How to leave a chat on whatsapp

How to Leave a WhatsApp Group Chat Without Anyone Knowing

You can leave a WhatsApp group without anyone knowing — except for the admin — in the latest version of the app.
In older versions of WhatsApp, group members were notified when you left a group chat.
Members can still see that you've left a group chat if they look at the members list on the chat's details page, but they won't be notified.

Group chats have their place, but no one likes to be seen abruptly leaving a party early, and that's what it can feel like to exit a group chat on WhatsApp.

Thankfully, you can leave a WhatsApp group chat without fellow members of the chat knowing immediately that you've left; you can do it silently, and only the group admin is notified.

Thanks to a recent update to WhatsApp, most group chat members are no longer notified when you leave the group.

1. In WhatsApp, tap the Chats tab at the bottom of the page.

2. In the Chats list, tap the group you want to leave.

3. On the conversation page, tap the group name at the top of the screen.

Tap the group chat icon at the top of the page to see the chat's info page. Dave Johnson/Insider

4. On the info page, scroll down and tap Exit Group.

Scroll to the bottom and tap Exit Group to leave silently.

Dave Johnson/Insider

You'll silently leave the group — and members will not be notified, except for the group's admin. Of course, group members will be able to see that you have left if they inspect the list of participants on the group's details page.

If you want to be sure that you leave a group without notifying the other members, make sure you are using the latest version of the WhatsApp app. Here is how to update your apps on Android and how to update apps on an iPhone.

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

How to Mute or Leave Group Chats in WhatsApp, So You Never Get Annoyed by Notifications « Smartphones :: Gadget Hacks

By Nelson Aguilar
5/29/19 1:53 PM
6/17/19 12:15 PM
Calling & Texting
WhatsApp

Group chats on WhatsApp are great for getting your friends all in one place, but the bigger the group, the more notifications you'll probably get. Needless to say, it can get annoying real quick. You can mute notifications for all your conversations, but that's not practical if some are important. However, there is an option to mute group chats themselves and even leave them when needed.

While you won't get alerts for new messages in the group after muting, you can still open the app to see what's going on in the thread and what you missed. As for leaving a group chat, it's a kill-all switch when there's just no reason to stay in the conversation anymore.

Muting group chats and leaving the conversations in WhatsApp can be done on both Android and iOS, but the process for doing so varies, so use the links below to jump to the section you need.

Mute specific group chats on iOS
Mute specific group chats on Android
Mute all group chats on iOS or Android
Leave a group chat on iOS
Leave a group chat on Android

1. Muting a Specific Group Chat (iOS)

On an iPhone, there are two ways to mute a specific group chat. First, you can do it from the Group Info page, and second, by swiping left on the conversation. Check out each below for more details.

Option 1: From the Group Info Page

Tap on the group conversation to open it up, if not already done, then tap on the top part that features the name of the group chat and the numbers and contact names of everyone in it. On the following Group Info page, tap on "Mute."

Now, you can choose to mute the group chat for "8 hours," "1 week," or "1 year." There is no option to mute it forever. Whatever you decide, that's how long you won't receive notifications for the group chat, but you'll still be able to read and send new messages.

If you ever want to unmute the group chat, tap on "Muted" in the Group Info page, then select "Unmute" from the action sheet. You'll receive notifications once again for the group chat.

Option 2: By Swiping in the Chats View

The more straightforward method is to swipe left on a group chat thread from the "Chats" tab to reveal the options available. Swipe slowly, because if you go too fast, you could end up archiving the thread immediately. Tap on "More," then on "Mute" in the action sheet. You'll see the same settings to mute the group chat for "8 hours," "1 week," or "1 year."

To unmute the group chat, swipe left on the conversation again, tap on "More," and select "Unmute."

2. Muting a Specific Group Chat (Android)

If you're using WhatsApp on Android, muting specific group chats is a little different than on iOS. However, there are also two methods of doing this. First, you can do so via the three-dot menu inside of the group chat, and second, by long-pressing on a group chat thread in the "Chats" page.

Option 1: Via the Three-Dot Menu

Open the conversation, if not done so already, and tap on the three-dot menu icon. Tap on "Mute notifications," and then choose either "8 hours," "1 week," or "1 year," depending on how long you don't want to receive notifications. There is no way to stop them forever. Make sure that the box next to "Show notifications" is unchecked. If it's checked, you will still receive notifications in the status bar and notifications tray, as well as LED alerts, but you will not get pop-ups or tones of any sort.

To unmute notifications from inside the group chat thread, tap on the three-dot menu, then on "Unmute notifications."

Option 2: By Long-Pressing in the Chats View

The faster way is to long-press on the thread inside of the "Chats" page. Next, tap on the mute button (the crossed-out speaker) that appears in the top right, and select either "8 weeks," "1 week," or "1 year," just like in the first option. Make sure that the box next to "Show notifications" is unchecked. If it's checked, you will still receive notifications in the status bar and notifications tray, as well as LED alerts, but you will not get pop-ups or tones of any sort.

To unmute the group conversation from the "Chats" view, long-press on the thread and tap on the unmute button (working speaker icon0 where the mute button once was.

3. Muting All Group Chats (iOS + Android)

You can also mute every single group chat in your WhatsApp on both iOS and Android. However, the process is quite different, so skip to the appropriate section below.

Option 1: On an iPhone

Tap on "Settings" at the bottom, then on "Notifications," and toggle off "Show Notifications" underneath the Group Notifications section. Something to keep in mind, however, is that you cannot unmute a specific group chat if you use this option; The only way to enable any group chat notifications is to toggle this setting back on.

Option 2: On an Android Phone

Tap on the three-dot menu on the top right in the "Chats" view, and go into "Settings." Next, enter "Notifications" and scroll down to Groups. In this section, you can turn off "Vibrate," set "Light" to none, and disable high priority notifications (which show as pop-ups).

Unfortunately, you cannot disable notifications themselves from this menu, but you could go into your phone's device settings and disable all notifications for WhatsApp in general, but that's not ideal.

4. Leaving a Group Chat (iOS)

Aside from muting a group chat, you can also leave one, which means you will no longer be able to participate in it (i.e., you won't be able to read or send new messages). On iOS, you can do this in one of two ways — via the Group Info page or by swiping left on the conversation thread.