[2025] How to See Starred Messages in WhatsApp (iPhone, Android, & PC)
In the constant flow of daily conversations, important information can easily get buried. Whether it's an address, a confirmation number, or a heartfelt message you want to remember, finding it later can feel like a frustrating search. Thankfully, WhatsApp has a built-in bookmarking feature designed to solve this exact problem: Starred Messages.
However, you may have ever starred an important message in WhatsApp, only to realize you don’t know how to find it later. This guide provides the quick and easy way to let you learn how to see starred messages in WhatsApp on any device in just a few taps.
- Part 1. What are Starred Messages in WhatsApp?
- Part 2. How to See Starred Messages in WhatsApp
- Part 3. Beyond Viewing: Mastering Your Starred Messages
- Part 4. Starred Messages vs. Pinned Chats: What’s the Difference?
- Part 5. FAQs about Starred Messages
- Part 6. Bonus Tip | How to Transfer Starred Messages in WhatsApp Between iOS DevicesHOT
- Part 7. Conclusion
Part 1. What are Starred Messages in WhatsApp?
Think of starred messages as personal bookmarks for your chats. When you "star" a message, WhatsApp saves a shortcut to it in a special, easy-to-access folder. This allows you to quickly find specific messages without endlessly scrolling through your chat history. It’s a private action; no one else knows which messages you have starred. Starring a message ensures that crucial details are always at your fingertips.
Part 2. How to See Starred Messages in WhatsApp
Finding your list of starred messages is simple, but the steps vary slightly depending on your device. Here are the specific steps to view starred messages on different devices.
2.1 For Android Users
Step 1. Open WhatsApp and stay on the main Chats screen.
Step 2. Tap the three-dot menu icon (⋮) in the top-right corner of your screen.
Step 3. From the dropdown menu that appears, select Starred messages. You will now see a list of all the messages you have saved.
2.2 For iPhone Users
Step 1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
Step 2. Tap on the Settings tab, which is located in the bottom-right corner of the screen (it looks like a gear icon).
Step 3. In the Settings menu, tap on Starred Messages. This will take you directly to your list of saved messages.
3.3 For WhatsApp Web and Desktop Users
Step 1. Open the WhatsApp Desktop app or WhatsApp Web in your browser.
Step 2. Click the three-dot menu icon (⋮) that appears above your list of chats, next to your profile picture.
Step 3. Select Starred messages from the menu to view your complete list.
Part 3. Beyond Viewing: Mastering Your Starred Messages
Finding your messages is just the beginning. To get the most out of this feature, you need to know how to manage your list and use it to find the context you need.
3.1 Jump Back to the Original Conversation
One of the most powerful aspects of the starred messages list is that it preserves context. If you tap on any message in the list, WhatsApp will instantly take you to that exact point in the original one-on-one or group chat. This is incredibly useful when you need to see the messages that came before or after the one you saved.
3.2 How to Unstar and Clean Up Your List
Over time, your starred message list can become cluttered with outdated information. To remove a single item, find the message within the Starred Messages screen.
Step 1. Tap and hold the message (on mobile) or hover and click the down arrow (on desktop).
Step 2. Select the unstar option (an icon of a star with a line through it).
For a major cleanup, you can unstar items in bulk. From the Start Messages screen, tap the menu icon and select Edit or Unstar all. This allows you to select multiple messages to remove at once, saving you significant time.
Part 4. Starred Messages vs. Pinned Chats: What’s the Difference?
It is easy to confuse these two organizational features, but they serve very different purposes.
Pinned Chats are for entire conversations. You can pin up to three chats to keep them at the very top of your main chat list for quick access.
Starred Messages are for individual messages. You can star a message from hundreds of different chats and consolidate them all into one list.
Part 5. FAQs about Starred Messages
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1. Are starred messages private?
Yes, completely. When you star a message, only you can see that it has been starred. The sender and other group members are not notified and cannot see your list.
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2. What happens if a starred message is deleted?
If a message is deleted from the original chat, it will also be removed from your Starred Messages list. This applies whether you delete it ("Delete for Me") or the sender deletes it for everyone.
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3. Is there a limit to starred messages?
No, there is no official limit to the number of messages you can star. You can save as many as you need.
Part 6. Bonus Tip | How to Transfer Starred Messages in WhatsApp Between iOS Devices
One of the biggest anxieties when getting a new phone is figuring out how to move your digital life over without losing anything. For many, WhatsApp, with its years of conversations, photos, and important files, is the most critical and stressful data to transfer. While official methods for migrating chats have improved, the process - especially when switching between an Android and an iPhone—can still feel complex and restrictive.
TunesKit WhatsApp Transfer is a dedicated desktop application designed to be a comprehensive management suite for your WhatsApp data. While it also provides robust backup and restore functions, its flagship feature is the direct iPhone-to-iPhone WhatsApp transfer, built to simplify a notoriously difficult task.
The transfer feature in TunesKit WhatsApp Transfer is engineered to be a straightforward bridge between your old iPhone and your new one. It streamlines the entire migration process into a few clear steps, managed from your computer.
Key Features of TunesKit WhatsApp Transfer
Transfer WhatsApp data in a simple way. Back up, restore, and export WhatsApp data with ease.
Part 7. Conclusion
The starred messages feature is an incredibly useful tool for keeping important information organized and accessible. Now that you know exactly where to find and manage your starred messages on any device, you'll never have to worry about losing track of those crucial details again.
If you need to transfer WhatsApp messages from one iPhone to another, TunesKit WhatsApp Transfer can help you complete it in a few simple steps.