WhatsApp to allow users to edit messages — but only for up to 15 minutes of sending

WhatsApp will now allow users to edit messages, replicating a feature offered by other messaging apps, such as Telegram and Signal.

In an update announced Monday, the Meta-owned app said that messages could be edited for up to 15 minutes after being sent.

The new feature is expected to roll out to WhatsApp’s approximately 2 billion users within the coming weeks.

“From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats,” the company wrote in a blog post Monday.

“All you need to do is long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to fifteen minutes after,” it added.

Altered messages will show up as “edited,” notifying recipients that a change has been made. They will, however, not be shown how the message has been adjusted.

Several competitor messaging apps such as Signal and Telegram already offer message editing features. Meanwhile, Twitter also offers a 30-minute message editing window to the subscribers of its Twitter Blue service.

Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram, has been noted for its efforts to replicate competitor apps over recent years — some to greater avail than others.

In 2013, the company introduced Instagram Stories in 2016 to broad success, following its failed attempt to purchase ephemeral photo app Snapchat. However, later efforts to copy neighborhood communication app Nextdoor and celebrity video app Cameo were both terminated by the business.

The company is now reportedly preparing to launch a Twitter replica as early as June, with a focus on “creators and public figures.”