How do you recall a text message on iphone

iMessage in iOS 16

Todd Haselton | CNBC

Apple's new iOS 16 iPhone software, expected in September, will let you edit and unsend text messages for the first time.

That means you'll be able to go back and correct a typo or delete a message if you sent it to the wrong person. And the person you're texting will see the updated text, or that you've deleted a message — so long as they're also running iOS 16.

How do you recall a text message on iphone

The feature is already available in the public beta, which you can download on your phone now. But otherwise, you'll see this feature once the software is released to everyone in the fall. You'll just need an iPhone released in 2017 or later.

Here's what you do.

How to edit an iMessage on iPhone in iOS 16

How to edit an iMessage in iOS 16

Todd Haselton | CNBC

Here's how to edit a message if you want to change what the text says, whether you're fixing a typo or correcting the restaurant where you're telling someone to meet you.

  • First send a text to someone with an iPhone.
  • Next, tap and hold the message you sent.
  • Choose Edit
  • Correct the text on your iPhone.
  • Tap the blue check mark next to the text.
  • The person on the receiving end will see a note that you've edited the text but won't see the original message.

How to unsend an iMessage on iPhone in iOS 16

How to unsend an iMessage in iOS 16

Todd Haselton | CNBC

Maybe it's something you said to your boss that you regret. Or maybe you accidentally sent a spicy meme to your grandmother instead of your pal. Here's how to undo your error.

  • Tap and hold the message you sent.
  • Choose Undo Send.

You'll see a message that informs you that the message has been unsent but that the recipient may still be able to see it if they're running a device with software that hasn't been updated.

That's it!


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In iOS 16, Apple has added some major updates to the Messages app, introducing some features that rival third-party messaging platforms have had for years. One of these changes is the ability to unsend sent iMessages in ‌iOS 16‌. Keep reading to learn how it works.

How do you recall a text message on iphone

Have you ever sent a text message only to immediately wish that you hadn't? In previous versions of iOS, if you sent a message over Apple's iMessage service, there was nothing you could do in such an undesirable situation, but in ‌iOS 16‌, it's possible to unsend an iMessage, or at least you can up to a point.

There are some limitations to the new Unsend feature that are worth taking into consideration. First, if you use the undo send feature on a message sent to someone running an earlier version of iOS, it will not work and the message will not be unsent.

In such cases, the person on the other end will not see that you unsent it, even though it disappears from your ‌iPhone‌. If this happens, you'll see a message that says "You unsent a message. [Person] may still be able to see your message on devices running older versions of iOS."

Second, you can only opt to unsend an iMessage for up to two minutes after it's been delivered. If more than two minutes have elapsed since you sent the message, you can no longer unsend it (although you may still be able to edit the iMessage).

With the above caveats in mind, here's how you unsend a sent iMessage on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad running ‌iOS 16‌ or iPadOS 16.

  1. In the Messages app, open the chat thread containing the sent message that you want to unsend.
  2. Long press the sent message that you want to fix.
  3. Tap Unsend from the pop-over menu. (If you don't see the option, at least two minutes have elapsed and you can no longer unsend it.)
  4. The message will disappear and be replaced by the text "You unsent a message."

How do you recall a text message on iphone

That's all there is to it. Did you know that you can also edit iMessages in ‌iOS 16‌? Check out our dedicated how-to to learn how.

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Can I recall a text message already sent?

Can you Unsend a Text Message? There is no way to unsend a text message or iMessage unless you cancel the message before it was sent.

Can you delete a text message before someone reads it iPhone?

A new iOS 16 feature lets you unsend text messages on your iPhone. After you send an iMessage, you'll have 15 minutes to unsend it and delete it from everyone's phone. Unsending only works when you're texting another person who has iOS 16 or newer.

How do I recall an iPhone message?

Retrieve a deleted message or conversation In Messages, tap Edit. Tap Show Recently Deleted . Choose the conversations with the messages you want to restore, then tap Recover. Tap Recover Message or Recover [Number] Messages.