New WhatsApp update will make group chat admins even more powerful TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. New WhatsApp update will make group chat admins even more powerful By Axel Metz published 4 July 2022 Watch your step, group-chatters (Image credit: Pexels/Anton) Audio player loading… 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. (Image credit: WABetaInfo) 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… Axel MetzStaff WriterAxel is a London-based staff writer at TechRadar, reporting on everything from the newest movies to latest Apple developments as part of the site's daily news output. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned a gold standard NCTJ qualification as part of the company's inaugural digital training scheme. See more Software news TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me27 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (October 7)3Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie4Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason, so stop now5Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago1Best laptops for designers and coders 2The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me3Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie4Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason, so stop now5iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab) Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions:Suomi