WhatsApp is preparing a new feature to improve notification management. In Android beta version 2.26.39.9, so-called focus schedules were discovered, allowing users to mute or hide messages and chat lists on a scheduled basis.
Flexible Time Windows for Custom Chat Lists
At the core of this update is the ability to compile and freely name custom lists containing individual and group conversations. The functional difference from previous options lies in tying these lists to fixed time intervals. Users can define multiple time windows across the day or week for each created list. Push notifications are delivered as usual only within these specified periods.
Outside of the manually defined intervals, the automation kicks in: the corresponding conversations are muted without requiring any manual intervention. Furthermore, the concept allows conversations outside their active time windows to be completely hidden from the standard chat overview, minimizing visual distractions.
Targeting Work-Life Separation
The feature primarily aims to establish a more reliable boundary between different areas of life. A typical use case is separating work and personal life. For example, a user could set up a list for professional contacts that only triggers notifications on weekdays between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Meanwhile, personal chats can be prioritized for evenings and weekends, keeping work-related messages in the background outside of office hours.
Until now, the messenger only offered static mute options for individual chats or groups, which had to be manually unmuted when needed. With this planned update, the service continues to develop additional tools to manage high message volumes.
Availability Remains Unclear for Now
According to current reports, the feature is intended for subscribers of the WhatsApp Plus service. The functionality is still in an early stage of development and has not yet been rolled out even to participants of the official beta program. WhatsApp has not yet communicated a concrete timeline for broader user testing or a release date for the final rollout.
For now, users must rely on system-level Do Not Disturb and Focus modes on Android or iOS to automatically block notifications during specific times of the day.
Sources: Borncity.com
