WhatsApp will let you edit messages within a 15-minute window
WhatsApp has announced that it has added a message editing option in its app. The long-requested feature will allow users to correct typos or add something to a text easily.
The edit option was tested in the beta version of the apps for a few weeks before it was announced by Meta.
How to edit messages in WhatsApp for iOS
1. Send a text to one of your contacts or a group.
2. Long-press on the message and tap the edit option in the menu.
3. Fix any typos or other errors in the message and tap on send.
Image courtesy: WhatsApp
How to edit messages in WhatsApp for android
1. Send a text message to your contact, and long-press on it.
2. Tap the three-dot menu button, and select edit.
3. Edit the message, and tap the send button.
Limitations in WhatsApp's message editing feature
The feature is a welcome on, but there's a catch. You may only edit messages in WhatsApp within a 15-minute window, beyond which the option will not be available. A message that you edited will be marked with an "edited" tag next to a time-stamp, to indicate that the text was modified by the sender. The app will not display the edit history in the chat, so don't worry, your contact won't be able to see your typo. You may edit a message multiple times.
If you forget to edit a message within 15 minutes of sending it, you can always choose to delete it. The delete option also has a time-limit, but it's a lot more generous, you have until 60 hours to remove it. The issue with deleting a message is that WhatsApp will leave a remnant that says "You deleted this message", so others in the chat will know you deleted something, though they won't be able to see the content. That's why the option to edit messages will be a better option to fix typos, it's a cleaner way to fix your mistakes, and you won't have to retype or copy/paste the rest of the message.
The 15-minute time limit to edit messages seems to be a bit on the shorter side, but it is worth noting that the messenger app had a similar limit for the delete option before it was extended. So there is a chance that the edit feature gets the same treatment. In comparison, Telegram allows you to edit messages for up to 48 hours, has no time limit for deleting old messages, and doesn't leave a mark behind when you delete something. WhatsApp's edit option is actually quite similar to the feature that Apple introduced in iMessage last year, it also has a 15-minute restriction to edit messages.
The message editing option in WhatsApp is available in the mobile app on iOS, Android, and on WhatsApp Web. Hopefully, it will also be added in WhatsApp's desktop apps.
A blog article on the service's website says that WhatsApp's edit feature is rolling out to users, so don't be surprised if you don't see the option. It may take a few weeks before it is available for everyone.
Best feature of the year, so highly needed this option. Thanks @Ashwin for the article! :]
However the worst side of Whatsapp is the advice of “this message has been deleted” when you delete both messages (yours and the sent one). If I want to delete something I don’t want to leave a trace of the message itself. Everytime I have deleted something the other side always asked me about what I did I write. It’s more annoying to answer than leaving the wrong message, for sure.