WhatsApp finally lets you edit messages, but you have to be fast

You've got 15 minutes. Tick-tock.
 By 
Stan Schroeder
 on 
WhatsApp edit messages
Long press, then edit. Credit: WhatsApp

The reports were right: WhatsApp has added the ability to edit messages you've already sent.

It works like this: Long-press a message you've already sent and select "Edit" from the dropdown menu. Once you've edited a message, it will get a small label saying "Edited" at the bottom, letting your chat friends know that the message's been changed, though they won't be able to see edit history.

You can't just go and change any old message, though. There's a 15-minute window in which you can edit a message, after which it becomes uneditable.


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The feature is already rolling out to users globally, but it may take a few weeks until it becomes available for everyone.

WhatsApp added the ability to delete messages five years ago, but editing is a highly requested feature that allows you to correct typos and the like instead of having to send additional messages clarifying that it was your dog, not your dad, who pooped on the floor.

The company's been on fire lately, adding roughly one new feature per week. Some recently introduced features include the ability to message yourself, post voice notes as statuses, set expiration dates on groups, save disappearing messages, and lock and hide your chats.

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

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