WhatsApp is testing scheduled messages in its Android beta. You press and hold the send button, pick a time, and the message goes out then. It sends even if your phone is offline at that moment.
For now, scheduled messages are limited to some testers on WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.40.7, through the Google Play beta program. Beta tracker WABetaInfo spotted the rollout on October 12. No statement from WhatsApp or Meta has surfaced as of October 13, so treat this as a test, not a launch.
The feature itself isn’t a surprise. WABetaInfo had already described it in beta 2.26.8.11, and says WhatsApp worked on it for several months before this release.
How WhatsApp scheduled messages work
Scheduling works in both one-to-one and group chats. Here’s what the beta allows, according to WABetaInfo’s report.
- Timing: as soon as 10 minutes from now, or as far as two weeks ahead
- Content: text, links, photos and videos
- Media limit: one photo or video per scheduled message
- Groups: only people in the group when you schedule receive it, not later joiners
- Managing: a section in the chat info screen lets you view, edit or delete pending messages
- Encryption: WABetaInfo reports the feature works with end-to-end encryption
What the recipient sees
The privacy detail may matter most to everyday users. Per WABetaInfo, the person you’re messaging can’t tell the message was scheduled. They also get no notification if you delete a scheduled message before it sends.
One open question remains. The reports don’t say where a scheduled message is held before it goes out, whether on your phone or on WhatsApp’s servers.
When you can get it
The test is staged, so the option may not show up on every beta account yet. There’s no stable release date, and the report covers Android only. It joins other recent beta tests such as WhatsApp’s Restricted Chat.
Source: WABetaInfo
