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Technology Desk | June 2026 | 5 min read |
| âš¡Â QUICK TAKEAWAYS |
| •      WhatsApp is developing scheduled messages for individual chats and, in the latest beta, group chats too. |
| •      Users will tap and hold the send button to pick a delivery date and time for a composed message. |
| •      Messages can be scheduled from 10 minutes to a maximum of two weeks ahead of the current time. |
| •      A dedicated section will list all scheduled messages, with deletion possible before delivery — recipients won’t be notified of deletions. |
| •      In groups, scheduled messages go only to members present when the message was scheduled; later joiners won’t receive it. |
WhatsApp is finally catching up on a feature rivals have offered for years. According to a report from WABetaInfo, the Meta-owned messaging app is developing scheduled messages — letting users compose a message now and have it delivered automatically at a chosen date and time. The feature, first spotted for individual chats, now appears to extend to group chats as well in the latest iOS beta build.
| 10 min
Minimum Delay earliest scheduling window |
2 Weeks
Maximum Window furthest scheduling ahead |
iOS 26.22
Latest Beta Build shows group chat support |
How Scheduled Messages Will Work
The mechanism is straightforward: users compose a message as they normally would, then tap and hold the send button instead of tapping it once. This opens a scheduling interface where users select a delivery date and time. Once scheduled, the message is queued rather than sent immediately, and WhatsApp handles delivery automatically at the chosen moment.
| Step | What Happens |
| 1. Compose | Write your message as normal in any individual or group chat |
| 2. Tap and hold send | Long-press the send button to open the scheduling option |
| 3. Pick date and time | Choose delivery time — minimum 10 minutes, maximum 2 weeks ahead |
| 4. Message queues | Appears in a dedicated Scheduled Messages section and in the chat list |
| 5. Edit or delete (optional) | Remove the message before delivery; recipient receives no notification of deletion |
| 6. Auto-delivery | Message sends automatically at the chosen time to eligible recipients |
The Scheduled Messages Section
WhatsApp is also building a dedicated section where users can view all of their pending scheduled messages in one place. From this section, users can review what is queued and delete any message before it goes out. Notably, deleting a scheduled message before delivery will not notify the recipient — the message simply never arrives, with no record visible to the other party. Scheduled messages will also be visible directly in the chat list, making it easy to spot which conversations have something waiting to be sent.
| 📅 THE GAP THIS FILLS
WhatsApp has offered scheduled calls through its Events feature for some time, but until now there has been no native way to schedule a text message. Users wanting timed delivery have had to rely on workarounds like Apple’s Shortcuts app — a clunky substitute for a feature built into competitors for years. |
Group Chat Behaviour Has a Catch
The group chat implementation comes with an important nuance. A scheduled message sent to a group will only be delivered to members who were part of that group at the time the message was scheduled. If someone joins the group after scheduling but before delivery, they will not receive the message. This design choice ties the message to the group’s membership context at the moment of creation — likely a privacy and consistency safeguard, ensuring a scheduled message doesn’t unexpectedly surface to someone who wasn’t part of the conversation when it was written.
Scheduling Limits
Two time constraints govern the feature. Messages can only be scheduled for at least 10 minutes in the future — a buffer that gives users a brief window to reconsider or adjust before the message is locked in for delivery. On the other end, the maximum scheduling window is two weeks, meaning users cannot queue messages for delivery a month or more in advance. Both limits suggest WhatsApp is positioning this as a near-term convenience tool — reminders, birthday messages, time-zone-friendly sends — rather than a long-range broadcast scheduling system.
WhatsApp vs Telegram: Catching Up
| Feature | Telegram | |
| Scheduled messages (1:1 chats) | In development | Available since 2020 |
| Scheduled messages (groups) | In development | Available |
| Scheduled calls / events | Available (Events) | Not applicable |
| Edit/delete before send | Planned | Available |
| Max scheduling window | 2 weeks (planned) | No fixed limit |
When Will It Arrive?
As of now, scheduled messages remain in development and are not available to beta testers, let alone regular users. The feature was first spotted in WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.7.10.72 for individual chats, with the newer iOS 26.22.10.76 TestFlight build showing expanded group chat support — indicating active, ongoing development across both chat types. WhatsApp has not announced an official release date. Based on the company’s typical rollout pattern, the feature is expected to reach beta testers first, with a broader stable release following once testing is complete.
Disclaimer: This article is based on reporting from WABetaInfo regarding unreleased WhatsApp beta features. The feature is under development, not available to beta testers at the time of writing, and details may change before any public release. No official launch date has been announced by WhatsApp or Meta.
