It’s happened to all of us: You get a notification on WhatsApp, only to realize that some person you don’t really know is sending messages in a group you’ve set up for your kid’s birthday party four years ago.
Getting rid of those ancient zombie groups can be tiresome, but WhatsApp is working on a solution. WABetaInfo(Opens in a new tab) has noticed a new feature that allows users to set an expiration date on groups they create.
The feature, noticed in WhatsApp beta for iOS, version 23.5.0.70, will let users set expiration options for groups such as one day, one week, and a custom date. And if you decide you might need that group for a little longer than originally anticipated, you’ll be able to remove an expiration date that was previously set.
WABetaInfo says the option only works on the person who set it, meaning other group participants might stay in the group after you’re gone. But at least you won’t have to browse through old messages to figure out who the heck John is and why he’s inviting you to a car tuning meetup.
The feature is currently only available to beta testers, but it’s likely to be widely released in a future WhatsApp update.
