WhatsApp brings message scheduling to Android beta according to reports

Android Beta Testing and Deployment Details

The scheduling feature is currently restricted to select participants in the WhatsApp beta program on Android, according to WABetaInfo, with a broader public rollout expected in the coming weeks. Dataconomy noted the feature’s appearance in build 2.26.8.11, confirming that test access remains limited while engineers prepare the option for a general release. WABetaInfo also previously spotted the feature in the Android build 2.26.40.7 during internal testing. The public version of WhatsApp lacks this tool, which has previously been present only on the Business version of the application designed for professionals. iPhone users will also need to wait for further details regarding a potential iOS version, as the currently spotted beta concerns solely Android.

Users can schedule text messages, web links, photos, and videos. To set a delayed transmission, an individual drafts a message within a chat and performs a long press on the send button to open a scheduling menu. PhonAndroid specified that media sharing is currently capped at a single photo or video per scheduled entry, preventing multi-file batch scheduling. Users can additionally program an image dispatch directly from the image editor, which is the menu enabling modifications or caption additions prior to sending.

Timing Restrictions and Offline Delivery Mechanics

Messages can be scheduled between 10 minutes and two weeks in advance, with Lebigdata.fr specifying an outer boundary of 14 days. Unlike standard drafts that require an active connection at the exact moment of dispatch, these scheduled posts transmit automatically at the designated hour even if the smartphone is turned off or disconnected from the internet, as detailed by Siècle Digital.

This option facilitates reminders, birthday greetings, or professional exchanges, sparing users from forgetting important communications or contacting colleagues at improbable hours, such as warning co-workers about a Monday morning meeting as early as Friday without disturbing anyone over the weekend. The recipient does not need to possess the feature to receive a scheduled message.

Once a message is queued, it appears within a dedicated section inside the conversation information screen. Senders can inspect, modify, or delete pending items before transmission. Lebigdata.fr noted that if a user cancels a scheduled message, the intended recipient receives no notification of the cancellation.

Group Chat Rules and Competitive Context

The scheduling tool functions inside both individual conversations and group chats.

Telegram also enables scheduling specific dispatches based on a contact’s online presence. Despite the late arrival, Presse-citron pointed out that Meta’s version retains end-to-end encryption across all scheduled text, links, and media.

Global Footprint

WhatsApp counts more than 2 billion active users across the four corners of the globe, including 32 million in France alone.