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 set custom notifications for individual chats and groups, so you never miss an important message.
Why set custom notifications for WhatsApp chats?
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to set up custom WhatsApp notifications for specific chats or groups:
- To prioritize notifications from important contacts like family and close friends
- To mute notifications during certain times, like at night or during work
- To control which group notifications you receive alerts for
- To identify quickly who is messaging you based on the notification sound
- To reduce notification clutter from less important chats
By taking a few minutes to customize your WhatsApp notifications, you can ensure you never miss a crucial update from your key contacts again. It can also help reduce distraction from less significant chats.
How to customize WhatsApp notifications for individual chats
WhatsApp makes it simple to configure custom notifications for any chat or group on both iOS and Android devices. Just follow these steps:
On Android:
- Open the WhatsApp app and select the chat you want to customize notifications for
- Tap the name or profile picture of the contact or group at the top
- Scroll down and tap Custom Notifications
- Toggle custom notifications on and configure the following settings:
- Notification tone – Select a unique ringtone
- Vibration pattern – Choose short, long, double or your own pattern
- Popup notification – Toggle on/off
- Light – Toggle notification LED on/off
- Priority overrides – Set to Urgent, High or Medium priority
- Show previews – Show or hide message preview
- Tap Back to save the new notification settings
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp and select the chat
- Tap the contact name at the top and select Custom Notifications
- Toggle Allow Notifications on
- Configure the following notification settings:
- Sounds – Pick a unique notification sound
- Alert Style – Set as Banners or Alerts
- Show Previews – Enable/disable message preview
- Notification Grouping – On/off
- Thread Notifications – Always Notify/Time-Sensitive/None
- Tap Back to save the settings
Once you have configured the notification settings, you will start receiving custom alerts for that particular chat. You can repeat these steps for as many individual contacts or groups as you want.
How to customize notifications for WhatsApp groups
In addition to customizing alerts for individual contacts, you can also set up unique notifications for your WhatsApp groups:
- Open WhatsApp and select the group
- Tap the group subject at the top
- Tap Group Notifications
- Toggle custom notifications on
- Configure notification tone, vibration, visibility etc
- Tap Back to save settings
This allows you to identify easily when you are receiving a group message based on the custom sound and vibration pattern you set. You can mute a group for a period of time (e.g. overnight) by toggling off custom notifications.
How to set priority notifications for important chats
Both Android and iOS allow you to set high priority notifications for your most important WhatsApp contacts and groups. This will override your phone’s Do Not Disturb mode so you never miss critical messages:
- On Android – Open custom notifications for a chat, then set Importance to Urgent
- On iPhone – Open custom notifications for a chat, enable Repeat Alerts and select Time Sensitive under Thread Notifications
Use this only for very high priority contacts to avoid notification overload.
How to temporarily mute a WhatsApp chat
If you want to mute notifications from a particular chat or group for a set period of time, follow these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp chat
- Tap the name/subject and open Custom Notifications
- Toggle off custom notifications
- You’ll stop receiving alerts for that chat until you turn customs notifications back on
This is useful for muting chats overnight or during work hours. Just remember to toggle alerts back on when you want to resume notifications.
Troubleshooting tips
If you’ve enabled custom notifications for a WhatsApp chat but aren’t receiving them, here are some things to check:
- Confirm WhatsApp has permission to send notifications in your phone’s settings
- Check if Do Not Disturb is enabled on your phone during the time you expect notifications
- Make sure the chat notification settings are configured correctly
- Force close and restart the WhatsApp app
- Restart your phone
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version
- Check if your internet connection is working properly
Additionally, try toggling off the custom notifications and then turning them back on again for the chat. This often resolves any bugs that may prevent the alerts from coming through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does muting a WhatsApp chat also mute notifications?
Yes, when you mute a WhatsApp chat, it will disable any notifications from that chat so you won’t receive sound/vibration alerts. Custom notifications will be automatically toggled off.
Can I set custom notifications for WhatsApp calls?
Unfortunately you cannot set custom notification tones or vibration patterns specifically for WhatsApp calls. The call notification settings apply to all calls received in WhatsApp.
How many custom WhatsApp notification sounds are available?
The number of unique notification sounds available depends on your Android or iOS version. Newer OS versions have more options. You can also use any song or audio file saved on your phone as a custom WhatsApp notification.
Will my custom notifications sync across multiple devices?
Currently, WhatsApp does not sync customized notifications between devices. You have to manually set up custom alerts for each device and chat.
Can I rename a chat to make customized notifications easier?
Yes! Renaming a chat is a great way to identify chats with custom notifications more easily. Just tap and hold the chat name, then tap Rename to change it.
Conclusion
Customizing WhatsApp notifications for individual chats and groups is a simple but powerful way to stay on top of important messages. By setting unique notification tones, vibrations and visibility settings, you can identify who is messaging you without even having to look at your phone. Make sure to use priorities sparingly only for extremely important contacts to avoid notification fatigue.
With billions of users worldwide, WhatsApp is undoubtedly one of the handiest communication tools. Follow the steps in this guide to never miss a crucial update from your key contacts again by personalizing your WhatsApp notifications.