There are two reasons why you can’t edit messages on WhatsApp. One is that you are using an outmoded version which I doubt would even function. And two, it’s either you don’t know that feature exists. 

Yes, in conversation, you will realize that people delete a long message and retype it again. That’s time-wasting. Eventually, they give up and do audio instead. The painful part is when you can’t listen to the audio to reply due to your location.

WhatsApp introduced the message editing feature in May 2023. Therefore, any version of the app released before May 2023 would not have the message editing feature. If you still use a functional WhatsApp to this very day, then your version has the feature.

In as much as the feature is a brilliant initiative, it has some rules. So the reason why you can’t edit a message on WhatsApp in case you have tried could be that you are not considering the rules.

Before we look at the rules, let’s look at some misconceptions people have. A lot of users have perceptions that the feature is;

• Applicable to chats sent to Android users only

This means that if you are not using an Android device to receive the message, you can’t edit WhatsApp messages.

•  Applicable to recipients whose WhatsApp settings allow it

This misconception also means to edit a message on the app depending on one’s settings on the app. There is no option for a WhatsApp user to either opt for edit messages or not. The feature is embedded in all devices and accessible by default. 

All the above are misconceptions. If you can’t edit a message you sent to someone on WhatsApp, it’s because;

• You opted to edit it after 15 minutes of sending the message. The feature is applicable to chats that are sent within 15 minutes. If you send a message to someone, on the 16th minute and over you can’t edit it. The feature won’t even show when you click on the button.

• You didn’t use the same device you used to send the chat to opt for the editing. Use the same device you used to send the message to edit it. You can’t use a computer to send the message and choose to use a mobile phone to edit it. 

How to Edit Message on WhatsApp

In case you haven’t tried it at all, these are steps to follow to edit your message;

1. On the conversation page, click and hold the message you want to edit. 
2. Click on the three dots at the extreme right top.
3. Select edit and press the send button.

If you don’t see the edit option, then it means the time you sent the message has exceeded 15 minutes. 

Kindly note that editing a message won’t send a new chat notification to people in your chat.

Also, you can’t edit photos, videos, or other types of media.