WhatsApp clarifies how muting group chats works
WhatsApp is now testing a clearer way to let you know what happens when you mute group chats. This has been spotted by a few people in the latest beta update for Android.
As you can see from the screenshot below, the new feature lets you choose between receiving notifications for all group messages or only for "Highlights", which include @mentions, replies, and "other relevant messages". This is obviously meant to make large and very active group chats more manageable for people.
The interesting thing is that "Highlights" are what you'll get even today in the non-beta app when you "mute" group notifications. The new feature only tries to better describe what's happening, it doesn't actually change any functionality.
The default notification setting when you join a group is determined by the group's size, so larger groups will default to "Highlights" anyway, while for smaller groups you will be notified for everything.