WhatsApp is rolling out a scheduled messages feature to a limited number of Android beta testers, allowing users to prepare messages in advance and have them sent automatically at a chosen date and time. The feature is expected to support individual and group chats, with messages delivered even when the sender's phone is offline or the app is closed.
According to WABetaInfo, the feature is available to some users running WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.40.7 through the Google Play Store. A wider rollout is expected over the coming weeks, although the feature is not yet available to all users.
The development follows earlier reports in 2026 that WhatsApp was working on scheduled messaging for iOS. The Android rollout suggests the platform is moving towards bringing the functionality to more users, though a timeline for its general release has not been confirmed.
How to schedule messages on WhatsApp
Users who have access to the feature can reportedly schedule a message by typing it in a chat and tapping and holding the send button. WhatsApp is then expected to display an option to select the date and time for delivery.
The feature supports text messages and links, as well as photos and videos. However, users may be able to schedule only one photo or video at a time, rather than sending multiple media items in a single scheduled message.
Users can also reportedly edit a photo or add a caption through WhatsApp's drawing editor before scheduling it. The available scheduling window ranges from 10 minutes ahead to a maximum of two weeks, allowing users to plan messages for later in the day or well in advance.
Once the selected time arrives, WhatsApp will automatically send the scheduled message. The process is expected to work even if the app is closed or the sender's phone is offline at the time of delivery.
Scheduled messages in group chats and privacy features
The feature is also expected to work in group conversations, although there is a restriction on who receives a scheduled message. Only people who were members of the group when the message was scheduled will receive it. Anyone who joins the group afterwards is not expected to receive that message.
WhatsApp may also introduce a dedicated section in the chat information screen where users can view and manage their scheduled messages before they are sent. This would allow them to check pending messages and delete them if they change their minds.
If a scheduled message is deleted before delivery, the intended recipient is not expected to receive a notification about its cancellation. The recipient will also not be able to see that the sender had scheduled the message.
The feature is reportedly compatible with WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption, which is designed to protect the contents of messages from being read by anyone other than the intended participants.
When will the feature reach more users?
For now, scheduled messaging remains limited to a select group of Android beta testers using version 2.26.40.7, available through the Google Play Store's beta programme. Users who cannot find the scheduling option may not yet have access to the feature.
WhatsApp is expected to expand availability over the coming weeks, but there is no confirmed date for its release to all Android users. As with other features in beta testing, the functionality and availability could change before a wider rollout.
The addition would give WhatsApp users a way to plan personal greetings, reminders and work-related messages without having to remember to send them at a specific time. However, users will have to wait for wider availability before they can use the feature on their accounts.