WhatsApp will now let you edit messages with iMessage-style time limit and more

WhatsApp is finally rolling out the ability for users to edit their messages after they’ve been sent

Mark Zuckerberg announced today

[{"selector":"#anim-8feb588d-3394-4c9d-842b-729b130a525c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f345695b-5e00-4f21-b632-3bc0d1d2fc26","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 132.88634%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90341722-9922-4141-9c47-173495282fb3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-096e2127-f463-48c6-9244-f860c20b3203","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.50143%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

This is one of the most often-requested features among WhatsApp users

[{"selector":"#anim-af4b0aaf-f83a-4685-a9fc-7fd9fef7f338 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 1.014429360452095%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e68ea692-38ea-4256-8999-0c6dec2a3964","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0afbd209-80ba-43ed-a6bd-4ece61d2b0cd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 132.88634%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f040e169-589b-4914-b361-192261abbe3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88c46abd-e2ed-4412-9794-5be35d90a38a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18625%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

and it comes after Apple launched the ability to edit iMessages as part of iOS 16 last year.

[{"selector":"#anim-51333dd4-2061-4fab-b4f5-85dd82a476ec [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(28.90624987200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43623b43-4a7e-4215-86aa-05a8a02b9dbe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a73a06f9-dd8d-4806-87be-d91872038c91","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 132.88634%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-778a7b22-14e6-416a-aec8-4ee62a2a3279","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa0c3348-865c-4508-bc0f-11aec3a122a1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.75359%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

WhatsApp announced the launch of this feature in a blog post on Monday morning. According to the company

[{"selector":"#anim-1053ddb0-0c4c-41ae-92d9-cb763b2f39e1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.21370958162876%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fc462895-428b-44ff-882c-4cbb996859b1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-576979b6-9679-4e44-9a65-5c566313e48f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 115.61111%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f60f3428-7531-4981-a8c4-9435bfec4e71","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a41cee3-6a4f-4c03-94b4-79123fc76587","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.75359%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

WhatsApp users will be able to edit messages up to 15 minutes after they’ve been sent

[{"selector":"#anim-2f4d4396-d3b7-487a-83f8-6f1a2dfac691 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.98253678306748%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f24166db-b3a2-4486-98a5-8dab1749e9b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e9dbf15-7945-471a-b610-118262bd5bb1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 136.01308%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6e8cd71-eb1e-4675-b030-d10ebcf85152","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28d8b09a-08dc-4002-8836-af7203476de8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.75359%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The feature can be accessed by long-pressing on the message and choosing the edit option.

[{"selector":"#anim-4b929066-fecd-4a45-b8e9-505329d2c9e2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-10.707720627505148%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95d4136a-064e-4804-a0a9-cb79f670c0a8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7c127c2-ceb8-4b7c-9a57-090cb91af2ae","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 136.01308%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4196b693-081e-4864-969a-033e02b3348f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5682c24-be76-42ad-9984-94a6ff6030f2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.75359%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The 15-minute time limit is identical to the limit imposed by Apple for editing iMessages. Apple also limits iMessages to only being edited five different times

[{"selector":"#anim-27cf09ff-b68a-4e19-ae2a-2e71d028a4e2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.90624987200394%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-495c56fe-4c9d-49bd-831c-f7c040311b80","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f602f61-3e90-4865-b941-07418cf094e3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 182.42339%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-52aaa052-6b97-4894-80bc-043bee47bc6b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f260e7ed-eceb-4139-b4e4-3e2c05b7f7eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.10204%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more