WhatsApp Is Testing Scheduled Messages for Chats and Groups

WhatsApp may soon let users schedule messages to be delivered later. The option showed up in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.8.11, an early test release, and is now being tested with a small group of Android testers, with wider availability expected in the coming weeks. Engadget

To schedule, you press and hold the send button. That opens a menu where you pick a date and time. Messages can be scheduled from 10 minutes ahead up to two weeks in advance.

There is a separate place in the app to manage scheduled messages before they go out. You can check what is still pending there. The option works for one-to-one chats and group chats.

Scheduled messages can include text, links, photos and videos. They stay protected by end-to-end encryption, which means only the sender and recipient can read them. They will still send at the set time even if the phone is offline.

A separate Android beta build, version 2.26.40.7 distributed through Google Play, is described as rolling out scheduled messages for chats and groups. WABetaInfo Work on the same option for iOS is also underway, according to earlier beta reports. WABetaInfo WhatsApp is separately testing scheduled channel updates. WABetaInfo

Telegram has offered message scheduling since 2019. Inside WhatsApp, scheduling already exists for voice and video calls. Users can schedule calls and invite people or groups to join in advance by pressing the + button in the Calls tab and selecting 'Schedule call'.

The broader context here is the move from chat that expects an instant reply to messaging you can control over time. The 10-minute minimum helps prevent accidental delayed sends and conflicts with edits or deletes. The two-week limit covers everyday needs like birthday reminders, coordination across time zones and routine check-ins, without turning the app into a long-term reminder system that has to keep track of old state.

Looking at what this means for building it, two details matter most. The first is offline delivery combined with end-to-end encryption. That requires the scrambled message to be stored on WhatsApp's servers and released on schedule without the servers being able to read it. The second is management. That holding area for scheduled messages needs clear rules for editing, canceling, moving to a new phone, and what happens if group membership changes before send time.

In my view, this is a small addition with large day-to-day value. Anyone who has worked across time zones knows the pattern. You think of the message now, but you do not want it to arrive at 3 a.m. for the other person. Built-in scheduling removes the workarounds of saved drafts, third-party tools and calendar reminders to send. It also makes it easier for teams living in group chats to keep to reasonable hours. Over time, technology has steadily lowered the cost of staying in touch. This continues that direction, with less interruption and more intent.