WhatsApp to roll out edit message feature

23 May 2023

WhatsApp has announced in a blog post that it will be rolling out a new feature that will enable its users to edit their sent messages and a new feature called Chat Lock, which locks chats that can only be opened with biometrics or a password.

Source: WhatsApp Blog

To use the edit message feature, you need to long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to fifteen minutes after.

"Edited messages will display ‘edited’ alongside them, so those you’re messaging are aware of the correction without showing edit history. As with all personal messages, media and calls, your messages and the edits you make are protected by end-to-end encryption," WhatsApp explained.

This feature has started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

Chat Lock

"We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives.

"You can lock a chat by tapping the name of a one-to-one or group and selecting the lock option. To reveal these chats, slowly pull down on your inbox and enter your phone password or biometric," WhatsApp said.

WhatsApp added that it will be adding more options to this feature over the next few months, including locking for companion devices and creating a custom password for your chats so that you can use a unique password different from the one you use for your phone.