Mark Zuckerberg on Monday announced a massive new WhatsApp feature that has long been in demand from users worldwide. According to his Facebook post, WhatsApp users will now be able to edit any message within 15 minutes of sending it. This is a major development for WhatsApp users, and one that comes several months after Apple announced a similar feature for iMessage as part of iOS 16 and macOS Ventura.

To edit a message on WhatsApp, simply long-press on it and choose the 'Edit' option from the menu. All edited messages will display an ‘edited’ badge alongside them, so the recipient will know that its content has been modified. For now, there's no word on whether there's a limit on how many times a message can be edited. According to an official blog post from WhatsApp, the feature has only just started rolling out globally, and will be available to all users "in the coming weeks." So if you can't yet access the feature on your phone, be patient as it might take a little while before it's available for everyone worldwide.

The ability to edit WhatsApp messages is a step in the right direction, as it would help users correct typos and misspellings even after hitting the send button. As long as you spot the mistake within 15 minutes, you can simply edit the message to ensure you don't have to send a second message just to correct your previous message. Apart from iMessage, Gmail also offers a similar option that allows users to modify their messages after hitting the 'Send' button. However, unlike WhatsApp and iMessage, Google only offers a few seconds before the mail is sent for good and is no longer editable.

WhatsApp has been adding several new features in recent times, including a new security layer called Chat Lock that allows users to keep their chats private by locking them behind a password or biometrics. Earlier this month, the company also started beta testing a Wear OS app that will allow users of devices like the Pixel Watch and the Galaxy Watch 5 to chat directly from their wrist.