How to Pin a Chat on WhatsApp (Android, iPhone and Web)

If your WhatsApp is anything like mine, the chats you need most get buried within minutes. A family group fires off memes, a supplier sends a voice note, and suddenly your partner or your most important client has slid halfway down the list. Pinning a chat fixes that by keeping it stuck to the top.

For anyone running a small business on WhatsApp, it's one of the simplest ways to make sure a key customer or your team group never gets lost. Here's how pinning a chat works on each device, according to WhatsApp's own help centre, and how it differs from pinning a message or adding a favourite.

Pinning a chat on WhatsApp for Android

WhatsApp's help lists these steps for Android phones:

1. Open WhatsApp on the Chats tab.
2. Tap and hold the chat you'd like to pin.
3. Tap More options (the three vertical dots).
4. Tap Pin.
5. Choose how long you'd like the pin to last, then tap Pin.

The chat then sits at the top of your chats list, where it stays until the pin time runs out or you unpin it.

Pinning a WhatsApp chat on iPhone

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Chats.
2. Tap and hold the chat you'd like to pin.
3. Tap More.
4. Tap Pin.
5. Choose how long you'd like your pin to last.

Menus vary a little by app version, but the Pin option has stayed in the same place in WhatsApp's help for both phones.

Pinning a chat on WhatsApp Web and desktop

If you run your business from a laptop, you can pin chats on WhatsApp Web too. WhatsApp's help describes it like this:

1. Click the chat you'd like to pin.
2. Click the Menu icon (the down arrow, or chevron).
3. Click Pin.
4. Choose how long you'd like the pin to last, then click Pin.

WhatsApp's help also has separate tabs for its Windows and Mac apps, so look for the same menu there.

Don't skip the pin length screen. WhatsApp's help says you choose how long you'd like the pin to last each time you pin, so it's worth thinking about whether this is a permanent shortcut or a short-term reminder before you tap.

How many chats you can pin on WhatsApp

Here's the detail that catches people out. WhatsApp's help says pin chat lets you pin up to three chats to the top of your chats list. If you try to pin a fourth, you'll need to unpin one first.

With only three spots, I'd choose carefully. For most people that's a partner or close family member, a work or team group, and one chat you're actively dealing with, such as a customer whose order is in progress.

Unpinning a chat on WhatsApp

Unpinning is the same movement in reverse:

• Android: tap and hold the pinned chat, tap More options, then tap Unpin.
• iPhone: tap and hold the pinned chat, tap More, then tap Unpin.
• WhatsApp Web: click the pinned chat, click the Menu icon, then click Unpin.

Unpinning doesn't delete anything. The chat simply drops back into its usual place in your list.

Pinning a chat vs pinning a message on WhatsApp

These two sound alike but do different jobs, and WhatsApp's help treats them as separate features:

Feature	What it does
Pin a chat	Keeps a whole conversation at the top of your chats list
Pin a message	Keeps one message at the top inside a chat or group
Favorites	Groups your top chats into one list you can open from the Chats tab
Archive	Hides a chat from your Chats tab without deleting it

Pinning a chat only changes your own list. It's a personal shortcut, so the other person isn't changing anything on their side.

Pinned WhatsApp chats, favorites and archived chats

If three pins aren't enough, favorites can help. WhatsApp's help says your favorites list organises your top chats into one easy-to-reach list. On Android you tap and hold a chat, tap More options and tap Add to favorites.

Archiving is the opposite of pinning. WhatsApp's help says archiving hides a chat from your Chats tab, and by default an archived chat stays archived when a new message arrives. You'll find the archive at the top of the Chats tab. If you'd like a chat out of sight rather than at the top, my guide on hiding a WhatsApp chat goes through the options.

Using pinned WhatsApp chats for a small business

• Pin your team or staff group so shift changes and urgent updates are always visible.
• Pin a customer chat while an order or booking is in progress, then unpin it when it's done.
• Use the pin time options so a temporary pin clears itself instead of hogging a spot.

If you're using WhatsApp Business, look for the same Pin option in your chats list. For more ideas on running customer chats smoothly, my WhatsApp help guide pulls together all my WhatsApp walkthroughs in one place.

If you can't pin a chat on WhatsApp

• You've already pinned three chats. Unpin one and try again.
• You're holding a message inside a chat rather than the chat itself in your list. Go back to the Chats tab and try again.
• Your app is out of date. Update WhatsApp from your app store.

Frequently asked questions

How do I pin a chat on WhatsApp?

Tap and hold the chat, tap More options on Android or More on iPhone, tap Pin and choose how long you'd like the pin to last. On WhatsApp Web, click the chat, open the Menu and click Pin.

How many chats can I pin on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp's help says you can pin up to three chats to the top of your chats list.

Does the other person know I pinned our chat?

Pinning a chat only changes the order of your own chats list. WhatsApp's help describes it as a way for you to find chats quickly.

How do I unpin a chat on WhatsApp?

Tap and hold the pinned chat, tap More options or More, then tap Unpin. On WhatsApp Web, click the chat, open the Menu and click Unpin.

Is pinning a chat the same as pinning a message?

No. Pinning a chat keeps the whole conversation at the top of your list, while pinning a message keeps one message at the top inside a chat or group.