Look out, WhatsApp users – the popular messaging service is adding yet another tool to the arsenal of overbearing group chat admins.
As spotted by WABetaInfo(opens in new tab), WhatsApp is working on a new update that will grant admins the ability to delete any and all messages sent in groups chats they oversee. At present, messages can only be deleted by the users who originally sent them, but this new feature – set to roll out in beta soon – would share the privilege with admins.
All group participants will, however, be notified if and when an admin deletes a group message, and admins will be warned of that fact before confirming the option to do so.
As part of a more imminent app update, WhatsApp users will also be granted more time to delete embarrassing or mistimed group chat messages (let’s be honest: we’ve all been there…).
The Delete For Everyone feature, which currently remains active for 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds after a message is sent, will soon be extended to 2 days and 12 hours.
As reported by SamMobile(opens in new tab), this extended time is already available for some Android users – having previously been included in WhatsApp beta version 2.22.15.8 – and is expected to rollout to all WhatsApp users in an upcoming software update.
The ability to delete group WhatsApp messages has undoubtedly proven a helpful feature for millions of carefree texters in recent years, whose occasional drunk or mistimed messages have been swiftly banished from their respective group chats.
Put simply, WhatsApp’s latest update will grant users the helpful option of deleting said messages the morning after – rather than within the hour of sending them…
