First spotted by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.22.17.12 brings this handy new ability to the popular instant messaging app. It works pretty much the same way as you delete your messages, be it in one-to-one conversations or group chats. If you try to delete a sent message within a stipulated time, you get the option to delete it for everyone. This ability will now be available to group admins for messages sent by others as well. Long-pressing on a message and selecting the “delete” button will bring up the option to delete the message for everyone. Other users will be able to see that you deleted the message as an admin. This is a handy feature to have. Some group members often spam conversations with unwanted or unrelated messages. Admins would now be able to delete such messages for everyone, saving other members from unnecessary troubles. WhatsApp took its own sweet time to prepare this feature but it’s now here, albeit in the beta channel for the time being.
WhatsApp releases another beta update to fix a bug
As said earlier, this ability for WhatsApp group admins to delete messages for everyone is rolling out to beta users on Android with version 2.22.17.12 of the app. But this version has a bug too. The catch-up button that appears in group chats when there’s a tagged unread message is showing up all the time. Thankfully, WhatsApp was quick to address this issue. The company has rolled out beta version 2.22.17.13 to fix it. So if you’re having this issue in WhatsApp groups, you might want to install the latest beta update. As for non-beta users, it’s unclear when the new WhatsApp feature will arrive. Even in the beta channel, the rollout is reportedly incredibly slow. Only a few lucky users have gotten access to it so far. Hopefully, the Meta-owned company will pick up the pace soon and a wider rollout will follow. We will let you know when the public rollout begins on the Google Play Store.