WhatsApp has been testing a reminder feature for unseen content for some time, and it’s now available to Android users in WhatsApp’s beta program.
The reminder feature sends notifications for unread messages and is included in the beta version 2.24.25.29 of WhatsApp for Android, as reported by WABetaInfo.
You can toggle this feature on or off in the Settings > Notifications > Reminders menu. When enabled, WhatsApp will send reminder notifications for Status updates and messages that you haven’t seen.
The selection of contacts for which you’ll receive notifications is determined by an internal algorithm that prioritises contacts you interact with most frequently, so users don’t get to choose to only receive notifications for selected contacts.
WABetaInfo says this algorithm is specific to the current instance of WhatsApp, meaning if you reinstall the app, WhatsApp must recalculate these interactions since this data isn’t stored in backups or on the server.
If you’re an Android user eager to try this feature, you can join the beta program and start using it without waiting for the stable release.