Sometimes, while trying to convey our messages, we do not pay much attention to what we write. There is currently no way to fix errors in messages you send on WhatsApp. But Meta’s messaging app may soon have this feature across all platforms.
As spotted by WABetainfo, WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will allow users to edit their text. This feature is very similar to the feature Twitter is working on, but not quite the same. Unlike Twitter, WhatsApp may not keep an edit history to allow users to check previous versions of edited messages.
It is also unknown whether WhatsApp will notify the recipient that the sender has edited the message. Skype, for example, lets you edit your texts and notifies the recipient that a change has been made. It’s also not entirely clear whether there will be an edit time limit. Looking at Skype again, it is possible for a message to be edited only within the first 60 minutes. According to rumors, there will be an edit time limit in the feature that Twitter will offer.
The feature first appeared in the WhatsApp Android app, but WABetainfo says work is ongoing to bring the same editing option to the WhatsApp beta for iOS and Desktop. The editing feature is currently in development and is not available for beta testers or general use. However, we can guess that this feature will be offered primarily for the beta version.
WhatsApp rolled out several new features earlier this month, including reactions, large file transfers, larger groups, and more, and will reportedly continue to add new features to make it a better platform.
IS THERE A DISADVANTAGE TO THE NEW REGULATION?
The new feature is currently being developed internally in WhatsApp. It is not yet known when it will be released for iOS, Android and desktop version. The feature may also experience changes before it is released. In fact, according to some experts, it should be because there is no evidence that a WhatsApp message in its current form was edited afterwards.
Chip.de, for example, comments: “So if someone writes you a bad message, it can be changed later so there’s no evidence anymore. WhatsApp should at least consider a symbol or small text overlay to indicate a change.”