How to schedule WhatsApp messages on Android, iPhone, Samsung, WhatsApp Web and a laptop

You want a message to go out at 9am tomorrow without being awake to press send. This guide shows what WhatsApp can actually do for you today, step by step, what is still in beta, and which shortcuts are safe. Every step was checked against WhatsApp's help centre or the source named next to it in October 2026.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 17 October 2026 · 10 min read

Can you schedule a message on WhatsApp?

Partly. WhatsApp has three built-in ways to send something at a set time, but only one of them is a normal message to a normal chat, and that one is still in beta. Here is the honest picture as of October 2026.

• Scheduled messages (beta). A native "schedule" option for one-to-one and group chats is rolling out to some beta testers. Most people do not have it yet.
• Business broadcasts (WhatsApp Business app). A paid feature that sends one message to many customers, with a Schedule button. Available in limited countries.
• Events. In any chat you can create an event with a date, time and call link. It is not a scheduled message, but it is how WhatsApp schedules calls and meetups.

There is also the away message in the WhatsApp Business app, which runs on a schedule, but it only replies to people who write to you. It cannot start a conversation. If that is what you need, see our guide on how to set an auto reply on WhatsApp.

What WhatsApp supports, side by side

Use this table to find the option that matches what you are trying to do before you read the steps.

How do I use the new scheduled messages beta?

If your app has it, you press and hold the send button and pick a date and time. WhatsApp has not announced it in its help centre yet, so these details come from beta reports, not from WhatsApp.

WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp test builds, reported the feature in iPhone TestFlight builds during 2026. On 15 October 2026 The Star in Malaysia reported it rolling out to Android beta testers on version 2.26.41.9 and tested it on mobile and desktop. Based on those two reports:

1. On a phone: type your message, then press and hold the send button and scroll to the date and time you want.
2. On desktop: type your message, then click the clock icon that appears next to the send button.
3. To check or cancel: tap the contact or group name at the top of the chat and open Scheduled messages. You can delete one before it sends.

The reported limits are a minimum of 10 minutes ahead and a maximum of two weeks. In groups, WABetaInfo says only people who are members when you schedule will receive it. If you do not see the option, you do not have it yet; there is nothing to switch on. Neither report confirms whether the WhatsApp Business app gets it at the same time.

How to schedule a business broadcast in WhatsApp Business

If you have the WhatsApp Business app in a supported country, you can schedule a promotional or announcement message to many customers at once. WhatsApp calls it business broadcasts in some countries and marketing messages in others. It is paid: you are charged per message delivered within five days, priced by each recipient's country code.

1. Open the feature. Go to Tools, then Business broadcasts (or Marketing messages). The first time, tap through the introduction screen.
2. Choose your audience. Pick contacts from your address book or one of your lists.
3. Write the message. Add a photo, video or document, your text, and an optional button such as Website, Phone call, Catalog or a custom reply.
4. Preview it. Check how it will look. Meta reviews these messages before they go out.
5. Review the cost. The app shows the price, estimated tax and total. You need a payment method or prepaid funds.
6. Tap Schedule. Select a date, tap OK, select a time, tap OK, then Done.
7. Leave the phone online. WhatsApp's help centre says your device must be connected to the internet at the scheduled time. If it is not, the app retries after one minute, then every 10 minutes, up to 10 times.

Two rules come with it. You need the customer's opt-in to send marketing, and you must honor stop requests; WhatsApp says it monitors spam reports and can suspend access to the feature. Our guide to announcing a promotion without getting blocked covers the wording.

How to schedule a WhatsApp call or event

To schedule a call, create an event in the chat and attach a WhatsApp call link. Everyone who answers Going or Maybe gets a notification when it starts.

1. Open the individual or group chat, tap the plus or attach icon, then Event.
2. Enter the event name, date and time.
3. Optionally add a description (up to 2,048 characters), an end time, a location and a WhatsApp call link. Call links cannot be added to events more than 12 months ahead.
4. Tap send. People respond Going, Maybe or Not going.

Events have limits worth knowing: one host only, no forwarding to other chats, and new group members cannot see events created before they joined. If disappearing messages are on, you might not be able to create events far in advance. For a business, events work well for a class, a viewing or a consultation call with someone who already chats with you.

How to schedule on iPhone, Samsung, WhatsApp Web or a laptop

None of these has a separate WhatsApp scheduling setting today. Here is what each can and cannot do.

iPhone. Apple's Shortcuts app can run a personal automation at a set Time of Day, and Apple's guide explains how to let some automations run without asking. Some people combine that trigger with a WhatsApp action in Shortcuts. Which WhatsApp actions appear, and whether a message goes without you tapping, depends on your iOS and WhatsApp versions, so test it by sending to yourself first, and never use it for bulk sends. It is a convenience for one reminder, not a business tool.

Samsung and other Android phones. Samsung's Messages app has a Schedule message option, but it schedules texts in Samsung Messages, not WhatsApp messages. On Android, scheduling inside WhatsApp itself depends on the beta above.

WhatsApp Web, Windows or a laptop. These are linked devices that mirror your phone. Beta testers report the clock icon next to send on desktop. Otherwise, a business broadcast scheduled on the phone is the closest option. Browser extensions that add a "schedule" button to WhatsApp Web are unofficial; see the next section. More on how linked devices work is in our WhatsApp Web and linked devices explainer.

Are WhatsApp scheduler apps safe to use?

Treat them as a risk to your number. Apps and extensions that schedule by controlling WhatsApp for you work outside WhatsApp's official apps, and WhatsApp's own help centre is clear on two points.

• Using unofficial apps, or linking your account to unofficial apps or websites, can lead to a temporary or permanent ban and restrictions such as losing the ability to link devices.
• WhatsApp's responsible-use page says not to bulk message, auto-message or auto-dial, and that it uses machine learning and user reports to ban accounts that send unwanted automated messages.

An app that types one birthday message into your own chat is a different risk level from one that sends 300 promotional messages at midnight. If you try one, use it for a handful of personal messages, read its permissions, and never point it at people who have not asked to hear from you.

How do businesses schedule WhatsApp messages at scale?

They use the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API). Template messages can be delivered at any time, so your own system or your provider's campaign tool decides when to send them. That is how banks, clinics and shops send reminders at 9am every day.

It costs money and setup. Meta charges per delivered message by category and country, and you need an approved template for anything sent outside the 24-hour window after a customer writes. Our guides on how to get WhatsApp Business API access and getting templates approved walk through it, and API pricing explained shows what a small business pays.

Where ReplyKit fits, and where it does not

We make ReplyKit, so weigh our view accordingly. ReplyKit does not schedule outbound messages, and it does not send broadcasts or campaigns. If scheduling is your goal, one of the options above is the right tool.

What ReplyKit does is the other half of the problem: answering. It is an AI agent that replies to customers on WhatsApp and your website from your own content, books appointments into real open slots, and sends a reminder about 24 hours before the booking. If the reason you wanted to schedule messages is "I cannot reply at night", an agent that answers at 2am may fix the real issue. It connects through Quick Connect, a QR pairing that is unofficial, not the WhatsApp Business API, and a number can be restricted, so read will WhatsApp ban my number for automation? first and use a dedicated number. You can test it with a 7-day free trial, no credit card, and plans run from $29 to $99 a month after that.

Frequently asked questions

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. App steps follow WhatsApp's help centre as of October 2026; menu names can differ by version and region. Beta features may change before release. Third-party prices and features were checked in October 2026 and may change.