WhatsApp has started rolling out version 25.25.74 for iOS, bringing a notable addition in the form of notification reminders. The update is now available on the App Store and will expand gradually over the coming weeks to all iPhone users. This new feature, spotted by WABetaInfo, allows people to set alerts for individual messages, making it easier to return to important conversations without needing external apps or manual notes.
The introduction of message reminders represents another step in WhatsApp’s ongoing evolution from a simple chat app to a more full-featured communication platform. Users often send themselves messages or star important chats as a way of keeping track of what matters, but these methods lack direct scheduling or alert functionality. With reminders, WhatsApp now offers a more natural and integrated solution for managing follow-ups and deadlines directly within a conversation.
Setting a reminder is simple. After updating to version 25.25.74, users can long-press on any message in an individual or group chat. From the options menu, they can choose to create a reminder. WhatsApp provides preset time intervals – such as two hours, eight hours, or one day – as well as the ability to select a custom date and time. Once activated, the chosen message will display a small bell icon within the chat bubble to indicate that a reminder has been scheduled.
When the scheduled time arrives, WhatsApp delivers a notification containing the full message text. If the message includes media, such as an image, video, or document, the notification preview will display that as well. This ensures that users do not have to search through their chat history to recall the context. The reminder clears automatically once delivered, preventing clutter or confusion from multiple pending alerts.
From a privacy standpoint, the feature is designed to work entirely on-device. That means WhatsApp does not store reminder data on its servers, which is consistent with its overall approach to encrypted communication. By processing reminders locally, the app ensures that sensitive messages and scheduled alerts remain private to the user.
This update also builds on other productivity-oriented features introduced by WhatsApp in recent months. Pinned messages allow important notes to remain at the top of chats, while chat filters help users organize their inbox by unread, personal, or group messages. Together with notification reminders, these tools make WhatsApp more useful for day-to-day organization and task management, reducing the need to switch between apps like Notes, Reminders, or third-party task managers.
As with most updates, WhatsApp is expected to expand on this foundation over time. Future improvements could include recurring reminders, shared reminders across group chats, or integration with other WhatsApp features like events and polls. For now, iPhone users can experiment with this first version of notification reminders by updating to WhatsApp 25.25.74 and testing it on individual messages.
