WhatsApp Tests Scheduled Messages on iPhone Beta

WhatsApp has begun testing scheduled messages on iPhone, giving a limited group of iOS beta testers one of the app's most-requested features. The rollout comes less than two weeks after the function first appeared in the Android beta, according to WABetaInfo.

The feature arrives late for a service that Mark Zuckerberg said last year has more than 3 billion monthly active users. Rival messaging platforms have offered scheduling for years.

How it works

After typing a message, users tap and hold the send button. WhatsApp then opens a schedule screen with a date and time picker. A green button at the bottom confirms the choice and shows the exact delivery time. Once scheduled, a confirmation appears in the chat, visible only to the person who set it up.

Messages can be scheduled as little as 10 minutes ahead or up to two weeks in advance. Scheduled items are listed in a dedicated section of the chat info screen, or the group info screen in group chats.

Beyond text, users can schedule photos, videos and links. One limitation: multiple photos or videos can't be scheduled in a single batch, so each media item has to be scheduled separately.

A group chat quirk

In group chats, a scheduled message is delivered only to people who were already members when it was scheduled. Anyone who joins afterward won't receive it, even if they join before the send time.

What comes next

As with most beta features, scheduling is limited to select testers, and there is no way to switch it on manually. WhatsApp has not announced a public release date. With testing now running on both iOS and Android, a wider rollout could follow before long.