(Reuters) - WhatsApp has granted users one of its most awaited features - the ability to edit messages.

"For the moments when you make a mistake or simply change your mind, you can now edit your sent messages on WhatsApp," the Meta Platforms Inc-owned (META.O) messaging app said in a blog post on Monday.

With the feature rolling out globally in the coming weeks, senders will be able to modify their messages within 15 minutes of hitting send.

The function can be accessed by long-pressing the message and choosing "edit" in the drop-down menu. The modified message will carry the label "edited", without showing edit history.

Competing apps such as Telegram and Signal already allow users to edit messages, while microblogging site Twitter rolled out the ability to edit tweets to select users last year.