WhatsApp adds @all mention and poll upgrades to groups

Meta's WhatsApp messaging service announced a series of new features on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, designed to improve the management and functionality of group chats. The updates include a new "all" mention function, three enhancements to polls, and a streamlined way to create new groups from existing ones.

The most prominent addition is the "all" mention, which allows a user to notify every member of a group chat at once by typing "@all" in a message. The company stated the feature is intended for important or time-sensitive communications, such as school closures or last-minute event changes. To prevent potential overuse, the "@all" function will be restricted to group administrators in any chat with more than 32 members. These notifications will bypass a group's mute setting, though individual users can choose to mute "@all" alerts specifically within their app's notification settings.

WhatsApp also introduced three significant upgrades to its polling feature. Poll creators can now set an end time for voting, after which no further responses will be accepted. They also have the option to hide voter names, allowing for anonymous responses. Additionally, users will have a...