WhatsApp Group Notifications: Mute, Customise or Fix Them

Group chats are where WhatsApp notifications go wrong, either buzzing all day about a thread you don't care about, or staying silent when a client posts something that matters. The good news is that group notifications have their own settings, so you can tame one noisy group without silencing everything else.

Everything below comes from WhatsApp's help pages. I've kept the iPhone and Android wording separate where WhatsApp does, because the menus aren't identical.

How WhatsApp group notifications are set up

WhatsApp's help centre says group notifications have their own settings, separate from individual chats, and each group can also be muted on its own. That gives you three layers to think about.

• Your phone's settings, which sit above everything else.
• WhatsApp's Notifications settings, with separate sections for messages and groups.
• The settings for one particular group, reached from the group name.

WhatsApp is firm on the first layer. Your device settings override WhatsApp settings. If WhatsApp notifications are switched off or silenced on your phone, changes you make inside the app won't take effect. So if nothing works, start there.

Muting one WhatsApp group notification stream

This is the one most people want. On iPhone, WhatsApp's steps are these.

1. Open the group chat.
2. Tap the name of the group.
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Tap Mute notifications under Messages or Calls, then choose how long.

You can choose 8 hours, 1 week or Always. WhatsApp says you'll still receive the messages. Your phone just won't vibrate or make a noise. It also says contacts aren't told that you've muted the chat, and that you'll still see the unread count beside it. To switch alerts back on, open the muted group and use Unmute.

You'll still get notifications for mentions and replies when a group is muted, according to the group notification settings, which is handy if you want quiet but don't want to miss a direct question.

Choosing All or Highlights for group notifications

The setting I'd point most people to is Notify for. On the group's Notifications screen, WhatsApp lists two options.

• All: you get a notification for every message in the group.
• Highlights: you only get notifications for mentions, replies, messages from contacts and other relevant messages.

For a busy customer group or a community with lots of members, Highlights is a good middle road. You aren't muted, but you aren't pinged for every reaction and one-word reply either. There's also a Mute @all mentions option, for groups where an admin uses @all too often.

Changing WhatsApp group notification tones and previews

On Android, open WhatsApp, tap the menu, go to Settings, then Notifications. Under the Groups section WhatsApp lists the notification tone, vibration, popup notification and high priority notifications, which shows previews at the top of the screen. There's also a Reaction notifications option.

On iPhone, go to Settings, then Notifications. Under Group notifications you can turn Show notifications on or off, pick a Sound, and turn Reaction notifications on or off. In-app notifications covers the alerts you see while WhatsApp is open, where you can pick None, Banners or Alerts.

If you ever want to start again, both phones have a Reset notification settings option at the bottom of the Notifications screen.

Why WhatsApp group notifications are not working

If you get alerts for individual chats but never for groups, WhatsApp's help page says to check whether the group is muted and whether group notifications are turned on. If alerts never arrive at all, work through these.

• On Android 13 and above, apps need permission to send notifications. Go to Settings, Apps, WhatsApp, Notifications and turn on Allow notifications.
• On iPhone, go to Settings, Notifications, WhatsApp and turn on Allow Notifications.
• Check Do Not Disturb or Focus mode isn't silencing WhatsApp. On iPhone, Notification Summary can also delay alerts, so remove WhatsApp from the summary if you want them straight away.
• On Android, battery optimisation can stop WhatsApp running in the background. WhatsApp lists steps for Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus, Oppo and other phones, and the setting names differ by maker.
• Avoid force-closing WhatsApp on iPhone, because WhatsApp says you might not receive notifications after a force quit.
• Update WhatsApp and restart your phone.

WhatsApp adds one honest caveat for iPhone. Push notifications are sent by Apple's service, not by WhatsApp directly, so WhatsApp can't resolve problems in that part of the chain. If you've tried everything and nothing works, the help page suggests contacting your phone's manufacturer.

Archived groups and WhatsApp group notifications

Here's one that catches people out. WhatsApp says you won't get notifications for archived chats unless you're mentioned or replied to, and that a new message in an archived chat leaves it archived by default. So a group can look silent when it's tucked away. If you use archiving to tidy your list, my guide to hiding a WhatsApp chat with archive or Chat Lock explains the difference.

A chat you've locked behaves differently too. WhatsApp says notifications for a locked chat show WhatsApp rather than a name, to keep the content private.

WhatsApp group notifications on WhatsApp Web and Desktop

If you mute a group on your phone, WhatsApp says it's also muted on WhatsApp Web and Desktop. All other notification settings are independent of your phone and computer. On the web, you turn alerts on from the banner above the chat list, and your browser has to allow notifications for web.whatsapp.com. Closing WhatsApp on your computer is the quickest way to stop alerts there without changing any settings.

Keeping WhatsApp group notifications useful for work

If you run a few groups for your business, I'd mute the chatty ones, put the important ones on Highlights, and leave one or two on All. It takes a couple of minutes and stops you opening your phone to noise. For more WhatsApp how-tos, my WhatsApp help guide is a good place to browse.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn off notifications for a WhatsApp group?

Open the group, tap the group name, tap Notifications, then choose Mute notifications and a length of time. You can choose 8 hours, 1 week or Always.

Will people know I've muted a WhatsApp group?

No. WhatsApp's help page says contacts aren't notified that you've muted the chat.

What is the difference between All and Highlights?

All sends a notification for every group message. Highlights only sends them for mentions, replies, messages from contacts and other relevant messages.

Why am I not getting WhatsApp group notifications?

Check whether the group is muted, then your phone's notification permission, Do Not Disturb or Focus mode, battery settings and whether the chat is archived.

Do muted WhatsApp groups still send mention alerts?

On iPhone, WhatsApp says you'll still get notifications for mentions and replies when you mute a group's messages. You can also mute @all mentions.

If I mute a group on my phone, is it muted on WhatsApp Web?

Yes. WhatsApp says muting a group chat on your phone also mutes it on WhatsApp Web and Desktop.