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 contacts, which allows you to control the notifications you receive. But does muting someone on WhatsApp completely stop notifications from that person? Or do you still get some notifications when muted? In this article, we’ll examine how muting works on WhatsApp and answer the question of whether you still get notifications when someone is muted.
What happens when you mute someone on WhatsApp?
When you mute a chat or contact on WhatsApp, you stop receiving most notifications from that person. Specifically, muting prevents the following notifications:
- Message notifications in the chat screen
- Popup notifications
- Notification sounds
- Notification vibrations
So muting helps cut down on disturbances from frequent messages. You won’t constantly hear or see new message alerts from a muted chat.
However, muting does not completely block all notifications from a contact. There are some notifications that still come through even when muted:
Calls
Muting does not affect call notifications. If a muted contact calls you on WhatsApp, you will still receive a notification of the incoming call. You will hear the call ringtone and see the call screen like normal.
Messages in the main Chats tab
Although you won’t get popup or in-chat notifications of new messages, muted conversations will still show up in your main Chats tab with the latest message preview. So you can still see when you’ve received a new text from a muted chat in your Chats list.
Notifications when mentioned
If you are mentioned directly @yourname in a group chat, you will be notified even if you have muted the group or the person who mentioned you. This ensures you still see important messages intended for you.
Replying to your messages
When a muted contact replies directly to a message you sent them, you will still be notified of the reply. This helps conversations make sense even when muted.
Do muted DMs show up in your inbox?
For muted DM (direct message) chats, you will still see their messages in your main inbox view. So muting does not remove a chat from your inbox, it simply limits notifications.
However, for muted group chats, if you have completely silenced the group, it will no longer show up in your inbox at all. Only muted 1-on-1 chats remain visible in the main Chats tab.
What notifications can you disable in WhatsApp?
In WhatsApp settings, you have granular control over which notification types can be turned on or off globally:
Popup notifications
Popup notifications show a banner preview of the message over your screen when new messages arrive. You can disable popups entirely in WhatsApp settings.
Message previews
You can prevent message previews from appearing in notifications, so they simply say “New Message” without the content.
Notification sounds
Custom notification sounds for new messages can be turned off.
Vibration
You can stop vibration with new notifications.
Light
The notification LED light can be disabled.
Show notifications
All notifications from WhatsApp can be disabled, although this will also stop unmuted chats.
So if you want to fine-tune your notification experience, these global settings provide more options beyond just muting chats.
How do I mute an individual chat or contact?
Muting individual chats and contacts is easy in WhatsApp:
Mute an individual chat
1. Open the chat you want to mute.
2. Tap the name or info at the top of the chat window.
3. Tap Mute.
4. Select a duration to mute for 8 hours, 1 week, or Always.
Mute a contact
1. Go to your Contacts list in WhatsApp.
2. Tap the contact you want to mute.
3. Tap Mute contact.
4. Choose a duration to mute.
Once muted, you’ll see a mute icon next to muted chats and contacts.
Can I mute groups, broadcast lists, and statuses?
Yes, WhatsApp allows you to mute the following:
Groups
Mute noisy and active groups just like individual chats. Group administrators can also mute the full group.
Broadcast lists
Broadcast lists allow businesses to send one-way announcements to users who opt-in. Mute them if needed.
Statuses
Mute a contact’s status updates so you don’t see when they are active or posting.
So muting is very flexible across all parts of WhatsApp to optimize your notifications.
What’s the difference between archiving and muting?
Archiving and muting both help organize your chats, but work differently:
Archiving
Archiving removes a chat from your main view. The chat is stored in a separate Archived Chats section.
Muting
Muting keeps the chat in your main view but silences notifications. The chat remains visible in your inbox.
You can use both archiving and muting together. For example, you could archive inactive chats to clean up your inbox, and mute busy group chats to keep getting messages but reduce noise.
Can muted messages still show up in notifications on my lock screen or banner?
If you have muted a chat in WhatsApp, their messages will not appear in any banner or lock screen notifications. These notifications mirror your popup notifications, which are disabled when muting.
However, your phone OS settings can override this in some cases. For example, on certain Android phones, all notification content may show on the lock screen regardless of app muting preferences. So you need to check OS settings too.
But within WhatsApp alone, muting will prevent a chat’s messages displaying on banners, popups or lock screens.
Do my messages get delivered when I’m muted?
Yes, your messages still get successfully sent and delivered to muted chats. Muting does not affect message sending, only notifications you receive.
You can still see your sent messages and the contact’s read receipts and online status. It’s only incoming notifications that are silenced when muted.
Can I get notified when a muted chat messages me again?
Unfortunately WhatsApp does not have an official setting to get notified when a muted chat messages you again. Because the point of muting is to avoid disturbances from frequent texters.
However, there are a few workarounds:
- Mute only for a short time like 8 hours, then you’ll get notified after
- Occasionally check your muted chats for new messages
- Leave muted chats archived so new messages unarchive them
But there is no built-in alert for when muted chats message again. Relying on your own manual checking is the only option.
Can I still find and search muted chats?
Yes, muted conversations remain visible and searchable:
- You can see muted chats in your main Chats tab.
- You can search for muted chats using the WhatsApp search bar.
- You can look them up in your contacts list and open them.
Muting does not delete, remove or hide the chat, it only controls notifications. So you retain full access to muted chats.
Conclusion
To recap, muting on WhatsApp stops popup, sound, and vibration notifications from an individual chat or contact. But certain notifications still come through:
- Calls
- Messages in the Chats tab
- Replies to your messages
- Mentions in group chats
And muted chats remain visible and searchable. So muting does not completely remove notifications – but it significantly reduces interruptions and noise.
Overall, while not perfect, WhatsApp’s muting capabilities provide a great way to manage disruptive chats and stay focused on the conversations you want to engage in. Muting is an essential tool for taking control of your notifications.