WhatsApp Re-Testing 'Clear Badge' Feature for Unread Messages - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

WhatsApp Re-Testing 'Clear Badge' Feature for Unread Messages

WhatsApp is retesting a recently nixed setting that lets users choose whether the app automatically clears the unread message count badge on its Home Screen icon after every launch.

Whatsapp Feature
WABetaInfo reports that the feature is controlled by a new toggle in WhatsApp's iOS notification settings, called "Clear Badge." The setting carries the description: "Your home screen badge clears completely after every time you open the app."

The option, which is already available in WhatsApp for Android, should serve to reduce clutter on the user's Home Screen, and potentially lessen "unread anxiety." WABetaInfo notes that the feature may have already appeared for some users in the past few weeks, including those on the stable release from the App Store. However, for reasons that remain unclear, WhatsApp decided to disable them shortly after their initial release.

The feature is currently making its way through beta testing again via TestFlight, so expect it to roll out to all WhatsApp users in the coming days.

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
ios 26 4 pastel

iOS 26.4: Top 10 New Features Coming to Your iPhone

Friday March 20, 2026 2:44 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 isn't the major update with new Siri features that we hoped for, but there are some useful quality of life improvements, and a little bit of fun with an AI playlist generator and new emoji characters. Playlist Playground - Apple Music has a Playlist Playground option that lets you generate playlists from text-based descriptions. You can include moods, feelings, activities, or...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Wednesday March 18, 2026 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another six months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component...

Top Rated Comments

14 months ago
Isn’t that how it always worked? Most annoying thing about WhatsApp is that if you leave a message to read later the badge disappears and you have to remember to go back to it on your own unlike almost every other app.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago
Yes, and you can disable that behavior, the setting has been present for a while. Just disable "Clear badge" in the Notifications settings of WhatsApp.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago
Should be useful. These features should have been made available a long time ago. Wonder why it takes such a long time.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
14 months ago
I wish Apple had a universal setting for read notifications. Every time I touch my iPad, I am being greeted with a million notifications, dating back days, which I have already cleared on my iPhone.

Somehow this actually works with WhatsApp, even between iPhone, Android and MacBook. I read the message on one device, it turns to read on the other devices yet apps like instagram … nope
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago
That's nice, but I wish they would just make an iPad app already.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago

Yes, and you can disable that behavior, the setting has been present for a while. Just disable "Clear badge" in the Notifications settings of WhatsApp.
I have missed this feature, it is the most annoying thing about WhatsApp and now it solve, thank you!
Hopefully some day they add a AW app…
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Ios 26 2 Make Your Iphone Screen Flash For Alerts | Get Iphone Ask Callers Before Answer | South Africa | Macbook Neo | Motoring