WhatsApp has allowed users to disable read receipts for years, but those who keep the feature enabled have no straightforward way to check incoming messages on Android without the sender knowing they have been read. Notifications offer a temporary solution, but they are not always useful, especially after being dismissed or when several messages arrive at once. iPhone users have had another option for some time, and Android users may soon get the same convenience.

On iOS, users can long-press a conversation in the chat list to open a pop-up displaying its latest messages without triggering the blue read receipts. However, the preview window cannot be scrolled, limiting how much of a conversation can be viewed. On Android, long-pressing a chat currently selects it and displays a toolbar with options to pin, archive, mute, or delete the conversation.

That could soon change. An examination of WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.26.44.12 has uncovered code pointing to the introduction of similar chat previews. Long-pressing a conversation is expected to open a floating window showing the latest messages in the thread, with an updated context menu appearing underneath.


Viewing a conversation through this preview will not send read receipts. More importantly, Android users will reportedly be able to scroll upwards within the preview window to check older messages without triggering blue ticks for any of them. This would offer more flexibility than the current iOS implementation.

The feature remains under development and is not yet available to public beta testers. WhatsApp has also not provided any information about when it could arrive in the stable version of the app. Features discovered during app teardowns do not always make it to the final release, but this would be a welcome addition, bringing the Android experience closer to what iPhone users already enjoy.