How to edit WhatsApp messages after sending (and why it isn’t working)

WhatsApp has released a new feature that allows users to edit messages after sending them. In recent years, several messaging apps have introduced features enabling users to unsend or edit messages with typos, grammatical errors, or wrong information. Most recently, Apple released the edit message feature for iMessage with a 15-minute time cap, and WhatsApp is following suit.

Editing a message on WhatsApp is very easy. All users need to do is press and hold a message, then select the ‘Edit’ button from the pop-up menu. They can then change the message in the text field and resend it. The new message will be displayed with an ‘Edited’ tag and a time stamp, indicating when it was edited. Editing messages on WhatsApp has been a long-requested feature, and one that has been available on other messaging apps like Telegram for years.

Why You Can’t Edit WhatsApp Messages

Since WhatsApp has a large user base, it might be a while before the edit message feature is available for everyone. In an official blog post, WhatsApp says the “feature has started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.” If users don’t see the edit button yet, they’ll need to wait until the update is available for their device. Those who have turned off auto app updates can manually check if a newer version is available by searching for WhatsApp on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and tapping the ‘Update’ button if available.

Although WhatsApp now allows users to modify messages after sending them, this can only be done within 15 minutes of sending the message, similar to Apple’s iMessage. If more than 15 minutes have passed since a user has sent a message, they won’t see the edit option. Competitor apps like Telegram offer up to 48 hours to modify messages. WhatsApp’s shorter time limit reduces the chances of people misusing the feature, as users who realize they’ve made a genuine typo or error will usually want to change their message immediately.

Before the edit message feature, WhatsApp users only had the option to delete a message they wanted to unsend. Like deleted messages, edited messages on WhatsApp will be displayed with a disclaimer, so that recipients are aware the contents have been edited. However, unlike iMessage, WhatsApp doesn’t reveal the user’s edit history, so any embarrassing typos will be hidden.