Your Messages app is probably the hub of activity on your iPhone, handling incoming text messages from family, friends, coworkers, and more. But having more control over text messages, beyond muting a group chat of 20-plus bridesmaids, can sometimes feel like a pipe dream.
At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6, the company announced some major new features for Messages. In iOS 16, released in the fall, you will be able to edit and unsend recently sent iMessages. You can also mark a post as unread—a gift to those who open the text message, put down the phone, and forget to reply over the next six to eight weeks. The update will be released as part of iOS 16 and may not be available to the public until September.
How to edit or unsend an iMessage in iOS 16
To unsend a message, all you have to do is long-press on the relevant message, just like adding a reaction. Select "Undo Send" second from the top of the list of options. Your message will disappear with an exploding graphic, and you can watch the embarrassing text you intended to send to your mom disappear before your eyes. According to a June 6 press release, users will have up to two minutes to unsend a message after sending it. So if you want to express your love by pressing Ctrl+Z, you need to act quickly.
To edit a message, you also need to hold down the message. Then, select "Edit" from the drop-down menu and adjust your message as needed. You can only edit a message up to five times, and you can do so within 15 minutes of sending the message. Recipients can also read your message's edit history, so you should still try to make your first draft of text clear (and appropriate) enough to send without editing.
You can also recover deleted messages in iOS 16 for up to 30 days, according to an Apple Newsroom post about the announcement. To mark a conversation thread as unread, just swipe right and tap, just like you would mark an email thread as unread in the Mail app.
Think about the possibilities. You can edit that awkward spelling mistake in your first text message to your new date ("Brain" is not a cute nickname for Brian!), or cancel the passive-aggressive message you sent to your roommate. While many faux pas can be avoided by simply reading the text a second time, these new features will solve many avoidable embarrassing situations for the clumsy among us.
Will you be notified if someone edits or unsends a message?
If the ability to edit or unsend messages is a bit dangerous for you (cue Britney Spears' "Toxic"), rest assured that your conversation stream will note when a text has been edited or withdrawn. While you can't tell what's actually contained in the jumbled letter your best friend decided not to send, there will be a virtual paper trail. And, with a complete record of the message being edited, you can point them out if they conveniently removed an incorrect portion of a popular paper. Users can only edit a message up to 15 minutes after it is sent, and can only unsend a message up to 2 minutes after it is sent.
These messaging changes join other new options in iOS 16, such as editable fonts and colors for the lock screen. There is no doubt that the future of iPhone will be customizable.
