Conversation Muting
Better Messages lets each user mute individual conversations to stop receiving notifications for them — without leaving the thread or hiding it from the inbox. Useful for noisy group chats where the conversation is informational rather than urgent, or for chat rooms a user wants to keep accessible but quiet.
What it adds#
- One-click mute toggle from any conversation
- Mutes all notification channels for that thread: sound, on-site popup, email, browser push, mobile push
- Conversation stays in the inbox and remains fully readable / replyable
- Unread counts continue to update — mute is about delivery alerts, not visibility
- Per-user setting — your mute state doesn't affect other participants
- Optional admin setting:
@-mentions still notify even inside muted conversations (Force Notifications for Mentions)
How it works#
When a user mutes a conversation, the plugin stores a per-user mute flag against that thread. From that point:
| Channel | Behavior in muted thread |
|---|---|
| Sound notification | Silent |
| On-site popup | Suppressed |
| Email notification | Skipped |
| Browser push | Skipped |
| Mobile push (app) | Skipped |
| Unread count in inbox | Still updates |
| Indicator in the conversations list | A muted-speaker icon next to the conversation, with a "Notifications disabled" tooltip |
If Force Notifications for Mentions is enabled in the admin settings, a message that @-mentions the muted user inside a muted thread is treated as unmuted for that single message — popup, sound, and push fire. Useful for "lurk-mode" group chats where users want to be alerted only when directly addressed.
When to mute#
| Use case | Why muting matters |
|---|---|
| Large community announcement room | Quiet ambient awareness, no constant pings |
| Cohort group chat | Stay in the loop without sound interruption during deep work |
| Information broadcast threads | Receive updates passively, not urgently |
| Sales pipeline DMs | Mute closed deals to declutter without losing the history |
| Personal "thinking thread" with self | Quiet personal notes channel |
How to enable#
Navigate to WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → Notifications.
- Mute Conversations — Allow users to mute individual conversations to stop receiving notifications from them
- Force Notifications for Mentions — Always send notifications to mentioned users even if they muted the conversation
Mute Conversations is enabled by default on a new install, and Force Notifications for Mentions is disabled by default.
On a site that predates the setting, the upgrade path leaves Mute Conversations off rather than switching it on — so if your users cannot find the mute control on a long-running install, check the toggle before anything else.
Frequently asked questions#
Do muted conversations show in search results?#
Yes — search ignores the mute state. The mute affects notifications, not content visibility.
Can I mute someone but not their other conversations?#
Mute is per-thread, not per-user. To stop all communication from a specific user, use the user-block feature instead.
Does mute apply to AI bot messages in the thread?#
Yes — AI bot replies are notifications like any other. Muting silences them too.
Does muting affect the unread filter?#
No — muting changes notifications only. A muted conversation still counts toward the unread badge and still appears in the "unread only" view, so nothing goes missing while it is muted.
Can administrators force-mute a conversation for all participants?#
No — muting is always a per-user choice. To silence a chat room globally, use the room's notification settings to disable notifications at the room level.
See also#
- Site notifications — overview of in-app notifications
- Email notifications — email delivery rules
- Sound notifications — audio cues
- Unread filter — focus on threads needing attention
- User-to-user block — stronger silencing per-user instead of per-thread