People using large WhatsApp groups will now have an easier way to continue discussions with only selected members, thanks to a new feature that creates smaller chats from existing groups.
Instead of starting a new group and searching for each member again, users can pick the people they want from an existing conversation and create a separate chat. The original group remains in place, allowing the wider membership to continue using it as before.
The new option is among several group-chat changes announced by WhatsApp, which also include new controls for polls and an @all mention that can be used to alert everyone in a group.
Until now, users who wanted to move a discussion involving only some members of a large group had to create another group and add the participants individually.
The new feature removes that extra step. Users can select the relevant members within an existing group before creating a new conversation for the smaller group.
The option could be useful when a large group is being used for several purposes at the same time. WhatsApp gives examples such as planning a surprise party, organising an event or holding a side discussion that does not need to involve every member of the main group.
A family with a large group, for example, can keep general updates in the main chat while those organising a particular event communicate in a separate group. The same approach can be used by workmates who need a dedicated conversation to handle a specific task.
More control over polls
WhatsApp has also added three changes aimed at giving users more control over polls in group conversations.
Poll creators can now set a deadline for voting. Once the specified time is reached, the poll closes automatically, which can help groups that need to make a decision before a certain deadline.
Users can also choose to hide the identities of people who take part in a poll. This means other members of the group will not see which option an individual voter selected.
Another addition allows a poll question to be changed within 15 minutes after it is created. The short editing period gives users a chance to fix a mistake or make the question clearer.
The new group feature should not be confused with a separate poll-related function that WhatsApp is reportedly developing.
WhatsApp's official announcement does not say that users can choose a poll response and automatically form a group made up of everyone who selected that answer.
Instead, the confirmed feature allows users to select members from an existing group and create a new chat with those people.
WABetaInfo has separately reported that WhatsApp is testing a feature that would give poll creators the choice of whether members should be allowed to add new options to an existing poll. That feature is still being developed and is not part of the new tool for creating smaller groups.
The updates come as WhatsApp continues to add tools for managing group chats that can include hundreds of participants and cover different subjects.
Creating a smaller chat from an existing group means users can separate a specific discussion without manually rebuilding the group or disrupting the main conversation.
The changes to polls are also intended to make group decisions easier to organise by allowing voting deadlines, keeping voter choices private where needed and correcting poll questions shortly after they are posted.
WhatsApp says the group-chat improvements are part of a wider effort to help people coordinate activities and make decisions within the platform.
The messaging service has more than 3 billion users globally.