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, 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 mentions notifications)

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
Mobile push (app)	Skipped
Unread count in inbox	Still updates
In-conversation indicator	A muted-bell icon is shown in the thread header

If Force mentions notifications 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 → Messaging.

Allow Mute Conversations — Toggle the mute feature on or off site-wide

The feature is enabled by default.

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?#

Yes — the unread filter and inbox badge respect the mute. Muted threads are quiet by design: they don't surface in the "unread only" view and they don't drive the header unread badge. Open the thread directly or switch back to All conversations to catch up when you're ready.

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.