WhatsApp’s scheduled messages are finally making their way onto the iPhone. We first saw the feature pop up way back in February 2026. Then, just last week, the feature became usable for select Android beta testers.
Now, it’s arriving to the iPhone, with WhatsApp rolling out scheduled messages to some iOS beta testers running version 26.42.10.19 through TestFlight. The WABetaInfo report says that access will expand to additional testers over the coming weeks, although WhatsApp still hasn’t announced when everyone will get it.
It works just like the Android version
After composing a message, you can press and hold the send button to bring up a date and time selector. WhatsApp lets you schedule delivery anywhere from 10 minutes to two weeks in advance, and the feature works with individual conversations and group chats. You can queue text messages, links, photos, and videos, although only one piece of media can currently be scheduled at a time.
Messages also don’t require your iPhone to remain online when the scheduled time arrives. WhatsApp handles the delivery even if the app is closed or your device is offline. This can be quite handy for exactly the use case we joked about when Android got it, which is scheduling the midnight birthday message ahead of time and enjoy your sleep.
You can change your mind before it sends
Scheduled messages appear inside a dedicated section on the chat or group info screen, where you can review and delete them before delivery. The recipient won’t know that you scheduled a message, and deleting one before it goes out doesn’t generate a notification either. Scheduled messages retain WhatsApp’s usual end-to-end encryption.
Group chats have one notable limitation though. A scheduled message only goes to people who were members when you created it. Anyone joining the group afterward won’t suddenly receive something written before they arrived.
The rollout brings iPhone and Android considerably closer to parity. Android beta testers got access earlier this month, while the iOS implementation had remained under development despite being the platform where evidence of scheduled messages first appeared back in February. Stable WhatsApp users still have to wait, so don’t cancel that midnight alarm just yet.
