WhatsApp is testing scheduled messages for select Android beta users. The feature will allow you to automatically send texts, links, photos, and videos at a chosen time. This marks a major addition to the messaging platform. According to feature tracker WABetaInfo, “ The functionality is available to some users running WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.40.7. The company has not announced a timeline for a wider release.”
The feature lets users compose a message and choose when it reaches the recipient. To schedule a message, users need to open an individual or group chat, type their message, and press and hold the ‘Send’ button. A scheduling interface will appear, and they can select the delivery date and time.
Users can schedule messages from 10 minutes to two weeks in advance. This helps them prepare birthday wishes, reminders, work updates, and other messages ahead of time. WhatsApp will deliver the message automatically at the selected time, even if the sender's phone is offline or the app is closed.
Users can also select a photo or video from the gallery and schedule its delivery through the same press-and-hold gesture. They can schedule media after editing it or adding a caption as well.
However, the current beta implementation supports only a single photo or video per scheduled message. The WhatsApp feature will include a dedicated section in the chat information screen. Users can access this section to review and delete messages before their scheduled delivery time. Recipients cannot see if the sender had scheduled the message.
The feature also supports group conversations, but the app will send a scheduled message only to members who belong to the group when the sender scheduled it. People who join the group afterwards will not receive that message. The company is yet to confirm a stable release date or announce general availability for Android and iPhone users.
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