WhatsApp finally lets you edit sent messages. Here’s how to do it

By Trevor Mogg Published May 23, 2023

WhatsApp has announced a much-requested edit feature that lets you alter a message within 15 minutes of sending it.

“From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats,” Meta-owned WhatsApp said in a blog post introducing the handy feature.

Recommended Videos

Up to now, the only way to change a WhatsApp message was by quickly deleting it and then creating a new one, though, of course, the recipient/s may have had a chance to read the original message. The new edit feature also carries the same risk, though it offers a more convenient way to alter a message as you can just focus on the correction that you need to make instead of having to rewrite the entire message.

WhatsApp said the new edit feature has started rolling out globally and will be available to everyone “in the coming weeks.”

How to use it

To use WhatsApp’s edit feature, simply long-press on a sent message and choose Edit from the menu for up to 15 minutes after you sent it.

Edited messages will show with an ‘edited’ label so that whoever receives it will be aware that a correction was made, though no edit history will be available to view.

WhatsApp also confirms that as with all personal messages, media, and calls, your messages — and any edits that you make — are protected by end-to-end encryption.

WhatsApp started out in 2009 and picked up around a quarter of a million users in its first year before growing to 400 million users over the next four years. Facebook (now Meta) acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 and the messaging app now has several billion monthly active users around the world.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Topics

Phones

I visited Infinix’s first global flagship store, and it’s unlike any phone store I’ve been to

Phones, coffee, and robots: Infinix's Bali concept store was a delightful surprise

Infinix Flagship Store

I've been to plenty of smartphone stores over the years, and I can't tell any of these experiences apart. Picture neatly arranged tables, rows of smartphones, and the occasional accessory tucked away in a corner. Honestly, this works for most people who show up knowing exactly what they need and just leave.

So, when Infinix invited me to Bali for the grand opening of its first global flagship concept store, I was curious to see what the company had planned. I expected an elaborate showroom and a few extra things, like eye-catching installations to celebrate the occasion. And while there were a few of these, a lot of the things that actually caught my eye were permanent parts of the store.

Phones

Apple’s supply chain power is legendary, but a new report says it’s downright brutal

Whatever you've heard before, the reality is a lot more shocking.

Teradown view of an iPhone.

Ever wonder just how powerful Apple’s market status is? To give you an idea, here’s a passage from a searing report published by The Wall Street Journal published a few days ago:

“Around the end of 2015, Sandisk refused Apple’s requests to send additional supply because it already had customers willing to pay more. Blevins threatened a Sandisk salesman with retaliation, saying he would have Sandisk’s chief executive, Sanjay Mehrotra, “crawl on his knees” back to Apple, according to a person familiar with the call."

Phones

Android’s new ‘SMS of Death’ exploit can crash your phone without you doing anything

A malicious text message can disrupt calls and leave an Android phone stuck in a reboot loop, without the owner knowing what happened.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone in blue color.

A security researcher has uncovered a serious vulnerability in Android that allows an attacker to remotely crash a smartphone using a specially crafted text message. Dubbed "SMS of Death," the flaw can disrupt cellular services, disconnect ongoing calls, and even leave a phone stuck in a reboot loop. The troubling part is that the recipient doesn't have to interact with it at all.

The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-58882, was discovered by security researcher Mark Blaszczyk, who first notified Google about it in May. On October 29, he published his findings alongside a working demonstration, after successfully reproducing the attack on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Google has already developed a fix, but its availability across Android devices is another matter.