WhatsApp began rolling out a new update on August 4, 2026, adding several group chat features including an @all mention tag, anonymous polling options, and a faster way to create smaller groups from existing ones.
The most notable addition is @all, which notifies every member of a group chat regardless of their individual mute or notification settings. WhatsApp describes it as a tool for urgent messages such as last-minute updates or cancellations. To limit misuse, only admins can trigger @all in groups larger than 32 members, and users can separately disable @all alerts in their notification settings without fully muting the chat.
The update also brings changes to WhatsApp’s polling feature, which has been available since 2022. Group members can now set an automatic end time on polls to create a hard voting deadline. Polls can also be made anonymous, hiding voter names — a change from the platform’s previous transparent-by-default approach. Additionally, poll questions can be edited within 15 minutes of posting, matching the existing grace window for editing regular messages.
A third feature lets users create a new group chat from an existing one in a single tap, pulling in selected members without manually adding them. WhatsApp says the intended use cases include side conversations and surprise planning that would otherwise clutter the main group.
The update follows a series of group-focused releases earlier in 2026, including group message history, member tags, and event reminders. WhatsApp currently counts over 3 billion users and has supported groups of up to 1,024 members since 2022, making group chats a central part of the platform’s offering.
Separately, WhatsApp announced that usernames will launch later in 2026, allowing users to connect without sharing phone numbers. Username reservations began in June, with eligible users able to claim a name or transfer an existing Facebook or Instagram handle via the Account section in Settings.
Source: WIRED