WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow users to schedule messages, photos and videos for delivery at a chosen time. The update could make it easier to send birthday wishes, business reminders and important messages without having to remember to send them manually.
The feature is being rolled out to a limited number of Android beta testers, according to technology reports published on Oct. 12. It is available to some users running WhatsApp beta version 2.26.40.7 through the Google Play Store. However, the company has not announced a general release date.
The new feature will allow users to prepare a message in advance and choose when it should reach the recipient. It is expected to work in both individual conversations and group chats, giving users more control over when they communicate.
To schedule a message, users will type their text or insert a link in a conversation, then tap and hold the send button. If the feature is available on their account, an option will appear to select the date and time for delivery.
Reports indicate that users will be able to schedule messages from 10 minutes ahead to as far as two weeks into the future. This could be useful for people who want to prepare reminders ahead of meetings, send greetings at midnight or organise work communications without having to be online at the time of delivery.
WhatsApp is also testing scheduling for photos and videos. Users will reportedly be able to select an image or video, add a caption or make edits using the built in drawing editor, then schedule it for later delivery.
There is a limitation, however. The current implementation reportedly supports only one photo or video per scheduled message, rather than allowing users to queue several media files together in a single message.
Once a message has been scheduled, it will appear in a dedicated section within the chat information screen. Users will be able to review pending messages and delete them before they are sent.
If a user changes their mind and removes a scheduled message, the recipient will not receive a notification that it was cancelled. The recipient also will not be told that the message had been scheduled in the first place.
One of the most useful aspects of the feature is that scheduled messages are expected to be delivered at the selected time even if the sender’s phone is offline or WhatsApp is not open.
This would allow users to plan messages without keeping the app running or relying on an active internet connection on their device at the moment of delivery. The feature could be particularly useful for businesses, teams and people who need to communicate at specific times.
However, because the feature is still being tested, users should wait for the final release to confirm how it will work across different devices and account configurations.
The scheduling feature is also expected to support end to end encryption, which protects the content of messages exchanged through WhatsApp. This would keep scheduled messages under the platform’s existing encryption model, according to reports on the beta feature.
Although scheduled messages are expected to work in group conversations, there is a detail users should understand.
Reports indicate that a scheduled message will be delivered only to people who were members of the group when the message was originally scheduled. Anyone who joins the group after that point may not receive that particular message when it is sent.
This could affect announcements and reminders in groups where membership changes frequently. Users may need to check the group membership before scheduling sensitive information or messages intended for new members.
For now, message scheduling remains a limited beta feature on Android. Having the latest version of WhatsApp does not necessarily mean a user will have access, because the rollout is being conducted gradually.
Users who cannot find the scheduling option may have to wait for WhatsApp to enable it on their accounts. Reports also indicate that people who do not yet have the feature may still receive messages scheduled by users who do.
WhatsApp has not confirmed when the feature will become available to all Android users or whether it will launch on iPhones at the same time.
If introduced widely, message scheduling would give WhatsApp users a convenient way to plan communications directly within the app, without having to rely on separate scheduling tools. For now, the feature remains under testing, and its final availability and capabilities could change before a wider release.
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