WhatsApp is finally letting some Android beta testers schedule messages. You write the text, pick a date and time, and the app sends it for you at that moment, even if your phone is offline by then. Telegram has offered the same thing since 2019.
The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo, a site that tracks WhatsApp test builds, in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.40.7. An earlier build, 2.26.8.11, had already hinted at it.
How to schedule a message
For text, type your message in the chat, tap and hold the send button, and choose a delivery time in the panel that appears. WhatsApp holds the message and sends it automatically, whether the app is open or closed.
For photos and videos, open the gallery picker inside a chat, select the file, and hold the send button. You can use the drawing editor or add a caption before you set the time. One catch: you can only schedule one item per message, so a batch of photos will not work.
Based on the reports, scheduled messages work in one-on-one chats and groups, support text, links, photos, and videos, and keep end-to-end encryption.
Time limits
- Earliest: 10 minutes from now, which leaves room for a last-second edit.
- Latest: up to two weeks ahead.
How to edit or cancel
Scheduled messages sit in their own section of the chat info screen. From there you can view, manage, and delete anything that has not gone out yet. If you delete one, the other person is not notified, and they cannot tell a message was scheduled in the first place.
What about group chats?
There is a rule worth knowing. A scheduled message goes only to people who were already in the group when you scheduled it. Anyone who joins later will not get it. The idea is to keep information from reaching people who were not part of the conversation yet.
Recipients can also see scheduled messages even if their own accounts do not have the feature yet.
When will everyone get it?
The rollout is gradual. WABetaInfo says wider access should come over the coming weeks, and Engadget expects an official release shortly after. There is no confirmed date, and nothing has been said about iPhone, so treat it as a test feature that could still change. If you want to try it early, look for the WhatsApp beta program on the app’s Google Play page, though spots are often limited.
Why it matters
Scheduling is a long-requested feature. It helps with recurring reminders, with friends or coworkers in other time zones, and with small businesses that want to send a note outside working hours. It also covers a job many people handled with third-party apps until now.
While you wait, see what else WhatsApp is testing in our story on Channels moving into the Chats tab, and make sure your chat history is safe with our guide to backing up WhatsApp.
