WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features in WhatsApp is the ability to see how many unread messages you have in each chat or group conversation.
This can help you quickly identify which chats have new activity that you haven’t caught up on yet. Here are some tips on how to configure WhatsApp to always show message counts for your chats on iOS and Android devices.
On iOS
For iPhones and iPads, follow these steps to enable unread message counts in WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the Settings tab at the bottom right.
- Go to Notifications.
- Under the “Notification Settings” section, tap on “Show Preview”.
- Toggle the “Show Preview” switch on so it turns green.
This will make WhatsApp display a preview of the message sender and text when you receive a new notification. It will also show a badge icon with the number of unread messages when you’re in other apps.
Customizing Notification Settings
You can further customize WhatsApp’s notifications in iOS to change:
- Notification sound
- Notification vibrate toggle
- In-app notifications
- Show notifications
This gives you granular control to pick different alert tones, enable/disable vibration, control banner style previews, and determine which notifications show on your lock screen.
Notification Privacy Settings
Additionally, you can configure notification privacy in WhatsApp for iOS. Go to Settings > Notifications > Show Preview, and choose from:
- When Unlocked – Show preview only when phone is unlocked
- Always – Always show preview
The “When Unlocked” option is more private, as it will hide notification details until you unlock your phone. The tradeoff is you won’t see unread counts on your home screen or when using other apps.
On Android
The process is similar for Android. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot Menu button.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Toggle the “Show message preview” option on.
This will enable unread message counts in your notifications. You’ll see the number of unseen messages in badges on the app icon and in the notification shade.
Customizing Notifications
As with iOS, you can customize other notification settings in the Notifications screen:
- Notification tone
- Vibrate
- Popup notification
- Light
- Priority overrides Do Not Disturb
- Show message preview
- Hide notification content
Android also gives you control over lights, popups, priority, and content privacy. Adjust these to your preferences for how discretely or visibly you want WhatsApp notifications to appear.
Blocking Notifications
Under WhatsApp’s Notifications settings, you can also block notifications entirely for:
- Mentions
- Group notifications
- Custom notifications
Use this if you want to mute notifications from specific kinds of messages like groups or mentions.
Conclusion
Showing unread message counts in WhatsApp is simple to configure in notification settings on both iOS and Android. This allows you to easily see which chats have new messages at a glance. You can also customize the notification experience in detail to your preferences.
With over 2 billion users exchanging trillions of messages, WhatsApp has become a communication hub for many people worldwide. Setting up notifications properly ensures you don’t miss important messages while avoiding distractions from less urgent WhatsApp pings.
Beyond notifications, WhatsApp has many useful features including:
- End-to-end encryption for privacy
- Video and voice calls
- Group chats with up to 256 people
- Document sharing
- Statuses and stories
- Business features
Mastering WhatsApp settings helps optimize your messaging productivity and enjoyment. With customized notifications, you can strike the right balance between staying on top of incoming communication versus only seeing relevant alerts.
| Platform | Steps to Enable Unread Counts |
|---|---|
| iPhone/iPad (iOS) |
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| Android Phone |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp show how many unread messages I have?
Yes, WhatsApp can display a count of unread messages in chat notifications and app badges. You need to enable the “Show Preview” or “Show message preview” option in Settings > Notifications.
How do I turn on unread message counts for WhatsApp on iPhone?
On iPhone, open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Notifications, and turn on the “Show Preview” toggle. This will enable unread message counts in notifications and badges.
Can I see how many unread WhatsApp messages I have on Android?
Yes, on Android go to WhatsApp Settings > Notifications and enable “Show message preview” to see unread message counts for chats and groups.
Does the WhatsApp web app show unread message counts?
Currently, WhatsApp web does not show a preview or count of unread messages. You need to open each chat to see if new messages are present. Mobile apps can display unread counts.
Can I customize WhatsApp’s notifications on my phone?
Yes, both iOS and Android allow customizing notification sounds, vibrate, previews, visibility, and other settings. You can access these in WhatsApp’s Settings > Notifications menu.
WhatsApp Tips and Tricks
Pin Important Chats
Pin up to 3 chats to the top of your WhatsApp screen for quick access. Long press a chat and select Pin to prioritize conversations.
Mute Chats
Cut down on notifications by muting chats. Long press a chat and tap Mute to silence for 8 hours, 1 week, or always.
Forward With Context
When forwarding messages, you can now include the original sender’s context. This helps avoid confusion.
Media Visibility
Adjust who can see your media in your Last Seen and Profile settings. Choose between Everyone, Contacts Only, or Nobody.
Disappearing Messages
Make chats ephemeral by enabling disappearing messages. New messages will delete after 7 days.
Dark Mode
Enable Dark Mode for an eye-friendly black interface. Go to Settings > Chats > Theme.
QR Codes
Tap the 3-dot menu in your profile to easily show others your QR code to connect.
@ Mentions
Mention someone in a group chat by typing @ followed by their name. They’ll get a special notification.
WhatsApp for Business Features
WhatsApp offers a range of specialized features for businesses to connect with customers:
Business Profile
Create a business profile with business name, description, email, address, and other details.
Quick Replies
Set up pre-written quick reply messages to frequently asked questions to save time.
Labels
Organize chats into labels like Orders, Inquiries, etc to easier manage conversations.
Statistics
View helpful messaging metrics like most frequently contacted customers and message reply times.
Advertise on WhatsApp
Run targeted ads on WhatsApp to reach your audience and boost engagement.
WhatsApp Cloud API
Integrate WhatsApp into your business systems by building on the WhatsApp Cloud API.
WhatsApp Security Features
WhatsApp uses industry-leading security measures to protect your private conversations:
End-to-End Encryption
Messages are secured with end-to-end encryption, so only you and the recipient can read them.
Two Step Verification
Add an extra PIN or fingerprint lock to help confirm your identity and secure your account.
Blocking
Quickly block numbers and contacts to stop unwanted communication and spam.
Reporting
Report problematic messages, groups, and contacts directly to WhatsApp for review.
Delete Messages
Remotely delete messages for yourself and recipients for increased privacy and control.
Location Sharing
When sharing locations, you can set it to stop after an elapsed time for privacy.
By leveraging these security protections, WhatsApp helps keep your private communication truly private.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Notifications
If you are having issues with WhatsApp notifications, here are some troubleshooting steps:
Check Notification Settings
Go to WhatsApp Settings > Notifications and make sure Show Previews/Message Previews is enabled and notification permissions are on.
Confirm OS Notification Settings
Ensure OS level notification settings for WhatsApp are enabled in iOS Settings/Android Settings.
Disable Battery Optimization
Battery optimization can block notifications, disable it for WhatsApp in Phone Settings.
Update the App
An outdated version of WhatsApp may have notification bugs fixed in newer updates.
Restart Your Phone
A simple device restart can help clear out any notification issues.
Remove and Re-Add Account
As a last resort, remove your WhatsApp account and add it again from scratch.
Following these tips should get WhatsApp notifications working properly again so you won’t miss messages.
Conclusion
WhatsApp makes it easy to see how many unread messages you have by enabling previews and unread counts in notification settings. This allows you to quickly glance and identify conversations with new activity.
Customizing notifications gives you granular control over sounds, visibility, privacy and other options. Take advantage of these settings so you can optimize WhatsApp alerts to suit your needs.
With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging platform. Set up your notifications properly so you can conveniently stay on top of conversations that matter without unnecessary distractions.