WhatsApp Introduces New Search by Date Feature for Messages: How to Use

WhatsApp has rolled out this feature to all users globally.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by Manas Mitul | Updated: 29 February 2024 17:22 IST

WhatsApp Introduces New Search by Date Feature for Messages: How to Use

WhatsApp was reportedly spotted testing this feature back in November 2023

Highlights

To access this feature, the app has to be updated to the latest version
The feature can be found within the regular Search option in a chat
WhatsApp shows a pop-up calender for people to select a date

WhatsApp, Meta's popular messaging platform, has unveiled a new feature that enhances the app's search capabilities. This latest addition allows users to search for messages based on specific dates, in an attempt to offer users a more efficient way to navigate through extensive chat histories. The new ‘Search by Date' feature allows users to choose a specific date to find the messages exchanged on those particular days. It is likely to help users retrieve specific information from past conversations more smoothly as opposed to endless scrolling.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the feature on his WhatsApp channel. The ‘Search by Date' feature is said to be available for all users globally across Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Web. It was reportedly spotted in beta testing back in November 2023.

To use the ‘Search by Date' feature on WhatsApp, users need to open the desired individual or group chat that they wish to search. They have to then click on the three dots in the top right corner on Android phones or tap the contact or group name on iOS devices. If the app is updated to the latest available version, they can find a small calendar with a search symbol after they click the regular Search option. A pop-up calendar will then allow users to select the desired date.

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For instance, if they want to go back to a message from October 20, 2023, they can select the same on the pop-up calendar by date, month, and year. Once the date is selected, the chat or group will open directly to messages from that day, allowing users to also scroll up or down the chat as well. Without this feature, users would have been forced to scroll past months' worth of messages to get to the desired texts. With this feature, it just takes a few clicks.

WhatsApp recently also rolled out four new text formatting options globally - bulleted points, numbered lists, block quotes and inline quotes. These joined the existing bold, italic, strikethrough, and monospace formatting options.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Feature, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg

Sucharita Ganguly

Email Sucharita Ganguly

Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More