WhatsApp tests scheduled messages on Android beta, with delivery up to two weeks ahead
WhatsApp is testing a feature that lets users schedule messages between 10 minutes and two weeks ahead. Access is limited to some Android beta testers for now, with wider rollout expected in the coming weeks.
What WhatsApp is testing
WhatsApp has started testing a message scheduling feature in its Android beta, a function users have requested for years. Reports published on 12 October 2026 say the feature is reaching some beta testers now and will extend to more users in the coming weeks. Europa Press cited beta version 2.26.40.7, while Engadget and Spider's Web cited 2.26.8.11 for the same test. Engadget said users wanted scheduling for recurring reminders, managing time zones and handling business messages outside working hours. Telegram has offered message scheduling since 2019, and WhatsApp's version works in a similar way. Spider's Web described the feature as a way to write a message now and have it sent up to two weeks later.
How scheduling works
To schedule a message, a user types it into a chat and holds the send button instead of tapping it. A panel opens at the bottom of the screen where the delivery date and time can be chosen. The message is sent at the chosen time even if the device is offline or the app is closed. Scheduled messages can contain text, links, photos and videos, and they remain protected by end-to-end encryption. Only one photo or one video can be attached to a single scheduled message. Scheduled messages appear in a dedicated section of the chat info screen, where they can be viewed, managed and deleted before they are sent.
Limits and group chats
A message must be scheduled at least 10 minutes ahead and no more than two weeks ahead. In group chats, the message is delivered only to members who were in the group when it was scheduled, so someone who joins later will not receive it. Recipients are not told that a message was scheduled, and they receive no notification if the sender deletes it before delivery. WaBetaInfo said recipients cannot see that a message was held at all. Users who schedule a message can therefore change or cancel it without the recipient knowing it existed.
Why scheduling matters for work messages
Scheduling matters most for work communication, since several European countries restrict contacting employees outside working hours. France gave employees a right to ignore after-hours email in 2017 for firms with more than 50 staff, and Italy legislated the same year. Spain and Belgium followed in 2018, Belgium legislated again in 2022, and Portugal, Ireland and Greece did so in 2021. Slovakia legislated in 2024. Portugal's labour code restricts contacting staff outside working hours except in emergencies, with inspectorate fines attached.
- France gives employees a right to ignore after-hours email for firms with more than 50 staff; Italy legislates the same year
- Spain and Belgium legislate limits on after-hours work contact
- Portugal, Ireland and Greece legislate limits on after-hours work contact
- Belgium legislates again on after-hours work contact
- Slovakia legislates limits on after-hours work contact
Because a scheduled message carries only its send time, a message written late at night and delivered in the morning would appear to have been written at the delivery time. The feature therefore changes the timestamp that recipients see rather than the hours during which a message was written.
Availability
The feature is currently visible to some testers in the Android beta. Europa Press and Engadget both say it will reach more accounts in the coming weeks. WhatsApp has not announced when the feature will reach all users, and details may still change before launch. Users who want to test it need to be enrolled in the WhatsApp beta program on the Google Play Store, according to GSM Arena. The feature has been reported only for Android so far.
