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WhatsApp Adds Scheduled Message Testing to iPhone Beta App

iPhone beta testers can now time their chat deliveries between ten minutes and two weeks in advance, even if their phone goes offline.

By Release Notes

The Software Desk · (2 hours ago)

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WhatsApp interface on a smartphone screen showing chat messages.
WhatsApp interface on a smartphone screen showing chat messages.Photo via GSMArena

WhatsApp is finally letting iPhone owners queue up texts ahead of time. After kicking off a trial run for Android earlier this month, the Meta-owned platform is pushing scheduled messaging to select testers through Apple's TestFlight program.

The feature arrives in WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.42.10.19, following months of background work dating back to at least February. It mirrors the exact setup introduced on Android. After typing out text or pasting a link, a long press on the send icon pulls up a date and time selector. A green button at the base of the interface confirms the queue time.

There are precise limits on how far out you can plan. The earliest window sits at 10 minutes from the moment of setup, while the furthest reaches two weeks into the future. Once timed, your queue dispatches reliably: the message fires at the chosen minute even if your phone lacks an internet connection or stays powered down.

Media limits and group mechanics

The scheduler handles text, links, photos, and video clips. If you want to delay an image or a clip, the interface limits you to a single file per scheduled dispatch. You access it by holding down the send arrow inside the drawing editor window.

Privacy stays standard for the platform. These queued dispatches keep end-to-end encryption intact. Within your active conversation, a confirmation marker stays visible only on your side. If you change your mind before delivery strikes, a dedicated queue directory tucked inside the chat info screen lets you review or erase pending items. Trashing a scheduled entry happens silently without alerting the other party.

Group conversations come with an interesting privacy safeguard. If you queue a message inside a group chat, delivery only reaches members present when you initially timed the send. Anyone who joins the room during the intervening days will never see the queued post land in the chat stream.

Meta has not provided an official public release date for scheduled messages across regular stable builds on Android or iOS. For now, access remains restricted to registered beta users, with availability spreading to more testers over the coming weeks.

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How this story was made

Written by the Hitechreports desk from the reporting credited above, with facts attributed to their original publishers. We do not test devices ourselves; anything about performance, battery life or cameras comes from the outlets that did. Prices are as reported at the time of writing. Editorial policy · Report an error

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