Muted chat refers to the ability to mute or unmute conversations in messaging apps and social media platforms. When a chat is muted, you will stop receiving notifications from that conversation thread. The messages will still be visible when you open the app, but you won’t get interrupted by constant notifications from a busy chat.
Why do people mute chats?
There are several reasons why someone may want to mute a chat:
- To avoid distractions – Muting busy group chats or inactive conversations can help you focus without constant notifications.
- To take a break – Muting a chat for a while can give you some space from an overwhelming or stressful conversation.
- To manage notifications – Muting less important chats can clean up your notifications and let you focus on higher priority conversations.
- To signify disinterest – Muting a chat can be a passive way to indicate you don’t want to participate in the conversation.
- To block someone – Muting an individual contact’s chat is a lighter way to block their messages from your view.
How to mute chats in different apps
The way to mute a chat varies across different messaging platforms and apps. Here is how to mute conversations on some popular apps:
- Open the WhatsApp chat you want to mute
- Tap on the contact’s name at the top to open their contact info
- Tap Mute notifications
- Select a duration to mute for 8 hours, 1 week, or 1 year
You can also swipe right on a chat in your main WhatsApp screen and tap “Mute” to quickly mute that conversation.
Facebook Messenger
- Open the Messenger conversation you want to mute
- Tap on the contact’s name at the top
- Tap Mute Conversation
- Choose a mute duration of either 8 hours, 24 hours, 1 week, or indefinitely
You can also long press on a conversation in your main Messenger list and select “Mute Conversation.”
Slack
- Open the Slack channel or direct message you want to mute
- Click the channel name at the top
- Select Mute from the drop-down menu
- Pick a mute duration of either 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 1 day, or indefinitely
You can also right click on a conversation in your Slack sidebar and choose “Mute” for quick access.
Discord
- Open the Discord channel or DM you want to mute
- Click the channel or contact name at the top
- Select Mute from the menu
- Choose to mute for either 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely
Alternatively, you can right click a conversation in your Discord server list and select “Mute Channel” or “Mute DM.”
Muting vs. leaving or deleting
Muting is different than fully removing yourself from a conversation by leaving a group chat or deleting messages. Here are some differences:
| Action | Muting | Leaving/Deleting |
|---|---|---|
| See past messages | Yes | No |
| Get notifications | No | No |
| Send messages | Yes | No |
| Rejoin conversation | Instant | Need to be re-added |
| See who viewed messages | Yes | No |
As you can see, muting gives you more flexibility to step away temporarily or reduce distractions while still participating at your own convenience. Deleting or leaving is more final.
Best practices for muted chats
Here are some tips for effectively managing your muted conversations:
- Mute selectively – Don’t mute everything or you might miss important notifications. Mute only busy or irrelevant chats.
- Use do not disturb – This lets you mute notifications during specific time periods like sleeping hours.
- Check back in – Periodically view muted chats in case you missed anything important.
- Communicate – If muting a friend, coworker, etc. explain why so they understand.
- Unmute when ready – Don’t forget to unmute chats you want notifications from again.
- Use other tools – Star important chats, enable priority notifications, etc. to manage muting.
Muting can help you feel less overwhelmed and stay focused. But be strategic about which conversations you mute and keep an eye on them to stay in the loop.
Muting on social media
In addition to messaging apps, muting is also available on most major social media platforms like:
You can mute tweets from a user’s profile, mute specific words and phrases with “Muted Words”, or mute entire conversations you’re included in.
Mute people’s stories, posts, messages, or even story reactions. You can mute for 24 hours or indefinitely.
Mute posts from a person, page, or group for 30 days, or unfollow them to permanently mute. You can also snooze all Facebook notifications for up to 8 hours.
Mute conversations, connections, or notifications from specific people for varying durations.
Mute subreddits you’re subscribed to for 1, 3, or 24 hours or unsubscribe to permanently mute content.
Conclusion
Muting chat conversations is an easy way to clean up your notifications and focus on the most pressing discussions. Use it selectively and with communication to avoid missing important messages. With smart muting habits, it can help you manage the increasing number of daily conversations on messaging platforms and social media.