After years of workarounds, reminders, and “don’t forget to send this” anxiety, WhatsApp may soon introduce one of its most requested features: native message scheduling.
According to reports from WABetaInfo, the Meta-owned messaging platform is developing a built-in scheduling tool spotted in the latest iOS beta. While the feature isn’t live yet, early signs suggest it could significantly streamline how users manage conversations.
Most major messaging apps already allow users to schedule texts, whether it’s a midnight birthday message, a timed work reminder, or a coordinated community announcement.
Until now, WhatsApp has notably lagged behind. But now, the new beta findings indicate that users will soon be able to compose a message and select a specific date and time to automatically send it without further action.
Scheduled messages will reportedly appear in a dedicated “Scheduled Messages” section, where users can review, edit, or delete them before they’re sent.
The feature is expected to work across both individual and group chats. It remains unclear whether WhatsApp Channels will support scheduling as well.
Currently, many WhatsApp users rely on external tools, such as Apple’s Shortcuts app, to schedule messages. It’s functional, but far from seamless. A native solution would reduce friction in everyday messaging. More importantly, it brings WhatsApp closer to feature parity with competing messaging platforms that have long offered this functionality.
On the surface, scheduling may seem like a minor upgrade. But in reality, it shifts WhatsApp from being purely reactive (real-time messaging) to partially asynchronous, a subtle but meaningful evolution.
It transforms the app from “I need to remember to send this” to “It’s handled.”
That’s not just convenience. That’s cognitive relief.
There’s no official rollout date yet. As with most WhatsApp features, scheduling will likely expand through beta testing before arriving in a stable release.
But if this lands soon, it won’t just be a new feature. It’ll be WhatsApp finally catching up to how people actually communicate.