iOS 27.2 launches next week , and the update includes code that points to a forthcoming Messages app change: the ability to exclude muted conversations from the unread badge count.

Apple working on feature to exclude muted Messages conversations from unread badge count

Do you belong to a very active group chat? Or are there people in your life that you prefer to keep on mute in the Messages app?

If either or both is true, it might bug you that muting those conversations doesn’t impact the Messages app’s unread badge count.

Except soon, according to iOS 27.2 code, that might finally change.

Aaron Perris shared the discovery this week in a post on X :

iOS 27.2 RC indicates that Apple is working on a feature to exclude muted chats from the unread count in the Messages app

— Aaron (@aaronp613) October 19, 2026

Personally, I’m very excited by this potential change.

I keep a couple of busy group chats muted inside Messages so I’m not pinged with notifications constantly.…