WhatsApp has started testing a long-requested message scheduling feature for select iPhone beta users. This follows its debut on Android beta, aiming to bring a vital tool to its massive global user base.
WhatsApp has finally begun testing a highly anticipated message scheduling feature for select iPhone beta users. This rollout on iOS comes less than two weeks after the feature first debuted for Android beta testers, as reported by 9to5Mac.
For Indian users who rely on WhatsApp for everything from family updates to business communication, this is a significant development. Despite having over 3 billion monthly active users worldwide, a figure shared by Mark Zuckerberg in April last year, WhatsApp has notably lagged behind competing platforms that have offered message scheduling for years.
The ability to schedule messages has been a long-standing request, with WABetaInfo first reporting code references for such a feature in WhatsApp's beta earlier this year. Now, beta testers can experience it firsthand.
Using the feature is straightforward: after typing a message into the chat composer, users need to tap and hold the send button. This action opens a dedicated schedule message screen, complete with a date and time picker. Users can then scroll through the options and tap the green button at the bottom to confirm. The button displays the exact delivery time before confirmation. Once scheduled, a confirmation appears in the chat, but it's only visible to the sender.
Messages can be scheduled anywhere from a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of two weeks in advance. WABetaInfo notes that these scheduled messages are accessible in a dedicated section within the chat info screen, or the group info screen for group chats.
An interesting detail for group conversations is that scheduled messages will only be delivered to users who were already members of the group when the message was initially scheduled. Anyone who joins the group after the message is scheduled, even if they join before it's sent, will not receive it. This could be a crucial point for managing large community or work groups.
Beyond just text, users can also schedule messages containing photos, videos, and links. However, there's a current limitation: multiple photos or videos cannot be scheduled simultaneously. Each media item must be scheduled as a separate message, which might be a slight inconvenience for sharing several media files at once.
As is typical with beta features, scheduled messages are currently available only to a limited number of testers, and there's no manual way to activate it. There's also no official word on when a public launch will happen. However, with testing now active on both iOS and Android, a broader rollout for all users might not be too far off. This update, when it reaches everyone, could significantly enhance how Indian users manage their communications on the platform.
