Finding old messages on WhatsApp just got easier on Android

WhatsApp app startup page on an Android phone.
(Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • WhatsApp has introduced a feature making it a breeze to search for messages, allowing users to effortlessly find messages by date.
  • This search-by-date feature is already up and running on iOS, Mac desktop, and WhatsApp Web.
  • It's important to note that this feature is limited to finding a chat on a specific date, not within a date range.

WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature to make searching for messages way easier.

Now, you can effortlessly hunt down messages by date on WhatsApp for Android without having to dig through endless chats to find what you're looking for. This feature is already available on iOS, Mac desktop, and WhatsApp Web.

Mark Zuckerberg himself revealed the new feature on his WhatsApp channel. He even posted a video of him searching for an old Karaoke chat.

To search for a chat from a specific date, just tap on the contact or group chat to dive into the details. Hit the search button right under the contact or group name. If you're in other countries, you may need to tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner and choose the Search option.

Whatsapp new search by date feature

(Image credit: Future)

When you spot the calendar icon, give it a tap, and a calendar pops up, letting you pick the exact date you're after. But this feature is limited to finding a chat on a single date. So, if you're thinking of searching within a date range, sorry, that's not possible.

Previously, WhatsApp search was all about keywords. Type in a word, and all messages with that keyword will pop up. Plus, you could already sift through chats by media type—links, photos, videos, GIFs, audio, polls, and documents—right from the conversation list view.

The shiny new feature is a welcome lifesaver for those tired thumbs, as users no longer need to scroll endlessly. Just remember the date of a certain message or media file, and you're good to go.

WhatsApp continues to gain popularity for its top-notch security and ever-growing list of features. Over the past few months, the Meta-owned platform has been on a roll, treating us to upgrades in photo and video sharing as well as the wider rollout of the Channel reaction emojis.

Last December, WABetaInfo spilled the beans that WhatsApp is playing around with some chat filters, including "All," "Unread," "Contacts," and "Groups."

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.