WhatsApp might soon bring a vacation mode that will auto-archive personal and group chats

WhatsApp has been working on the vacation mode for quite some time. After reports of the company chucking the idea for good, a recent update suggests that WhatsApp is hopeful about the feature and is likely to release it soon. WAbetaInfo saw the feature being developed in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.20.199.8 via the Google Play Beta Program. For the unversed, **the vacation mode** is, like its name suggests, a vacation from the long line of messages, updates and unnecessary chit chat. You can take a break by archiving a personal or group chat. The only difference from regular archiving here is that the chat remains archived even after new activity. Presently when you archive any chat, WhatsApp sends the chat to the very bottom. But as soon as a new message from the person or the group arrives, the chat pops back to the top. [caption id=“attachment_7583431” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Image: Reuters[/caption] When it was originally spotted in 2018, the option was accessed from WhatsApp’s Notification Settings, where it was just below the Show Preview option. [caption id=“attachment_8784721” align=“alignnone” width=“768”] Archived chats. Image: WABetaInfo[/caption] However, as per the latest developments, the feature is being prepped in a new avatar. Now the Vacation Mode will have its separate dedicated section. When a user enables the mode, the archived chats will move to the top of the chat section. Instead of separate chats, all the archived chats will appear under the umbrella of the ‘Archived Chats’. When you tap on this tab, the archived chats will open with a new option at the top right hand corner that reads: Notifications. “When the user navigates into Notifications, he can choose the behaviour of Archived Chats,” reads the report. Thus users will be able to choose from two options - ‘Notify new messages’ or ‘Auto hide inactive chats’. While these are the only two options available right now, it would not be a surprise if WhatsApp offers a few more relaxing way outs.