You'll soon be able to edit WhatsApp messages. But there’s one major catch

Messaging giant WhatsApp will allow users to edit their message but there’s a time limit on the new feature.

Whatsapp

The global messaging giant WhatsApp has rolled out a long-awaited new feature. Credit: Fabian Sommer/DPA

Key Points
  • WhatsApp has announced it will let users edit messages.
  • Messages can only be edited within 15 minutes of publication.
  • Other messaging services already allow users to edit texts.
WhatsApp users will soon be allowed to edit their messages but within 15 minutes of it being sent.

The messaging giant, which is owned by Facebook's parent company Meta, is rolling out the edit feature to all users globally in the coming weeks.

“From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats,” WhatsApp said in a blog post.
“All you need to do is long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to fifteen minutes after.”

Messages that have been edited will be shown as ‘edited’ next to them to notify the receiver of the change.

The edit history won’t be displayed.

“As with all personal messages, media and calls, your messages and the edits you make are protected by end-to-end encryption,” WhatsApp said.
The move has been long-awaited by users keen to fix up typos or auto-corrected mistakes.

Competitor messaging apps Telegram and Signal allow users to edit messages already.

Social media giant Twitter last year announced it would give paying subscribers the ability to edit their tweets.

But there's a slightly longer time limit with users able to edit a few times within 30 minutes of publication.

Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: SBS News


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
WhatsApp to roll out edit messages funcion | SBS News