WhatsApp has recently announced a new editing feature that enables users to modify their messages within a 15-minute window after sending them.
As part of its global rollout plan, the Meta-owned messaging service will make the editing function available to all users in the coming weeks, as revealed in a platform blog post.
Once edited, messages will display an “edited” notification, although the edit history will remain concealed, preventing users from accessing the original content prior to modification.
To utilize this feature, users can simply press and hold on a message and select the “edit” option from the ensuing pop-up menu.
In the past, the sole recourse for rectifying hastily sent or erroneous messages was to delete and resend them. This action would be apparent to recipients as the original post would be replaced with the message “This message was deleted.”
WhatsApp expressed enthusiasm about empowering users with greater control over their conversations, stating, “From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats. All you need to do is long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to 15 minutes after.”
While competitors such as Telegram and Signal already offer message editing capabilities, Twitter introduced tweet editing functionality for select users last year. Twitter’s editing feature is exclusive to subscribers of its Twitter Blue service, granting a 30-minute editing window after a tweet has been sent.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive of Meta, highlighted the WhatsApp update on his Facebook page by showcasing a message that had been altered from “Beast of luck!” to “Best of luck!”
Meta’s other social media platform, Facebook, implemented the ability to edit posts and comments approximately a decade ago. Similarly, Instagram, also owned by Meta, allows users to edit posts but not comments.