How to Unsend Messages on iPhone?

iPhone users, you no longer have to struggle and apologize for sending the wrong message to someone when you can just unsend the text! That’s right, with the newest iOS, you now have the ease of undoing a wrong message and editing it by resending the right one. You’re probably wondering how that is possible. But before you think it’s nothing but clickbait, we advise you to keep scrolling and learn how to unsend messages on iPhone. Find you how to unsend a text that has already been sent. 

How to Unsend Messages on iPhone

Most of us are victims to autocorrect and end up firing a wrong message without rereading it! If you’re one of those who always sends a text message in a hurry to find out later that it was sent to the wrong person, or you regret the risky text after sending it, then here’s what you need to know about the unsend messages on iPhone feature:

If you want to unsend a message, keep in mind that you just have a two-minute window to do it. After two minutes pass, your opportunity dies down! To unsend a message, you need to press on it for a few minutes, and then from the menu that appears, tap on Undo. 

Voila! It’s done, and a little animation appears where your message explodes into tiny pieces, and then it’s completely gone. 

The person to who you sent a message might not see your message, but both parties will see that a message has been deleted within the window. So if you’re the sender of the text, then you will see a line that reads ‘You unsent a message,’ and the person who received the message will see ‘Contact Name: Unsent a message.’

But here’s when things become a bit tricky, this feature will only work if both the sender and the receiver have updated their iPhones to iOS 16. That’s right! If you have iOS 16, you can unsend the message, but if the receiver has iOS 15, they can see the message you sent. 

How to Unsend Messages on Mac?

How to Unsend Messages on Mac?

If you’re using your Mac and have sent the wrong message, then follow the steps below to correct your mistake:

  1. Go to the Mac’s Messages application and open the conversation where you sent the wrong text. You have a two-minute window, so make sure you’re quick!
  2. Now place your pointer on the message that you want to unsend, and then right-click. A drop-down menu appears on your Mac screen.
  3. From the menu, choose Undo Send and then click on it. 
  4. Poof, your message will disappear!

Edit a Message on iPhone

Don’t want to unsend an entire message? iPhone offers ease of editing a message in just a few seconds. To do that, just follow the steps below:

  1. Long-press the text, and then from the drop-down menu, choose the Edit option. 
  2. A small text box will then appear; this allows you to rewrite the entire message or fix a typing mistake. 
  3. After you’re done making the changes, tap on the blue checkmark on the right side. 
  4. The edited message will then appear on your iPhone screen

Please note that any edited message will appear as altered, and you’ll see the blue label with Edited written on it. You can click on the message, which will show you the entire history of edited messages in the correct order. Another thing to remember is this feature will only work in the upgraded iOS 16 and not in iOS 15. If someone has iOS 15, then they will receive an alert with an edited message under the original message. 

The time limit on this feature is 15 minutes, and you can only do it 5 times. So make sure you edit correctly!

FAQs

  1. Is it possible to unsend messages?

Yes, it is possible to unsend a message on iPhone. If you have an iPad or iPhone, just long press on the message, and from the menu that appears, choose unsend. At the same time, a Mac user needs to right-click on the message and then unsend the message. You just have a 2-minute window to make the wrong message disappear. 

  1. Why can’t I unsend messages on iPhone anymore?

Apple can only unsend the messages that are sent through iMessage, while the messages you send via your carrier can’t be deleted once they leave your iPhone. 

  1. How do you delete text messages on both sides of iPhone?

To delete messages on both sides of the iPhone, ensure both the receiver and the sender have iOS 16. This ensures the messages are unsent or deleted on both sides. 

  1. Which iOS can unsend messages?

iPhone’s unsend feature only works on iMessage when messages are sent from one iPhone to another. You and the receiver must have upgraded to iOS 16. If you send a message on the older version of IOS, the receiver can see the message, and you’ll even get a notification. 

  1. Can someone see an unsent message on iPhone?

If they have read your message and replied, you can’t do anything about it. But if they still haven’t read your message, quickly unsend it, and this will deliver a notification that the sender has unsent the message. 

Bottom Line

In conclusion, learning how to unsend messages on an iPhone can be pretty helpful, especially if you’re used to sending risky texts only to regret them later. This feature is available only on the iMessage application, which uses Wifi or Cellular data. The feature has a two-minute and has been updated on iOS 16. So if you still haven’t updated, you have a reason to!

Update your iOS and unsend or edit messages on your iPhones. 

Read also:

By Abdul Wahab

Abdul Wahab is a Software Engineer by profession and a Tech geek by nature. Having been associated with the tech industry for the last five years, he has covered a wide range of Tech topics and produced well-researched and engaging content. You will mostly find him reviewing tech products and writing blog posts. Binge-watching tech reviews and endlessly reading tech blogs are his favorite hobbies.

Show Buttons
Hide Buttons
For Tech Related Videos Subscribe Our Youtube Channel
This is default text for notification bar