WhatsApp has started testing scheduled messages on iOS, bringing a long-awaited feature closer to iPhone users. The trial follows the feature’s earlier appearance in Android beta. Selected testers can access it through WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.42.10.19 on Apple’s TestFlight platform. A wider rollout could follow in the coming weeks.
The feature allows users to choose when their messages should be sent. Users can type a message, then press and hold the send button to open date and time options. A green confirmation button displays the selected sending time. Messages can be scheduled from 10 minutes ahead to as far as two weeks later.
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Scheduled messages will send even when WhatsApp is not online. Users can schedule text, links, photos and videos, although media attachments must be scheduled separately. The feature also maintains end-to-end encryption for scheduled messages. This helps protect users’ conversations while offering greater control over when messages reach recipients.
Users will find their scheduled messages in a dedicated section within the chat information page. They can also delete a scheduled message before it sends, without notifying the recipient. In group chats, only members present when the message was scheduled will receive it. Anyone who joins the group later will not see that scheduled message.
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The new feature follows years of requests from users seeking more flexibility in managing their conversations. Rival messaging services, including iMessage, already offer similar scheduling options. However, WhatsApp has not announced when scheduled messages will become available to everyone on iOS and Android. For now, access remains limited to selected beta testers.