WhatsApp releases feature to edit already sent messages

WhatsApp is releasing a new feature that allows users to edit already sent messages within fifteen minutes. The feature is now rolling out globally and should be available to everyone “in the coming weeks.”

After sending, WhatsApp users can long press a message within fifteen minutes, after which the option ‘edit’ appears in a menu, writes the chat service. Once edited, a message remains marked as such; the sender and recipient can therefore see that a message has been modified and at what time.

There is no edit history available, so previous versions of the message cannot be viewed or restored. As far as we know, the edit feature is coming to both the mobile and web versions of WhatsApp, as the feature was previously tested for those platforms in beta releases.

Until now it was only possible via WhatsApp to delete already sent messages, after which the sender can send a possible correction. In that case, a former speech bubble with the text “You have deleted this message” will always remain visible in the conversation. The editing function has been tested among beta testers for some time.

Image via Meta/Whatsapp