WhatsApp introduces editing feature to chats

Article Summary

• Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new feature that allows WhatsApp users to edit messages even 15 minutes after sent.
• This added to the latest features rolled out by WhatsApp, which include Chat Lock, a feature that allows users to hide conversations on the app.
• Meta adds Chat Lock feature for enhanced conversation security.

WhatsApp, the instant messaging company, has launched a new feature that allows users to edit messages on the app.

The new functionality was introduced on Monday by Meta CEO, who stated that sent messages can still be modified 15 minutes after they have been sent. Previously, users had to choose between deleting a message and sending a correction in a new message.

However, WhatsApp‘s competitors, such as Telegram and Signal, have long provided the ability to edit messages. Last year, Twitter also added an edit button for paying users.

Users on Telegram have up to 48 hours to update their messages, making WhatsApp’s 15-minute timeframe seem relatively short in comparison. WhatsApp, on the other hand, has the option of extending the window. The messaging software upped the time restriction for deleting a message from 48 to 60 hours last year.

The editing feature is the latest of several features WhatsApp had rolled out in the past weeks. A few days ago, Zuckerberg announced Chat Lock, a new feature that allows users to lock and hide conversations on the app.

According to Zuckerberg’s explanation of the feature, Chat Lock will remove a chat thread from the app’s regular onscreen inbox and place it into a new folder that can only be opened by a password or biometric, such as facial recognition or a fingerprint.

Calling it “one more layer of security”, Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, added Chat Lock will protect “your most intimate conversations” and hide notifications from them. As part of its privacy package, Meta allows WhatsApp users to encrypt their backups, block the ability to screenshot, and make their messages disappear automatically.

When a chat is locked, you can ensure that sensitive information and personal data in that conversation remain secure, even if someone else gains access to your phone. This level of control enhances your overall conversation security and protects your privacy.