How to Send WhatsApp Broadcast Messages: Complete Guide for Android, iOS & Web (2026)
Abhyank Srinet
What Is a WhatsApp Broadcast Message and Why Should You Send One?
Wondering how to send whatsapp broadcast message to all your contacts at once? A broadcast message sends the same message to multiple contacts simultaneously, with each recipient receiving it as a private, individual message. Unlike groups, nobody sees anyone else's number or reply — it's like sending 256 personal texts with one tap.
For Indian businesses — coaching institutes sending batch updates, clinics reminding patients, D2C brands announcing sales — broadcast is the fastest way to send a bulk message to your customers without spamming them in a group. And it's completely free. For a full overview of what broadcast is and how it compares to groups and API, see our complete WhatsApp broadcast guide.
WhatsApp broadcast messages have a 98% open rate compared to email's 20%, according to industry benchmarks. The catch: recipients must have your number saved in their contacts, or the message won't deliver at all.
If you've been sending the same message to customers one by one, learning how to send whatsapp broadcast message eliminates that repetitive work. If you've been using groups and getting complaints about privacy, broadcast fixes that too. This guide walks you through exactly how to send whatsapp broadcast message on Android, iPhone, and WhatsApp Web.
How to Send a WhatsApp Broadcast Message on Android (Step-by-Step)
Android is where most Indian businesses send WhatsApp broadcast messages, and it has the smoothest experience. Here's the exact process to send a WhatsApp broadcast message from your Android phone — takes under 2 minutes.
- Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner
- Select "New broadcast" from the dropdown
- Search and select contacts — you can pick up to 256. Use the search bar to find specific people quickly
- Tap the green checkmark (✓) to create the list
- Write your message in the chat box — you can add text, images, videos, documents, or voice notes
- Tap the send button (➤) to broadcast to all selected contacts
Pro tip: Name your broadcast list immediately after creating it (our broadcast list creation guide covers naming and segmentation in detail) (tap the list name at the top → Edit). Lists named "VIP Customers Pune" or "Coaching Batch 12" are much easier to manage than "Broadcast List" repeated 10 times.
How Do You Edit an Existing Broadcast List on Android?
You don't need to create a new list every time. To modify an existing one:
- Open the broadcast list from your Chats tab
- Tap the list name at the top to open list info
- Tap "Edit recipients" to add or remove contacts
- Tap the green checkmark to save changes
You can also delete a broadcast list entirely by scrolling down in list info and tapping "Delete broadcast list." This only removes the list — it doesn't delete the messages already sent.
How to Send a WhatsApp Broadcast Message on iPhone (iOS Steps)
The process to send a WhatsApp broadcast message on iPhone is slightly different from Android — the menu location and interface vary. Here's how it works on iOS.
- Open WhatsApp and go to the Chats tab
- Tap "Broadcast Lists" in the top-left corner (this replaces Android's three-dot menu)
- Tap "New List" at the bottom of the screen
- Search and select contacts — same 256-contact limit as Android
- Tap "Create" to build the list
- Compose your message and tap send
What's Different About Broadcasting on iPhone vs Android?
The core functionality is identical, but there are two differences worth noting:
| Feature | Android | iPhone (iOS) |
|---|---|---|
| Access point | Three-dot menu → New broadcast | Broadcast Lists button (top-left) |
| List management | Visible in main Chats tab | Separate Broadcast Lists screen |
| Contact selection UI | Checkbox-style multi-select | Tap-to-add with search bar |
| Edit recipients | Via list info → Edit recipients | Via list info → Edit List |
| Message limit | 256 per list | 256 per list |
Both platforms support the same media types (text, images, videos, documents, voice notes, location, contacts) and the same 256-contact limit. The experience is functionally identical once you find the entry point.
Can You Send WhatsApp Broadcast Messages from WhatsApp Web?
Yes, you can send WhatsApp broadcast messages from the web — but with a critical limitation: you cannot create a broadcast list on WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. You can only send to lists you've already created on your phone.
- Open WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com) or the desktop app
- Look for your existing broadcast lists in the chat sidebar — they appear with the broadcast icon (📢)
- Click the broadcast list to open it
- Type and send your message as usual
WhatsApp Web limitation: You must create broadcast lists on your phone first. WhatsApp Web and Desktop only let you send to existing lists — not create new ones. If you don't see your list, check that your phone has an active internet connection (Web mirrors your phone).
For businesses that prefer typing on a keyboard, the workflow is: create lists on your phone once, then use WhatsApp Web daily to send WhatsApp broadcast messages. This gives you the speed of desktop typing with the broadcast functionality of the mobile app.
How to Write Broadcast Messages That Actually Get Replies
Learning how to send a WhatsApp broadcast message is easy. Getting people to respond is the hard part. Based on patterns from our work with 600+ Indian businesses on Kraya, here's what separates a 5% reply rate from a 30% one.
What Makes a Good Broadcast Message?
Every effective broadcast message has three elements. For ready-to-use templates you can copy-paste, check our 15 WhatsApp broadcast message templates.
- A hook in the first line: The preview text (first 80 characters) determines whether someone opens the message. Lead with value or urgency, not your brand name. "40% off for the next 24 hours" beats "ABC Fashion updates."
- One clear call-to-action: Tell recipients exactly what to do. "Reply YES to book" is better than listing 5 options. Multiple CTAs confuse people and reduce response rates by 40%, based on our data.
- Formatting that scans: Use WhatsApp's built-in formatting — *bold* for key info, line breaks between sections, emojis as visual markers (not decoration). A wall of text gets skipped.
What Time Should You Send Broadcast Messages?
| Audience Type | Best Time (IST) | Best Day | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C (coaching, retail, clinics) | 10–11 AM or 7–8 PM | Tuesday, Wednesday | Monday AM, Friday PM |
| B2B (agencies, SaaS, services) | 10 AM – 1 PM | Tuesday – Thursday | Weekends, Monday AM |
| Reminders (appointments, payments) | 9–10 AM (day before) | Any weekday | After 8 PM |
| Flash sales / urgency | 11 AM or 6 PM | Any (urgency overrides) | Past 9 PM |
The single biggest timing mistake: sending promotional broadcasts on Monday morning. Open rates drop 35% compared to Tuesday mid-morning, based on data from our work with 600+ Indian businesses. People are catching up on work, not shopping.
How Often Can You Send Without Annoying People?
Once a week maximum for promotional content. Twice a month is the sweet spot — frequent enough to stay top-of-mind, rare enough that each message feels worth opening. Transactional messages (appointment reminders, order updates) don't count toward this limit.
The rule of thumb: if a contact hasn't replied to your last 3 broadcasts, they're either not receiving them (haven't saved your number) or not interested. Remove them from the list before WhatsApp's algorithm flags your account. For more on keeping your account safe, read our guide on how to prevent WhatsApp from getting banned.
Why Are My Broadcast Messages Not Being Delivered? (Troubleshooting)
You've followed every step to send a WhatsApp broadcast message, but your messages aren't reaching everyone. Don't panic — this is the most common problem businesses face, and it's usually fixable. Here are the five issues and their fixes, ranked by how often they occur.
| # | Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Message shows single grey tick | Recipient hasn't saved your number | Ask them to save you — send a separate personal message first |
| 2 | Some contacts never receive any broadcast | They've blocked you or reported you as spam | Remove from list; focus on opted-in contacts |
| 3 | Account temporarily restricted | Too many broadcasts sent too quickly | Wait 24–72 hours, then resume with smaller batches |
| 4 | Broadcast list disappeared | All contacts in the list deleted their accounts or changed numbers | Create a new list with current contacts |
| 5 | Media not sending (images, videos) | File too large or network issue | Compress files under 16MB; check internet connection |
The #1 delivery fix: Ask every new contact to save your number. Add "Save this number to receive future updates" to your WhatsApp Business profile greeting message, your website chat widget, and your first message to every new lead.
If delivery problems persist across multiple lists, check your WhatsApp Business quality rating: go to WhatsApp Business app → Settings → Business tools → Messaging limits. A "Low" quality rating means WhatsApp is throttling your broadcasts due to blocks or reports. For a deeper look at how broadcast compares to sending messages individually, see our broadcast vs individual message comparison.
What Happens After You Send a WhatsApp Broadcast Message? (Tracking Success)
Once you send a WhatsApp broadcast message, WhatsApp's built-in analytics are basic — but you can extract useful data if you know where to look.
How Do You Check Broadcast Delivery Status?
Long-press any message in the broadcast chat → tap Info. You'll see:
- Single grey tick (✓): Message sent from your phone but not delivered — recipient likely hasn't saved your number
- Double grey ticks (✓✓): Message delivered to their phone
- Double blue ticks (✓✓): Message read
Count the blue ticks vs total contacts to calculate your read rate. For most businesses, a healthy broadcast has 60–70% delivery rate and 80–90% read rate among delivered messages.
How Do You Measure Broadcast ROI Without Analytics Tools?
Without API analytics, track these manually:
- Reply count: Count how many people replied within 24 hours. Divide by total contacts = reply rate. Aim for 10%+.
- Conversion tracking: Use unique codes per broadcast (e.g., "Use code FLASH40") to track which sales came from which message.
- Link clicks: Use a URL shortener like Bitly or a UTM-tagged link to track clicks from your broadcast. If you're running click-to-WhatsApp ads, UTM tracking becomes essential for attribution.
- Delivery health: If more than 30% of contacts show single ticks, your list needs cleaning — too many unsaved numbers.
If you need detailed analytics (open rates, click-through rates, A/B testing, conversion attribution), you'll need to upgrade to WhatsApp Business API with a CRM like Kraya AI that tracks every message from broadcast to closed deal.
Before upgrading, understand the exact limits you are hitting. Our WhatsApp broadcast limits guide covers the 256-contact cap, delivery rules, and API tier progression.
When Should You Stop Using Broadcast and Upgrade?
Being able to send WhatsApp broadcast messages for free is perfect for small businesses with under 250 active contacts. But there's a clear tipping point where it stops being enough:
- You're managing 3+ broadcast lists — manual list management is eating into selling time
- Replies pile up unanswered — more than 20 replies per broadcast and no system to assign or track them
- You need follow-up sequences — "if they replied YES, send pricing on day 2, case study on day 5" isn't possible manually
- You're hitting the 256 ceiling — your business has grown past what broadcast can handle
The real cost of staying on broadcast too long isn't the 256-contact limit — it's the leads you lose because nobody followed up. From our work with 600+ Indian businesses, the average business loses 40% of interested leads because manual follow-up falls through the cracks after a broadcast.
For a full comparison of your upgrade options, see our complete WhatsApp broadcast guide or our WhatsApp Business API vs App comparison.
