WhatsApp may finally be bringing an edit button into its app to let users fix those pesky typos. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the company is once again developing an edit message feature, which first popped up about five years ago but was never seen again until now.
From the report, the edit button allows users to change a message after it has already been sent. This would be quite useful for fixing minor typos instead of just deleting the message for everyone. Of course, it could also be used for pranks or maybe even for manipulative or misleading purposes, which is one of Twitter’s main concerns about adding an edit button.
WhatsApp was planning to develop the ability to edit messages more than 5 years ago. Finally it is back 😅😍 https://t.co/WZLfdwrqNt
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) May 31, 2022
Because the feature is still under development, we don’t yet know what the finalised product will look like. For now, WABetaInfo noted that there is no way to check a message’s edit history, something that even Twitter is considering to add in its edit feature.
There are also no details on the time window in which a user would be allowed to change the contents of sent messages. The report claims that WhatsApp will be bringing the message edit feature to all its platforms, including iOS, Android, and desktop.
As usual with beta feature leaks, you should take it with a pinch of salt as it is unknown when or if these features will ever see the light of day with a wide rollout.
Meanwhile, it is unclear how this would work with disappearing messages, which have a timer to delete themselves after a set period of time. It is not known whether you would be able to edit disappearing messages that are “kept“, a feature that is also in the works.
WhatsApp has already added a list of new features recently to expand on how we message each other and interact with messages, including emoji reactions, pause-and-resume voice recording, and custom stickers. The Facebook subsidiary also rolled out a Communities feature that lets you organise and connect with other groups with similar interests.
(Source: WABetaInfo.)
