How do you stop a group conversation on Android?

Group conversations refer to messaging threads with multiple participants, typically on mobile messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram (1). These group chats allow for easy communication between several people at once. However, at times group conversations can become overwhelming with too many notifications or unwanted messages. There are many reasons why someone may want to leave a group chat or mute notifications, such as cutting down on distractions, avoiding unwanted conversations, or prioritizing personal chats over group ones.

Leave the Conversation

The easiest way to stop receiving notifications from a group conversation on Android is to leave the conversation completely. Here are the steps to leave a group text or chat on Android phones:

Open the group conversation in the Messages app and tap on the 3 vertical dots icon in the top right corner. This opens the conversation options menu.

Tap on “Leave group” (on Samsung devices) or “Leave conversation” (on Pixel and other devices). This will remove you from the group chat.

You will stop receiving any future messages from that group conversation after leaving it. The group chat will continue for the other participants, but you won’t be notified of any new messages in it. Leaving the group also removes your contact from the list of participants.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/how-to-leave-any-group-chat-on-an-iphone-or-android-phone/

Mute Notifications

One way to stop group conversation notifications on Android is to mute the conversation. This will prevent you from receiving sound, vibration, or banner notifications when new messages arrive. To mute a conversation in Android Messages, WhatsApp, or another messaging app:

1. Open the messaging app and select the group conversation you want to mute.

2. Tap the three dot menu icon in the top right corner.

3. Select “Mute” or “Mute conversation.”

The conversation will now be muted and you won’t receive notifications for new messages. You can unmute the conversation at any time by returning to the conversation settings. Muting is a simple way to quiet a busy group conversation temporarily while still staying part of the discussion.

Customize Notifications

You can customize the notification settings for specific conversations in Android. This allows you to control how you are notified for that particular group chat.

Go to the app’s settings, such as WhatsApp or Messages. Find the conversation you want to customize. Open the conversation settings and select Notifications. Here you can tweak the notification behavior, such as:

Enable/disable notifications for this conversation
Override the default notification sound or vibration pattern

Set the notification importance level (urgent, high, medium, low)
Show notifications on lock screen
Show message preview in notifications

For example, in WhatsApp go to Settings > Notifications > Conversation notifications. Tap on a conversation and customize the alerts. You can even turn off notifications entirely for that group if needed.

This gives you granular control to mute, prioritize or customize alerts for specific conversations only. The rest of your notifications will still behave normally. See the Android developer guide for more details on customizing notifications for conversations.

Disable Read Receipts

One way to have more control over a group conversation on Android is to disable read receipts. Read receipts show when a message has been read by the recipient. While this can be useful, it can also lead to unwanted pressure in group chats.

To disable read receipts in the Messages app on Android:

Open the Messages app and tap on your profile icon in the top right corner.
Go to “Settings”.

Tap on “Chat features”.
Turn off “Send read receipts”.

With read receipts disabled, your contacts will no longer be able to see if you’ve read their messages. This gives you more control over when you engage in the group conversation (source).

Other messaging apps like WhatsApp also give you the option to disable read receipts in their settings. Turning this off can reduce unwanted pressure in group chats.

Ignore the Conversation

One of the easiest ways to stop a group conversation on Android is to simply ignore it. You can mute the notifications so that you don’t get constantly interrupted. And you don’t have to open or engage with the conversation at all. The conversation will continue on without you, but you won’t have to participate or see it.

To mute notifications from a specific conversation on Android, open the conversation, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and select “Mute notifications.” This will stop all notifications for that conversation so you won’t get bothered with constant pings. You can also customize notifications further in your main Settings app.

By ignoring the conversation completely, you have essentially removed yourself without having to formally leave or block it. The conversation will continue on with the other participants, but you won’t receive any notifications or see any new messages. This passive approach allows you to quietly bow out of a group conversation that you no longer wish to be part of.

Block Participants

One way to stop receiving messages from specific people in a group conversation is to block them. When you block someone in Android Messages, you won’t get any messages from them in group chats or individually.

To block a participant in a group conversation on Android:

Open the group conversation in the Messages app.
Tap and hold on the person’s message you want to block.
Tap on the contact name at the top to open their profile.

Tap the three dot menu icon in the upper right.
Tap “Block & report spam” ¹

Blocking someone in Android Messages prevents you from receiving any future messages from that person. Their messages in group chats will no longer be visible to you. Blocking is permanent unless you later unblock the contact.

Use Do Not Disturb

One way to stop notifications from a group conversation is to enable Do Not Disturb mode on your Android device. When Do Not Disturb is turned on, you will not receive any notifications or alerts from the group chat. This can be useful if you need to temporarily mute the conversation.

To enable Do Not Disturb on Android (Google Support):

Swipe down from the top of your screen to access the notification shade.

Tap the Do Not Disturb button to toggle it on.

Do Not Disturb will silence all notifications, calls, and alerts while it is enabled. You can customize Do Not Disturb to allow exceptions for certain contacts or repeated calls if needed. Just be aware that enabling Do Not Disturb will mute all group conversations until you turn it off again.

Clear the Conversation

You can clear or delete an entire group messaging conversation on your Android device to remove the messages, calls, media files, and notifications. This will permanently remove the conversation for you, though it may still exist on other participants’ devices. Here’s how to clear a conversation on Android:

First, open the messaging app and tap on the group conversation you want to delete to open it. In the upper right corner, tap the 3 vertical dots icon to open the menu. From here, select the “Delete conversation” option. This will immediately and permanently clear the entire conversation from your device.

“2 Methods to Delete Text Messages on Android Phone.” Wondershare. Accessed March 5, 2023. https://drfone.wondershare.com/erase-android/delete-text-messages-android.html.

Conclusion

There are several ways to stop or reduce notifications from group conversations on Android, including leaving the conversation entirely, muting notifications, customizing notification settings, disabling read receipts, ignoring the conversation, blocking participants, and using Do Not Disturb mode.

To recap the main methods discussed:

You can leave a group conversation completely by exiting the group chat, which will remove you and stop notifications.
Muting notifications for a specific conversation or chat will prevent sound/vibration alerts.

Customizing notification settings lets you mute groups, set priority, and more.
Disabling read receipts prevents your read status from being shown.
Ignoring a conversation means you won’t be notified of new messages.

Blocking participants stops you from receiving their messages.
Turning on Do Not Disturb mode blocks notifications during selected times.

Using one or more of these options can help you take control of unwelcome group messaging and choose what conversations to engage in.