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WhatsApp has allowed some iPhone beta testers to schedule messages up to two weeks in advance.
The feature is rolling out in WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.42.10.19, which is distributed through Apple’s TestFlight, according to WABetaInfo, a site that tracks WhatsApp beta builds. It arrives less than two weeks after WhatsApp began testing the same feature with Android beta users. WhatsApp has not announced when scheduled messages will reach all users.
WhatsApp is rolling out scheduled messages on iOS beta!
WhatsApp is finally introducing a feature that lets users decide when they want to send their messages.https://t.co/fkR8o954Sj pic.twitter.com/dZIYjNegpE
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) October 21, 2026
How it works
Users type a message and tap and hold the send button. WhatsApp then opens a screen with a date and time picker. A green button at the bottom confirms the choice and shows the exact delivery time. After you schedule the message, a confirmation appears in the chat that only the sender can see.
Below are the main details reported so far:
- Timing: The earliest delivery time is 10 minutes from now. The latest is two weeks ahead.
- Content: Supports text, links, photos, and videos. You can schedule photos and videos from the drawing editor screen, and each scheduled message can include only one photo or video.
- Encryption: Scheduled messages are end-to-end encrypted, like other WhatsApp messages.
- Delivery: WhatsApp sends the message at the chosen time even if the app is closed or the device is offline.
Managing scheduled messages
To be delivered/Scheduled messages appear in a dedicated section of the chat info screen. In group chats, the same section is available from the group info screen. Users can review a message there and delete it at any time before it is sent. The recipient will not be notified when a scheduled message is deleted.
In a group chat, a scheduled message goes only to people who were members when it was scheduled. Anyone who joins the group afterward does not receive it. However, people who do not have the scheduling feature can still receive scheduled messages.
Limited availability
The scheduled messages feature is available only to some testers. WhatsApp is rolling it out gradually, so installing the beta doesn’t guarantee access. More accounts should get it over the coming weeks.
Several points still remain unclear. There is no public release date for iOS or Android, and beta features can change before a full launch. The reports also don’t explain how WhatsApp stores and delivers scheduled messages when the sender’s device is offline.
Final Note
WABetaInfo first found signs of the feature in an iOS beta (version 26.7.10.72) in February, but testers couldn’t access it then. The Android rollout, in beta version 2.26.40.7, was reported on October 12.
Until now, iPhone users who wanted scheduled WhatsApp messages had to rely on workarounds such as Apple’s Shortcuts app, which requires setting up an automation manually. Telegram has offered scheduled messages since September 2019.
