WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to mute chats and groups so that you don’t get notified every time a new message comes in. But this raises the question – if you mute a chat or group, do you still get notifications for new messages, or are they silenced completely?
In this article, we’ll explain how muting works on WhatsApp and whether you still get notifications for muted chats. We’ll also provide tips on customizing notifications based on your preferences.
What Happens When You Mute a Chat?
When you mute a chat in WhatsApp, you stop receiving all notifications for that particular conversation. This includes:
- Notification sounds and vibrations
- Message previews or banners
- Notification dots or badges on the app icon
- Pop-up notifications
In other words, muting completely silences a chat so you won’t get distracted or interrupted by notifications from it. The notifications are disabled until you unmute the chat again.
Muting is different from archiving a chat, which just removes the conversation from your main Chats list. Archived chats still show notifications.
How to Mute Chats
There are a couple ways to mute chats on WhatsApp:
- Long press on the chat in your Chats list and tap “Mute”
- In the chat, tap the name/info > Mute > select a duration (8 hours, 1 week, Always)
You can mute both individual and group conversations. The mute icon next to a muted chat is a crossed-out bell.
Do Muted Chats Show Up in Your Notifications List?
When you swipe down to view your notification shade, any notifications from muted WhatsApp chats will not show up. So you won’t see any details or previews of the messages.
The notifications are blocked entirely as long as the chat remains muted.
However, there are a couple exceptions:
- If you are mentioned or replied to directly in a muted group chat, you will still get a notification.
- If the muted chat is from a priority/starred contact, some devices override the mute and you may still get notifications.
So in general, muting prevents any notifications from appearing, but there are some cases where muted chats may send notifications based on your phone settings or the message content.
Customizing Your Notification Settings
Beyond just muting chats, you can further customize your WhatsApp notification preferences:
- Notification Tones – Set different notification sounds for different chats.
- Popup Notifications – Toggle popup notifications on/off for your entire WhatsApp account or specific chats.
- Light – Enable or disable the notification LED for new messages.
- Vibrate – Turn vibrate alerts on or off.
- Preview/Banners – Show or hide message preview text in notifications.
- Priority Contacts – Star key contacts so their notifications override your mute settings.
These settings allow you to really customize WhatsApp and control which chats and messages trigger notifications on your device. For example, always show previews for family chats, but disable them work conversations.
Other WhatsApp Notification Tips
Here are some additional tips for managing notifications in WhatsApp:
- Mute large or inactive groups to reduce noise.
- Star important chats so they show up at the top of your list.
- Use keywords, emojis, or your name in busy groups to filter notifications.
- Disable “Read Receipts” if you don’t want senders to know if you’ve read their messages.
- Adjust in-app notification settings along with your device settings for optimal control.
Getting notifications just right requires some trial and error. Don’t forget you can always unmute chats later if needed.
Troubleshooting Missing Notifications
If you’ve muted chats but are still getting notifications from them, here are some things to check:
- Make sure the chat is actually muted – the bell icon should be crossed out.
- Check if you were mentioned in a group chat, which overrides the mute.
- See if the contact is favorited, which may override system settings.
- Confirm WhatsApp notifications are enabled in your device settings.
- Close and reopen WhatsApp to refresh the notification settings.
- Update to the latest version of WhatsApp in case it’s a known bug.
If notifications are still coming through, you may need to mute the chat again or restart your phone to clear any glitches.
Conclusion
Muting chats and groups is an easy way to take control of your WhatsApp notifications and avoid constant distractions. When muted, conversations should not send any notifications to your phone.
The mute feature blocks sounds, vibrations, banners, dots, and pop-ups so you can focus without seeing new messages. However, mentions in groups or priority contacts may still notify you.
Customize notification tones, previews, and priority settings to suit your preferences. Mute selectively to silence noisy chats while still letting important conversations through. With the right settings, WhatsApp notifications can be personalized to fit your needs.