WhatsApp rolls out ‘@all' mentions, poll upgrades, one-tap group creation

WhatsApp has introduced a new update to its group chat functionality, rolling out an “all” mention feature alongside three major improvements to polls and a faster way to create new groups.

The highly anticipated addition is the “@all mention” that enables users to alert every member of a group chat with a single message.

WhatsApp states that the feature is designed for “important, time-sensitive messages” such as office closures, event deadlines, or last-minute plan changes. To prevent spam, the feature is restricted to admins only in groups with more than 32 members. Users can also mute @all notifications in their settings if they find a feature overused.

For group polls, WhatsApp introduced three key upgrades, including:

Anonymous voting: Voter names can now be hidden, encouraging honest feedback on sensitive topics

Voting deadlines: Poll creators can set an end time, after which voting automatically locks

Post-posting edits: Poll questions can be edited within 15 minutes of posting, allowing users to fix typos or clarify wording

Additionally, a new “create a similar group” button in the group details screen is added to let users spin off a new chat populated with members from an existing group in just a couple of taps.

This is how WhatsApp recommends using this feature for organising surprise parties or running side projects without having to create a new group. These updates come after several upgrades made to WhatsApp recently, including the ability to share songs on Apple Music, sign-ups for iPads without a phone number, and messaging through usernames. WhatsApp has over 3 billion users worldwide and more than 100 million in the United States alone.