Pinning chats is a useful feature offered by many messaging apps and platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Microsoft Teams etc. It allows you to pin select chats to the top of your chat list for easy access.
A pinned chat does not notify the other person that you’ve pinned their chat. So if you pin someone’s chat, they have no way of knowing it unless you explicitly tell them. The pinning happens privately on your device and is not synced or shown to the other person.
Let’s explore this question in detail across popular messaging platforms:
On WhatsApp, pinning a chat is a client-side feature. When you pin a chat, it simply appears pinned at the top of your WhatsApp chats list. But it does not send any notification or update to the contact whose chat you have pinned. So if you pin someone’s chat on WhatsApp, they have no indication of it.
Some key aspects regarding pinned chats on WhatsApp:
- You can pin up to 3 chats on WhatsApp
- Pinned chats appear at the top of your chat list with a pin icon next to them
- Others do not see or get notified of your pinned chats
- Deleting the chat later unpins it automatically
- Archiving a pinned chat also unpins it
- If you pin a group chat, all members of the group do not get any notification or update
So in summary, the pinning of chats happens privately on your device and is not known to anyone else using WhatsApp.
Telegram
On Telegram, you can pin up to 5 chats which appear at the top of the chat list. As with WhatsApp, pinning a chat on Telegram does not send any notification to the other user or group members. It is a client-side action visible only to you.
Some key things about pinned chats on Telegram:
- Up to 5 chats can be pinned
- Pinned chats show up at the top with a pin icon
- No notification goes out when you pin a chat
- Individual and group chats can be pinned
- Unpinning a chat also does not notify others
So if you pin someone’s Telegram chat, they have no indication that you have done so. Pinned chats are only visible to you on your device.
Slack
Slack allows pinning conversations both in DMs as well as in channels and groups. As with other platforms, pinning a conversation on Slack is not conveyed to other users.
Some key things to know about pinned Slack conversations:
- You can pin up to 9 conversations in Slack
- Pinned conversations appear in a separate section at the top
- Others do not receive any notification when you pin a conversation
- You can pin both DMs as well as group conversations
- Unpinning also happens silently without notifying others
So if you pin a Slack DM or group conversation, there is no indicator sent to other participants that you have pinned the chat. It remains private to you.
Microsoft Teams
On Microsoft Teams, you can pin chats and channels to the top of your list for quick access. As with other platforms, pinning is a client-side action that does not notify others.
Key aspects of pinned chats and channels on Teams:
- You can pin chats and channels in Teams
- Pinned items appear at the top with a pin icon
- No notification goes out when you pin something
- Individual and group chats can be pinned
- Channel pins are visible only to you
So if you pin a chat or channel in Teams, other users do not receive any indication of it. The pinned items are visible only to you privately.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger allows you to pin up to 9 people in your chats list. As with other platforms, pinned chats are only visible to you and do not send any notification to the other person.
Key points about pinned Messenger chats:
- Up to 9 chats can be pinned
- Pinned chats appear at the top of the list
- You can pin both individual and group chats
- Others are not notified when you pin their chat
- Unpinning a chat also happens silently without notification
So if you pin someone’s Facebook Messenger chat, they have no way of knowing it. Pinned chats are a client-side feature visible only to you.
Google Chat
Google Chat in Gmail allows pinning chats and rooms for easy access. Like other platforms, Google Chat’s pinned items do not notify other users.
Some key points about pinned chats on Google Chat:
- You can pin both 1:1 chats and rooms
- Pinned chats and rooms appear at the top
- Pinning happens privately without notifying others
- Unpinning also happens silently without notification
- Group room members are not notified of a pinned room
So pinning a Google Chat does not indicate to the other person that you have pinned their chat. It remains invisible to them.
Common Themes
Looking at all the major messaging platforms, we can notice some common themes around pinned chats:
- Pinning is a client-side feature visible only to you
- Other users are never notified when you pin or unpin their chat
- Both individual and group chats can be pinned
- Pinned chats are accessible from the top of your chat list
- The number of chats you can pin varies by platform
So in summary, across all major platforms, the act of pinning a chat is a private action that is not conveyed to other users. So you can safely assume that others cannot tell if you’ve pinned their chat, unless you explicitly inform them.
When Can Someone Tell If You’ve Pinned Their Chat?
There are only a couple of hypothetical scenarios where someone may realize you’ve pinned their chat:
- If you explicitly tell them that you’ve pinned their chat
- In group chats, if multiple people have pinned the chat, others may infer it’s pinned even if they can’t directly see it
- If someone unattended accesses your device, they may see the pinned chats
But under normal circumstances, the pinned chat is only visible to you privately. So the chat owner has no direct way of knowing their chat has been pinned by someone else.
Conclusion
Across all major messaging platforms, pinning a chat is a client-side action not shared with other users. Your pinned chats are only visible to you and do not notify others.
So if you pin someone’s chat on WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Teams, Messenger or Google Chat, they have no indication that you have done so. unless you explicitly inform them.
Pinning gives you easy access to select chats, without the other person knowing that their chat is pinned. It is a silent, private feature enhancing your own chat experience.
Summary
- Pinning a chat does not notify the other user
- It is a client-side feature only visible to you
- Both individual and group chats can be pinned
- Pinned chats appear at the top of your list
- Others don’t get notified when you pin or unpin their chat
- The only way someone may know is if you tell them explicitly
So you can safely pin chats for easy access without the other person knowing it. Pinning remains private to you across the major messaging platforms.