WhatsApp is now testing scheduled messages: how to send them even when the phone is off

WhatsApp has begun testing a tool that allows users to schedule messages without installing external applications The feature lets you write a text, choose the day and time for delivery, and confirm the sending from the conversation itself. This novelty aims to resolve common situations: a birthday greeting, a work reminder, or a communication that is better sent outside the time it was drafted.

The change is significant because the message can be sent automatically even if the application is closed or the phone has no connection According to tests shared by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp manages the delivery from its infrastructure, without requiring the user to keep the conversation open.

How to schedule a message on WhatsApp step by step

The process starts in an individual chat or a group. First, write the message or select a photo or video. Then, instead of tapping the green send arrow normally, you need to press and hold that button.

If the account has the feature enabled, a screen will appear to choose the date and time. The user selects the desired moment, reviews the details, and confirms the scheduling. At that moment, the message is pending, not sent immediately.

The tool allows scheduling messages with a minimum of ten minutes in advance and a maximum of fourteen days Thus, it can be used for communications planned for a few hours later as well as for reminders for the following week.

What content can be sent and what are the limits

The test versions allow text messages, links, photos, and videos In the case of multimedia material, there is a restriction: only one image or one video can be included in each scheduled send. To share multiple files, separate schedules must be prepared.

It is also possible to edit a photo or add a caption before scheduling it. Voice notes are still not included among the compatible formats.

Scheduling works in private conversations and groups. In the latter, there is a particularity: messages are delivered to those who were already part of the group when the sending was scheduled, not to people added afterward.

How to check or cancel a message before it arrives

WhatsApp includes a specific section within the information of each chat to check pending communications. From there, you can review its content and delete a schedule before the delivery occurs.

The notice that there is a pending message is private: only the person who prepared it sees it. If they decide to cancel the sending, the recipient does not receive any notification They also do not see any special indication that the message had been scheduled.

The feature maintains the end-to-end encryption that WhatsApp uses to protect conversations, according to the information shared about the tests.

Who can use the feature and when will it be available to everyone

The novelty has started to be distributed among some participants in the testing programs. In Android it was detected in beta 2.26.40.7, while in iPhone it appeared in beta 26.42.10.19, distributed via TestFlight.

Installing a compatible version does not guarantee immediate access to the tool The activation is gradual and depends on each account. To check if it is available, just write a message and hold down the send button: if the date and time selector does not appear, it has not yet been activated.

For now, Meta has not announced an official general release date Until then, scheduling will remain an experimental feature, with characteristics that could change before reaching all users.