safely star messages without others being notified or aware of it.
Explaining How Starring Messages Works in WhatsApp
When you star a message on WhatsApp, it is saved under the Starred Messages section within your own app. This section serves as your own personal collection of bookmarked chats. To access it:
- Open your WhatsApp app
- Tap on the 3-dot menu icon in the top right corner
- Go to Starred Messages
You will then see all the messages and chats you have personally starred for easy access. But this is a private view that only you have access to.
For other users in the chat, there is no indication that a message has been starred. The message will look the same as any other message in the chat. Even if you starred a message from last year, the sender would have no idea unless you actually told them.
What Happens When You Star a Message
When starring a message on WhatsApp:
- A star icon appears next to the message in your view of the chat
- The starred message gets added to your Starred Messages section
- The message remains unchanged without any star icon visible to other users
- There is no notification to the sender or indication that you have starred their message
So starring a message is entirely for your own organizational purposes – it is a personal bookmarking feature. That’s why other users cannot see if you’ve starred their messages or know which messages you’ve prioritized.
Why Starred Messages Are Private
Keeping starred messages private on WhatsApp allows users to discretely save important chats without notifying others. Here are some key reasons why starred messages are not visible to other users:
- Avoid embarrassing others: Starring an unintentionally funny or awkward message could embarrass the sender if they knew you highlighted it.
- Prevent misinterpretation: Starring a message could be misconstrued as romantic interest or skepticism if the meaning is unclear.
- Keep information confidential: Starring confidential messages like bank details or medical reports keeps that information private.
- Personal organization: Let’s you bookmark chats for your own purposes without cluttering up the chat for others.
- Focus conversations: Starring key messages helps you follow long conversations without distracting other participants.
Overall, this privacy prevents any unwanted assumptions, implications or confusion if starred messages were public. It also gives users full control over how they want to organize and access previous chats.
How to Check Your Own Starred Messages
Your own starred messages are easy to access and view within WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the chat with the starred message
- Tap and hold on the starred message
- Tap the star icon to unstar it, removing it from your Starred Messages
Or:
- Go to the Menu > Starred Messages
- View all your currently starred messages here
- Tap and hold a message then tap the star icon to unstar it
You can star and unstar messages as needed to curate your Starred Messages collection. But only you will be able to view, access and modify this.
Can You See Who Starred Your Message?
No, there is no way to detect who has starred your messages within WhatsApp. The starring feature is deliberately designed to be private and focused on individual users’ needs. WhatsApp does not provide any indication to you when another user has starred your message. You will not see any notification, change in visuals, or be able to access the list of users who have starred your message.
Why You Can’t See Who Starred Your Message
WhatsApp does not allow you to view who has starred your messages for two key reasons:
- Privacy: Knowing who starred messages could reveal private information about interests, relationships or confidential topics.
- Avoid bias: Seeing who starred messages could introduce bias into conversations if you know certain people prioritized your texts.
The privacy goes both ways – other users cannot see if you have starred their messages either. This levels the playing field and focuses starring as a personal organization tool rather than social indicator.
How to Use Starring for Group Chats
Starring messages can be especially useful in busy group chats with multiple participants. Here are some tips for using starring to stay on top of group conversations:
- Star important updates, events or decisions so you can easily find key details later.
- Star messages that mention you or that you need to follow up on privately.
- Star interesting messages you want to read again more closely without disrupting the chat flow.
- Check your Starred Messages and search for relevant terms to retrace discussions and decisions.
However, keep in mind that starring messages is still only visible to you. Other group members will not see your starred messages or know which chats you have prioritized.
Conclusion
Starring a WhatsApp message is a handy way to bookmark important chats for your personal reference. But due to the private nature of the feature, other users cannot detect if you have starred their messages. Your starred messages are only visible to you within WhatsApp. So you can discreetly save key information without notifying anyone else or revealing what chats you have prioritized. This privacy allows you to organize your own messages as needed without impacting other users or group chats.