If you’ve ever sent a message and then immediately regretted it, it’s important to know that 1) you’re not alone and 2) Apple has your back. At the tech giant’s annual developer’s conference, Apple announced iOS 16, the next software update for iPhones that will add a slew of exciting and much-requested features. The standout so far: the ability to edit and unsend texts in Messages.
How to Unsend Messages on iPhone
To unsend a text in the Messages app, just long-press on the text you want to make disappear. A menu will pop-up with the option to Undo Send. You’ll be able to unsend a text for up to 15 minutes after sending it, and any text you delete will be stored for up to 30 days, during which time you can recover it at any point.
How to Edit Messages on iPhone
Editing texts in Messages is a similar process to unsending them. Long-press on the text you want to change and the same menu will appear with the option to Edit. Then make whatever changes you want and hit the send button again. Easy!
Editing and unsending texts is unique to the Messages app, so you’re out of luck if you want to delete or change a message in a conversation on another app like Instagram or Messenger.
It’s also unique to iOS 16, so we’ll have to wait a while to start using it. The iOS 16 release date is slated for September 2022 and you can sign up for the public beta now to be one of the first to try the new feature. There’s a lot more coming in the update, like extra customisation options for the lock screen, powerful image editing features, Live Text interactions in videos, a Pay Later feature in Apple Pay and Apple’s fitness app even if you don’t have an Apple Watch. Check out the full iOS 16 announcement here.
