WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Its simplicity and ease of use have made it the go-to communication tool for many. However, as we use WhatsApp more and more, our chats can get cluttered, especially for those of us who are part of many different groups and have conversations with lots of different people.
This clutter makes it hard to find specific chats and can get overwhelming. So a common question many WhatsApp users ask is – can we organize our chats into folders or categories in WhatsApp?
The Short Answer
Unfortunately, natively there is no way to make folders or categorize chats within WhatsApp. The app does not provide any built-in feature that allows you to organize your chats into different folders or categories. All your chats appear in one long list that you have to scroll through. The only way to find a specific chat is to use the search function.
Why No Folder Feature in WhatsApp?
WhatsApp was designed to be a simple, user-friendly messaging app. The creators likely did not include a folder feature to keep the interface clean and unintimidating. Having different folders and categories can feel overwhelming, especially to new users. It adds an extra layer of complexity.
Additionally, chat apps tend to prioritize recency – new messages come in at the top while older chats get pushed further down. Allowing users to file away chats into folders takes away from this recency-based interface. It goes against the natural chronological order of messaging.
WhatsApp also automatically archives older chats that have not seen activity in over 6 months. So chats kind of get organized by recency already without needing manual folders.
Workarounds to Organize WhatsApp Chats
While WhatsApp does not have native folders, there are some workarounds and techniques you can use to better organize your chats and find conversations quickly:
Use WhatsApp’s Pin Feature
WhatsApp allows you to pin up to 3 specific chats to the top of your chat list. This pin feature can help you keep important or frequently used chats easily accessible at the top. To pin a chat:
- On Android: Long press the chat you want to pin and select “Pin chat”
- On iPhone: Swipe right on the chat and tap on the pin icon
Rename Group Chats
Give your WhatsApp groups descriptive names so you can identify different groups easily in your chat list without opening the chat itself. To rename a group:
- On Android: Go to Group info > Group name > Rename group
- On iPhone: Go to Group info > Group name > Rename group
Use WhatsApp’s Search Function
Make good use of WhatsApp’s search feature to quickly find specific chats instead of endlessly scrolling through your chat list. You can search by contact name, group name or even message content.
Archive Unimportant Chats
Archive older chats or groups that you don’t engage with frequently. Archived chats will be neatly tucked away into a separate Archive section instead of mixed in with your main chat list.
Mute Busy Groups
The constant notifications from busy groups can be distracting. Make use of WhatsApp’s mute feature to temporarily mute groups during busy times when you don’t want to be disturbed.
Clear All Messages in a Chat
If you have a very long chat that you want to clear out but keep the contact, you can delete the chat history:
- On Android: Tap and hold the chat > More > Clear chat history
- On iPhone: Swipe left on chat > More > Clear chat
Use a Third-Party App
Some third party apps like WhatsApp Manager allow you to organize your WhatsApp chats into folders and categories. However, this requires downloading an additional app.
Why Folders Would Be Useful in WhatsApp
While the workarounds help, having a native folder or tag feature in WhatsApp would really help users organize their chats and enhance the app experience. Here are some benefits of adding folders/categories to WhatsApp:
Organize Different Chat Types
You could group chats into neat categories like:
- Family
- Friends
- Work
- Important
This makes it easy to navigate conversations based on context.
Reduce Clutter
Folders allow you to tuck away less important or inactive chats so your main chat screen is only filled with current conversations.
Focus on Relevant Chats
If you file chats into thematic folders, you can jump directly into the relevant folder for family, work or social chats when needed.
Prioritize Chats
Star or pin important chats and conversations into a Priority folder for quick access.
Customize Chat Organization
Allow users to create folders, sub-folders and categories based on their individual preferences and communication needs.
How Folders Would Work in WhatsApp
Folders should be easy to use and not clutter up the clean WhatsApp interface. Some ways WhatsApp could implement folders:
Sidebar Folder List
A sidebar or flyout menu with folder categories that slides out when swiping from the left edge. Tapping a folder shows only those chats.
Bottom Tab Bar Folders
A tab bar at the bottom allows switching between All Chats, Family, Friends, Work folders with a single tap.
Long Press to File Chats
Long press a chat, then select which folder to file it under from the pop-up menu.
Drag and Drop Organizing
Drag and drop chats into on-screen folders to categorize conversations.
WhatsApp Business already has Categories
While regular WhatsApp does not have folders, WhatsApp Business accounts do have Chat Categories. Business accounts can create up to 10 categories like Orders, Payments, Shipping etc. and assign chats to these categories. This is already a first step towards folders in WhatsApp.
Hopefully, this useful organization feature will also make its way into the regular WhatsApp consumer app soon. For now, the workarounds listed above can help you better organize your WhatsApp chats.
Conclusion
Folders or categories would be a very useful addition to WhatsApp to help organize the increasing number of chats users have. But for now, the app relies on its chronological, recency-based interface for chat organization. Your best options are to use WhatsApp’s pin, mute and archive features strategically. And utilize group names, search and third party apps to better manage your conversations until official folders arrive in future updates.