WhatsApp Launches ‘Favorites’ Feature for Swift Access to Essential Contacts and Groups

WhatsApp has unveiled a new filter named “Favorites,” designed to help users swiftly locate conversations with their most important contacts and groups, and initiate calls directly from the top of the calls tab.

The rollout of the “Favorites” filter commenced on Tuesday and it’s expected to reach all WhatsApp users over the next few weeks. This feature organizes chats from significant contacts, like your closest friend or family group, in one convenient location for easy access. Additionally, WhatsApp has integrated a “Favorites” section within the calls tab, facilitating quick calls to preferred contacts without the need to scroll through recent calls or search the contact list.

To mark a contact or group as a favorite, users can choose the “Favorites” filter from the chat interface or select the “Add favorite” option after picking a specific contact or group from the calls tab. Chats can also be favorited by pressing and holding a chat and then selecting “Add to favorite.” Furthermore, WhatsApp allows users to manage their favorite contacts and groups by navigating to Settings > Favorites > Add to Favorite, with the option to rearrange them according to personal preference at any time.

The feature allowing users to select favorite contacts was initially observed in testing phases for iOS users and on the web in February, as per WABetaInfo’s reports. It subsequently made its debut on Android in April.

This update follows three months after WhatsApp introduced chat filters to enhance user interaction. Initially offering filters like “All,” “Unread,” and “Groups,” the addition of “Favorites” enriches the functionality of chat filters. This is especially true as users previously sought alternative methods for promptly initiating calls or video chats with their favorite WhatsApp contacts, given the lack of this dedicated filter previously.