14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that WhatsApp wanted to be more like iMessage and Telegram and let users edit their sent messages, but since the first time this feature was spotted, the company has been pretty much tight-lipped about it.
Furthermore, the most recent beta builds didn’t include any signs that the development on this front is making progress, and as such, some people believed WhatsApp has given up on options to edit messages.
But now it looks like this isn’t the case.
WABetaInfo discovered that the latest beta build that is now available for iPhone testers includes the option to edit messages once again.
And what’s more, it also comes with a series of improvements, providing us with a closer look at how the feature is supposed to work when it finally goes live for everybody.
Launch later this year?
WhatsApp is embracing an approach similar to Apple, and it wants users to be able to edit their messages for a maximum of 15 minutes after they are sent. This means that once you send a message, you have a total of 15 minutes to make any edits, after which the limit expires and you are no longer allowed to edit.
Then, every modification is marked with an “edited” label, so that all the other users who are part of the conversation will know that you’ve changed your message. However, unlike iMessage, which displays a history of edits, WhatsApp will stick with that generic label without telling users what you actually changed.
The feature will only work for text messages, and isn’t supported for images, videos, and document captions.
Still in the beta stage, it could go live later this year, especially as it’s already available for testing on both iPhone and Android.