WhatsApp Starts Testing Scheduled Messages on Android

WhatsApp is finally moving towards a feature many users have wanted for years: the ability to schedule a message and let the app send it later. The feature has started rolling out to a limited number of Android beta testers, according to reporting by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo on October 12, 2026.

Instead of waiting for the right moment to press Send, users will reportedly be able to write a message in advance, select a delivery date and time, and leave WhatsApp to handle the rest. The feature is expected to work in both individual conversations and group chats, potentially making the messaging app more useful for personal reminders, family communications, and everyday work.

The rollout is still limited, however. Most WhatsApp users may not see the option yet, and Meta has not announced when scheduled messaging will reach the stable version available to everyone.

How WhatsApp Scheduled Messages Will Work

According to WABetaInfo's report, the scheduling feature has appeared in WhatsApp's Android beta development, with access being enabled for selected testers. The report identifies a compatible beta build as version 2.26.40.7, although installing a particular version does not guarantee that the feature will appear for every account.

The proposed process is straightforward. Users compose a message as they normally would, then press and hold the Send button to access the scheduling option. A date-and-time selector reportedly allows them to choose when the message should be delivered.

The reported scheduling window ranges from 10 minutes to two weeks in advance. That gives users room to plan anything from a short reminder later in the day to a birthday greeting for a date several days away.

The feature is also expected to support more than plain text. Reports indicate that users will be able to schedule links, photos, and videos, giving them greater flexibility when preparing messages for friends, family members, colleagues, or group conversations.

These details come from beta-feature reporting rather than a public product announcement from Meta. The interface and capabilities could therefore change as development continues.

Users Could Manage Messages Before They Are Sent

Scheduling a message is useful, but being able to manage it afterwards is just as important. A message prepared days in advance might become outdated, contain a mistake, or simply no longer need to be sent.

WABetaInfo reports that WhatsApp is working on a dedicated section where users can view scheduled messages before delivery. The reported controls include the ability to manage or delete pending messages, giving users a chance to change their plans before the scheduled time.

For example, someone preparing a meeting reminder could review the message before it goes out. A family member could also remove a birthday greeting if they decide to send a different message instead.

The exact editing options and final interface should be treated cautiously until the feature is more widely tested. Deleting a pending message is different from editing it, and the available reports do not establish that every possible editing control will be included in the final release.

WhatsApp Messages Could Be Sent Even When the Phone Is Offline

One of the most notable details in recent coverage is the reported ability to deliver scheduled messages even when the sender's phone is offline at the selected time.

If this behavior works as described in testing, users would not need to keep WhatsApp open and watch the clock to send a planned message. That could make the feature more convenient for people who prepare communications ahead of time or who may not have reliable access to their phones throughout the day.

Reports also indicate that scheduled messages will retain WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption. This is important because convenience should not come at the expense of the privacy protections users expect from personal messaging.

However, the precise delivery behavior, technical implementation, and any limitations have not been fully documented in an official public announcement. Users should wait for the final release details before relying on the feature for time-sensitive communications.

Why Scheduled Messages Could Be Useful

The appeal of message scheduling is easy to understand. People regularly think of something they need to send but cannot always send it at the most appropriate time.

A birthday message is a simple example. Someone can prepare a greeting earlier in the day and schedule it for midnight rather than staying awake to send it manually. The same approach could help with event reminders, planned announcements, study-group messages, and meeting notifications.

For small businesses and freelancers, scheduled messages could also simplify routine communication. A service provider might prepare a reminder about an appointment, while a team member could arrange for a project update to reach a group at a suitable time.

Scheduling would not replace dedicated business messaging tools or guarantee that a recipient reads a message. Its main advantage is reducing the need to remember to send something at a particular moment.

Users should also consider the context of group messages. A scheduled announcement may no longer be relevant by delivery time, so reviewing pending messages before they are sent could become an important habit.

WhatsApp Is Catching Up With an Established Messaging Feature

Scheduled messaging is not a new concept. Competing messaging services, including Telegram, have offered ways to send messages later, making the absence of a native scheduling option in WhatsApp increasingly noticeable to users who rely on several communication apps.

WhatsApp users have previously depended on workarounds, including device automation features, to prepare messages for later delivery. A built-in option could provide a more direct experience inside the app and reduce the need for separate tools.

The bigger benefit may be consistency. When scheduling is integrated into the messaging interface, users can potentially prepare, review, and manage messages in the same place where they normally communicate.

That does not mean WhatsApp will immediately match every scheduling feature offered by competing services. Support for recurring messages, advanced automation, and other scheduling options has not been confirmed in the reports reviewed for this article.

When Will WhatsApp Scheduled Messages Be Available to Everyone?

For now, scheduled messaging remains a limited beta rollout rather than a feature confirmed for all Android users. WABetaInfo reports that availability is being expanded gradually, but Meta has not provided a confirmed public launch date.

Users who cannot find a scheduling option in WhatsApp should not assume that their app is broken. Beta features are frequently enabled for selected accounts, and availability can depend on server-side testing as well as the installed version.

The safest approach is to keep WhatsApp updated through its official app distribution channel and wait for the feature to become available to the account. Installing a beta version alone does not guarantee access, and users do not need to download unofficial app packages to obtain a feature that has not reached them.

An iPhone version of scheduled messaging has also been reported as being under development, but its availability and release timeline should be considered separate from the Android rollout.

WhatsApp's move towards scheduled messages could make a familiar app more convenient without fundamentally changing how people use it. The key question now is how quickly the feature moves beyond a limited group of testers and which scheduling controls survive the testing process.

Until Meta confirms a wider release, users should treat the feature as an emerging addition rather than something already available on every WhatsApp account.

Sources

• WABetaInfo — WhatsApp Is Rolling Out Scheduled Messages on Android Beta
• Gadgets 360 — WhatsApp May Soon Allow Android Users to Schedule Messages, Photos and Videos
• 9to5Mac — WhatsApp Is Finally Working on Scheduled Messages