WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with over 2 billion active users. WhatsApp groups have emerged as a useful collaboration tool for families, friends, coworkers, and organizations to communicate and coordinate with each other.
However, uncontrolled messaging in WhatsApp groups can sometimes lead to chaos. To maintain order, group admins may want to restrict who can post in the group. WhatsApp provides an option to enable “admin approval” for groups to control this.
In this article, we will walk through what admin approval is, why you may want to enable it for your WhatsApp group, and step-by-step instructions to turn on admin approval for a group as an admin.
What is Admin Approval?
Admin approval is a setting that allows only admins to send messages in a WhatsApp group. When enabled, regular group participants can no longer send messages freely. Instead, their messages are held for preview by the admins who can then approve them to be seen by everyone in the group.
Enabling this feature ensures group admins have control over everything posted in the group. Admins can preview every message before it appears in the group, blocking inappropriate, irrelevant, or low-quality content.
The admin approval setting is disabled by default for all WhatsApp groups. Group admins must manually enable it to restrict messaging.
Why Enable Admin Approval?
Here are some common reasons to enable admin approval for a WhatsApp group:
- Prevent spam messages – Admin approval blocks participants from posting unwanted promotions, clickbait links, chain letters, etc.
- Control off-topic posts – It allows removing messages not relevant to the group purpose.
- Limit conversations – Participants cannot just freely chat and distract from the core topics.
- Curb inappropriate content – Abusive, explicit, or offensive messages can be stopped.
- Maintain order – With admin as moderators, chaotic or confrontational conversations can be prevented.
- Manage membership – Restricting posts allows vetting new members before approving them.
Overall, admin approval establishes admins as custodians of the group. It helps keep conversations high-quality, meaningful and aligned with the group’s objectives.
How to Enable Admin Approval on WhatsApp
Enabling admin approval for a WhatsApp group is simple but requires you to be an admin of the group. You also need the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your device.
Here are step-by-step instructions to enable admin approval:
On Android
1. Open the WhatsApp group for which you want to enable the setting.
2. Tap on the Group name at the top to open Group Info.
3. Below the group participants, tap on Group settings.
4. Tap on the Approval toggle and then Confirm to enable.
On iPhone
1. Open the WhatsApp group and tap on the group name.
2. Scroll down and tap on Group Settings.
3. Tap on Require Admin Approval and toggle it on.
That’s it! Admin approval is now activated for the group. Members will see a message informing them only admins can approve new posts.
To approve pending messages as an admin:
1. Tap on the group name to open Group Info.
2. Below the profile photos, you will see a button with the number of pending messages.
3. Tap the button to view all pending posts and approve or delete each one.
Managing Messages with Admin Approval
Here are some tips for managing your WhatsApp group with admin approval enabled:
- Check pending messages daily to clear the queue.
- Develop criteria for approval based on relevance and appropriateness.
- Ensure at least two admins can approve in case one is unavailable.
- Inform members their messages require approval before appearing.
- To limit conversations, approve messages but ask follow-ups be emailed.
- Gently remind members when their messages are denied or deleted.
- Approve non-urgent messages in batches rather than individually.
- Turn approval off temporarily rather than on and off repeatedly.
Admin approval works best when admins are active. The feature prevents members from posting freely but needs admins to follow up regularly to clear pending messages.
Conclusion
Admin approval for WhatsApp groups allows greater control over conversations and content. It helps maintain order and focus in busy groups with many participants. But the feature does require admins to take on an active role in message moderation.
When used properly, admin approval can transform chaotic WhatsApp groups into efficient collaboration spaces. Group admins should enable this feature if their members are going off-topic, sending spam, or posting inappropriate content constantly. With the steps above, activating and managing admin approval is straightforward.
| Platform | Steps to Enable Admin Approval |
|---|---|
| Android | 1. Open Group Info 2. Tap Group settings 3. Toggle on Approval setting |
| iPhone | 1. Open Group Info 2. Tap Group Settings 3. Toggle on Require Admin Approval |