How to Edit Messages You Have Already Sent on WhatsApp

by
Spread the love

If you have ever looked at a WhatsApp message you just sent and cringed at the sight of a simple misspelling, you no longer need to fix grammatical or spelling errors with a swift follow-up message. Instead, edit WhatsApp messages before the recipient notices with these simple steps.

Content

Good to know: try these methods to bring back deleted WhatsApp messages.

How to Edit Sent Messages on WhatsApp on Mobile

For a long time, WhatsApp didn’t allow users to modify their messages in the app. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. The Meta-owned messaging app now lets you swiftly edit your sent messages after you press send. However, the Meta-owned company does have a couple of caveats that you’re required to follow.

Edited messages will display an Edited tag alongside them, so those you’re messaging will be aware that you’ve made a correction to your message. As with all personal messages, media and calls, your messages and the edits you make are protected by end-to-end encryption.

Another aspect to remember is that you can only edit messages within the 15-minute time limit after the message was sent. Once this time has elapsed, you won’t be able to modify messages anymore.

Follow the steps below to edit a message on your mobile phone.

Android

Open your message thread on your Android smartphone, and send a new text.

Tap and hold the message you want to edit to bring up a few options at the top. Press the three dots in the upper-right corner.

Select Edit in the menu. Rewrite the message, or simply correct the mistake, then press the green checkmark to confirm. Keep in mind that the other person won’t be able to view the original message once you do this.

The edited message will remain in the original location during the conversation, but you can see an Edited tag next to the time it was sent. This is something that you can’t remove. The only option would be to delete the message for all parties active in the conversation, then rewrite and resend the message.

Note that you can edit a message multiple times if you want to, provided the 15 minutes haven’t passed. Just follow the steps outlined above again.

FYI: you can share your WhatsApp profile with others through a link.

iPhone

On iPhone, open a message thread, and send a new message.

Long-press on the message until a context menu pops up, then select Edit from the options.

Make your modifications, and press the green checkmark to confirm. The edited messages, along with the Edited tag, will show up in the conversation.


Tip: in the event that you can’t
find someone on WhatsApp, here are a few ways to do so.

How to Edit Sent Messages on WhatsApp on PC

You can also edit the messages you’ve sent to others via WhatsApp on your PC.

Open a conversation, and send a new message. Hover your mouse over the message until you see an emoji face appear next to your message on the left. Press on the emoji face or the tiny downward icon next to it to reveal some options. Click on Edit.

Modify the message, then press on the checkmark to confirm the change. The edited message will be visible in the conversation along, with the Edited tag.

Tip: here’s a quick way to restore a missing WhatsApp profile photo.

Why Is WhatsApp Message Editing Not Working?

If you’re trying to edit a WhatsApp message, but you’re not seeing the option, it may be because of one of the following reasons:

  • You may be trying to edit an older message. If 15 minutes have passed since you sent the message, you will no longer be able to edit it.
  • You can only edit your own messages, and cannot edit other people’s messages.
  • You can only modify messages from the same device you’ve sent the message from. You can’t edit a message via your phone if you originally sent it from your PC, or vice versa.
  • Both you and the message recipient need to have the latest version of WhatsApp (Android, iOS) installed on your phone, as this is a relatively new feature that isn’t available in older versions. Make sure that you check that your app is up-to-date.
  • You’ve selected multiple messages. Check that this isn’t the case, as it’s not possible to edit multiple messages at once on WhatsApp.
  • You’ve erased all the text. If you delete all the text while editing a WhatsApp message and save it, no changes will be applied to your original message. Make sure you type something before saving.

Tip: want a more secure option for your messaging purposes? Check out these WhatsApp alternatives.

Now that you know how to quickly fix typos or modify full messages on WhatsApp, perhaps you’d also like to learn how to search through messages on the app. Alternatively, if you’re worried someone blocked you on WhatsApp, check out our tips on how to tell whether you’ve been blocked.

Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox

Sign up for all newsletters.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. We will not share your data and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe


Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer

Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.

Leave a comment