WhatsApp has been talking about it forever (no, seriously) but the platform has finally done it. Messages can now be edited on WhatsApp. Okay, when we say ‘now’ we don’t mean right this minute – unless you’re one of the lucky few that have the latest build of the app. We certainly haven’t gotten the feature yet, though we have been watching others jealously from afar who do have the ability to edit messages.
Change is inevitable
Anyone that’s used Telegram before will know all about editing messages. Long-press a message, tap the edit button (the little pencil), and make your changes. Simple. There is one major difference, though. WhatsApp has imposed a fifteen-minute time limit on editing messages, meaning you’ll have to be fast if something needs alteration.
Our guess? This is the service’s solution to slowing the roll of users that could abuse the feature. Users that are sent an edited message cannot see its edit history, which could lead to some nasty cases of he-said-she-said. A time limit helps restrict the feature to noble uses such as typos or adding much-needed context to a message, as WhatsApp puts it.
How to edit messages on WhatsApp
Even though we’re still awaiting our turn with the feature, the process is rather simple.
- To start, make sure the message you want to edit is a recently-sent one, delivered in the previous fifteen minutes. After that, you’ll lose the ability to edit it, and it’ll be stuck in time forever. Unless you delete it entirely and just try again.
- Long-press the message, and hit those three vertical dots (also known as a Kebab menu).
- Tap ‘Edit’. If you don’t see this button, it means the feature hasn’t been rolled out to you just yet. Be patient. It’ll come.
- The message will appear in your app’s text box, allowing you to make the necessary changes. Once complete, hit the ‘Enter’ key.
- Users will receive the new message, now with an ‘Edited’ label attached to ensure the receiver isn’t a victim of gaslighting.
And you’re done. That wasn’t so hard, was it?
As we’ve said, it could take some time for the feature to reach everybody. WhatsApp has stated this is a global rollout, though it could take at least a couple of weeks before it hits the digital shelves. Keep your app up to date, be patient and it’ll arrive before you know it.