WhatsApp tests scheduled messages on iPhone

WhatsApp is testing scheduled messages with a limited group of iPhone beta testers, giving users a way to prepare a message now and have it delivered later. The feature is not publicly available yet, and there is no confirmed date for a wider rollout.

The test was reported by WABetaInfo and covered by 9to5Mac. On iPhone, users can type a message in a chat, then tap and hold the send button to open a scheduling screen. A date and time picker lets them choose when the message should be delivered, while a confirmation in the chat shows the scheduled time to the person who created it.

The reported window runs from 10 minutes ahead to two weeks ahead. Scheduled messages also appear in a dedicated area inside the chat or group information screen. In group chats, only people who were already members when the message was scheduled will receive it, even if somebody joins before the delivery time.

The test is not limited to plain text. WABetaInfo says users can schedule photos, videos and links as well, although multiple photos or videos cannot currently be scheduled together. Each media item has to be arranged separately.

WhatsApp has been catching up with features that rival messaging services have offered for years, but beta testing does not guarantee that every experiment will reach everyone. At present, the option is limited to selected iOS testers, with no manual switch for users who are not included.

Our opinion

Scheduled messages would be a practical addition rather than a flashy reinvention. The useful part is the combination of a long delivery window and a clear confirmation, which could help with reminders, international conversations and messages that need to arrive at a sensible local time. The group-chat restriction is worth watching, though: it makes the feature less predictable when a group’s membership changes between scheduling and delivery. Until WhatsApp publishes wider availability and explains how edits, failures and encrypted delivery are handled, this remains a promising beta feature rather than a reason to change messaging habits.