We’ve all been in that moment – you send a message too quickly, realize there’s a typo, or maybe you messaged the wrong person. Thankfully, Apple introduced a feature in iOS and macOS that lets you unsend iMessage. This means you can remove a message from both your phone and the recipient’s conversation, almost like it was never there.

But before you get too excited, there are some important things you need to know about how to unsend iMessage. Let’s break it down:

How to Unsend iMessage on iPhone and iPad

We’ve all sent a message too quickly, whether it’s a typo, the wrong person, or something we instantly regret. The good news is that Apple gives iPhone and iPad users the option to unsend iMessages. It can save you from awkward or mistaken conversations. You can undo a recently sent text message by using the undo message, but only within 2 minutes of sending it.

• Open the message app on your phone.
• Press and hold the message, and click on undo send.

Limitations of Unsend iMessage

While the unsend iMessage feature is a great tool for fixing mistakes or pulling back a message, it’s not without limits. Apple has put certain restrictions in place to make the feature work fairly and securely. Before you rely on it, here are some important limitations you should know:

• You can unsend a message within 2 minutes of sending it.
• The feature can only be seen between Apple users.
• To unsend an iMessage, you and the recipient both need to use iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, and macOS Ventura (or later); otherwise, the message won’t be deleted.
• This feature only works for blue text messages, not for regular SMS green text messages.
• Even if you unsend a message, the recipient will see a note saying: “You unsent a message”. They won’t know what you wrote, but they’ll know something was removed.
• If the other person has already taken a screenshot or forwarded your message, then unsend cannot be helpful.
• If the recipient uses iCloud backup, the original message might still exist in order of backups, even after you unsend it.

What About the Photos, Videos, and Audio Messages?

The Unsend iMessage feature isn’t limited to just text; it also works for photos, videos, audio messages, stickers, and files sent through iMessage. That means if you accidentally send the wrong picture or voice note, you can still remove it within a 2-minute time limit.

However, there are some catches: if the recipient has already saved a photo or video to their Photos app, or kept an audio clip before you unsend it, that copy will remain on their device. Similarly, large files or documents that were downloaded won’t vanish if you remove them from the chat. In short, unsending works well inside the conversation itself, but once media has been saved outside the chat, you lose control over it.

How to Edit an iMessage

Along with the option to unsend, Apple also introduced the ability to edit iMessages. This feature helps you when you make a mistake, forget something, or want to rephrase something without deleting the entire message. Instead of pulling it back, you can simply fix it right in the chat so the conversation flows naturally. To keep things fair, Apple has set some rules around editing. Here’s what you should know: 

• Press and hold the message.
• Click on Edit, and then you can edit the message.
• You can edit a message up to 5 times within 15 minutes. The recipient can still see the previous message by tapping on edited.

How to Unsend A Text on a Mac:

If you’re using a Mac, the process of unsending an iMessage is as simple as on an iPhone or iPad. Apple has made sure that the “Undo Send” feature works on all devices running macOS Ventura or later, so you can quickly take back a message, whether it’s a text, photo, or even a file.

• Open the message app.
• Select the conversation, then control-click the message you want to unsend.
• Choose “Undo Send” from the menu.

FAQs

Q1: Can you unsend an iMessage?

Ans: Yes, you can unsend iMessage within two mins of sending it.

Q.2: How long do you have to unsend iMessage?

Ans: Within 2 minutes.

Q.3: Can I edit a message?

Ans: Yes, up to 5 times within 15 minutes.

Q.4: Can I use photos and videos?

Ans: Yes, but if the recipient has already saved it, then it won’t be deleted.

Q.5: Can the recipient see the unsend or edit message?

Ans: Yes, by tapping on the “Edited” label.

Q.6: How to unsend iMessage on iPhone after hours?

Ans: You can only unsend an iMessage within two hours of sending it.

Q.7: When you unsend a message on iMessage, does it notify them?

Ans: Yes, it notifies the recipient.

Conclusion

In short, iMessage gives users the flexibility to fix their typing mistakes but only with a time limit. It helps them to prevent the message from reaching the wrong person if you act fast. If the message has already been screenshot or forwarded, then it cannot help you.