Skip to main content

Unsend iMessages: Hands-on with the new iOS 16 iPhone feature, how it works, limitations, more

The Messages app gets some valuable upgrades this year with iOS 16. One of the interesting features is the ability to unsend iMessages on iPhone. Follow along for a hands-on look at how the feature works, its limitations, and what the experience is like for the person on the other end.

Brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform. Businesses can automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices. Request a FREE account to learn how to put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

Apple’s Messages app gains a handful of new features with iOS 16. Three big ones are the option to edit iMessages, completely unsend iMessages, and mark text messages as unread.

Below we’ll focus on how it works to unsend iMessages on iPhone. We’ve also got a detailed guide on how editing iMessage works:

Unsend iMessages: iPhone iOS 16 guide

  1. Running iOS 16 on iPhone, open the Messages app
  2. Find the conversation and the specific message you want to unsend
  3. Long-press on the message
  4. Tap Undo Send
  5. Undo Send works up to 2 minutes after sending
    • Apple notes that when you try to unsend iMessages that were sent to someone running iOS 15 or earlier, they may still be able to see them

Here’s how the unsend iMessage feature looks in iOS 16:

unsend iMessages iPhone

You don’t need to confirm the action, as soon as you unsend iMessages on iPhone, you’ll see a little animation where they burst and disappear.

unsend text Messages ios

Caveats and limitations

Beyond the 2-minute limit to unsend, something important to keep in mind is if the person isn’t on iOS 16 that you sent, and then unsent an iMessage to, Apple gives a notice that they “may still be able to see your message.”

And if the person who received the original message is on iOS 16, they will get an alert in the thread that a message was unsent (shown below).

But one interesting aspect is the notification for the iMessage is removed on their device along with the message when you unsend.

So they will see that you used the feature, but may not know what it was (as long as they didn’t see a preview of the text when the original message was sent).

unsend text Messages iPhone screen

This article is brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle fully integrates 5 different applications on a single Apple-only platform, allowing Businesses to automatically deploy, manage & protect all their Apple devices. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe.

Read more on iOS 16:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications