Long-awaited feature FINALLY available for iPhones
iPhone users rejoice! The latest iOS update has brought with it a long-awaited feature: editing and unsending text messages.
The new iOS 16 update, available for iPhone released after 2017, now allows users to unsend and edit iMessages, but there are some caveats.
A message can only be unsent within two minutes of it being sent, while editing can occur within 15 minutes.
How to unsend
To unsend a message, open the Messages app, press and hold down the text you want to unsend.
This will bring up the Tapback reactions and a quick action menu, which includes the option to undo send or edit, and then tap Undo Send.
The text will then disappear from both your phone and from the recipient’s, though it will be replaced by a notification saying that a message has been unsent.
But, this function won’t work if the recipient doesn’t have the new update, even if your phone says it has unsent the message.
How to edit
If you’ve sent an unfortunate typo or some other details, editing messages is now a simple affair.
To edit, simply open the Messages app, go into any thread that is using iMessage (also known as blue text), and hold down the message you want to edit.
When the reactions and menu appear, tap on Edit. This will allow you to delete the entire message, fix mistakes or add more text.
Once you’re happy, tap the blue checkmark on the right side to save your edits.
A single message can only be edited a maximum of five times, and an “edited” button will appear under your text, which the recipient can tap on to view previous versions.
Image: Getty Images