Observed Signal · Oct 12, 2026 · Product Update · Source: t3n · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
WhatsApp Develops Scheduled Messages Feature
WhatsApp is rolling out a scheduled messages feature for Android beta testers via update 2.26.40.7, as reported by WABetaInfo. Users can compose text, links, photos, or videos, then hold the send button to select a delivery time between ten minutes and two weeks in advance. Scheduled messages are end-to-end encrypted and can be sent even when the device is offline. They can be managed or deleted from the chat info section. In group chats, messages are only sent to members present at the time of scheduling. The rollout is gradual, with more accounts added in the coming weeks, and iOS testing is underway. No official release date for all users has been announced.
This news is about a feature update to a major consumer messaging platform, which could impact how brands communicate with consumers via WhatsApp, but it is not directly about advertising technology or marketing technology.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- WhatsApp's scheduled messages feature is rolling out on Android beta 2.26.40.7, with iOS testing also underway.
- Users can schedule text, links, photos, and videos to be sent between 10 minutes and 2 weeks in advance.
- Scheduled messages are end-to-end encrypted and sent even when the device is offline.
- In group chats, messages are only delivered to members in the group at the time of scheduling.
- The rollout is gradual, initially limited to Android beta testers, with no official release date for all users yet.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“WhatsApp is developing a scheduled messages feature, currently in beta.”
“According to WABetainfo, the feature is rolling out on Android beta.”
“An analysis by Meltwater and We Are Social mentions WhatsApp usage in Germany.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
WhatsApp tests scheduled messages and Liquid Glass bar
WhatsApp is testing a scheduled-messaging feature in an iOS beta (TestFlight), allowing users to compose messages in advance for one-to-one chats and groups and send them at a selected time. Scheduled messages can be set between ten minutes and two weeks after creation, are deletable, and group joiners who join after a message was scheduled will not see it. Separately, WhatsApp is developing a new iOS chat bar styled in Apple’s Liquid Glass design (introduced with iOS 26). The tests were reported by WABetaInfo and flagged by tech creator Abhishek Yadav; no official release date or Android timeline has been announced.
WhatsApp adds automatic group greeting messages
WhatsApp is testing an automatic greeting-message feature for group chats that allows group administrators to configure an optional welcome message sent automatically to new members. The message appears as an “Automatic Greeting” bubble visible only to the new member and can be customized; the option is disabled by default. WABetaInfo discovered traces of the feature first in an Android beta and later in an iOS TestFlight build, but the feature remains in development and is not yet available to beta testers. The report cites WhatsApp’s earlier group message-history feature (announced in February) and usage data showing WhatsApp’s wide adoption in Germany. No official public rollout date has been announced.
Meta Chatbot Told to Hide Data Complaint Options from WhatsApp Users
An investigation by data protection company Redact uncovered hidden AI instructions embedded in about 80 WhatsApp help pages. These instructions, intended for Meta's large language models, included directives not to mention legal documents, liability, or data protection authorities like GDPR when users raised legal issues. The instructions were accidentally exposed in the page code. After Wired contacted Meta, the company removed the leaked instructions, calling them an error. WhatsApp spokesperson Joshua Breckman stated the instructions were meant to ensure accurate and relevant chatbot responses, not to mislead users. Redact criticized the discrepancy between what users are told and what the chatbots are instructed to do, noting that the instructions remained active until mid-October 2026.
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