Method and apparatus for managing the display of messages of a group chat

A computing device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations for managing display of communication items in a target communication window, the operations comprising:
• receiving a first user request to open the target communication window on a display screen, wherein the target communication window is configured to display a sequentially ordered listing of communication items;
• in response to receiving the first user request:
• opening the target communication window;
• and
• upon opening the target communication window, displaying a first subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, without concurrently displaying a second subset of communication items and a third subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, wherein:
• the first, second, and third subsets of communication items have been received by the computing device after last closure of the target communication window, and
• the first subset of communications have been received after the second subset of communication items, and
• the second subset of communication items have been received after the third subset of communication items;
• while displaying the first subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, without concurrently displaying the second subset of communication items and the third subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, detecting a second user request to display earlier received communication items;
• and
• in response to receiving the second user request to display earlier received communication items and in accordance with a determination that the second user request meets predefined list rollback criteria:
• ceasing to display the first subset of communication items in the target communication window;
• and
• displaying the third subset of communication items in the target communication window, without first displaying the second subset of communication items in the target communication window.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations for managing display of communication items in a target communication window, the operations comprising:

• receiving a first user request to open the target communication window on a display screen, wherein the target communication window is configured to display a sequentially ordered listing of communication items;
• in response to receiving the first user request:
• opening the target communication window;
• and
• upon opening the target communication window, displaying a first subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, without concurrently displaying a second subset of communication items and a third subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, wherein:
• the first, second, and third subsets of communication items have been received by the computing device after last closure of the target communication window, and
• the first subset of communications have been received after the second subset of communication items, and
• the second subset of communication items have been received after the third subset of communication items;
• while displaying the first subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, without concurrently displaying the second subset of communication items and the third subset of communication items from the sequentially ordered listing of communication items in the target communication window, detecting a second user request to display earlier received communication items;
• and
• in response to receiving the second user request to display earlier received communication items and in accordance with a determination that the second user request meets predefined list rollback criteria:
• ceasing to display the first subset of communication items in the target communication window;
• and
• displaying the third subset of communication items in the target communication window, without first displaying the second subset of communication items in the target communication window.