Open Chat at First Unread Message Instead of Latest Message

Description
We would like to request support for a feature that allows a conversation to automatically open and scroll to a user’s unread messages instead of defaulting to the latest message in a group or one-to-one chat.

Currently, when a user opens a conversation that contains unread messages, the UI Kit scrolls directly to the most recent message. As a result, users must manually scroll upward to locate their unread messages, which can be time-consuming and unintuitive—especially in active group conversations with a large number of new messages.

Proposed Enhancement
When a logged-in user opens a conversation with unread messages:

• Detect the first unread message for the user using read receipts or message delivery state.

• Automatically scroll the chat view to that unread message.

• Clearly indicate unread messages (for example, using a divider such as “Unread Messages” or visual highlighting).

If no unread messages exist, the chat may continue to open at the latest message as it does today.

Additionally, provide developer-level control through:

• An API or configuration option to enable or disable this behavior.

• A method to manually set or override the unread message reference.

• An optional callback or event confirming that the scroll-to-unread action was completed successfully.

Why This Feature Is Valuable

• Allows users to immediately focus on messages they have not yet seen.

• Eliminates the need for manual scrolling in busy group conversations.

• Matches the behavior of widely adopted messaging platforms, improving familiarity.

• Enhances usability and productivity for both consumer and enterprise use cases.

Expected Impact
This feature would significantly improve the chat experience by ensuring users are automatically taken to the most relevant point in the conversation—their unread messages. It streamlines navigation, reduces friction in active chats, and provides a more intuitive and user-friendly messaging experience.