iOS 27.2 launches next week, and its code points to a forthcoming Messages app change: the ability to exclude muted conversations from the unread badge count. Apple appears to be working on a feature that would stop muted chats from adding to the unread count in the Messages app.
The discovery was shared this week by Aaron Perris in a post on X, who noted that the iOS 27.2 release candidate indicates Apple is working on the feature. For users who keep busy group chats muted to avoid constant notifications, the current behavior can be frustrating, since a red badge still appears for conversations they have silenced.
The change is not expected to arrive in iOS 27.2 itself, but users are hopeful Apple will roll it out soon. Many people who keep notification badges disabled for most apps find a badge on Messages especially noticeable, making the potential fix welcome.
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Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing