In the digital world we live today, sending messages using an iPhone has become second nature. But what if you realize you’ve sent the wrong message, or you simply want to take back something you said? Well, you’re in luck, because with iOS 13 and later, you can unsend messages from an iPhone.
Say goodbye to that lingering sense of regret as you read on to learn exactly how to unsend an iMessage from your iPhone. With this handy guide, you’ll be able to quickly take back messages you regret, leave conversations you don’t want to be part of, and ultimately bring peace of mind to your daily digital life.
How to Delete Messages on an iPhone
Your iPhone stores all of your text message conversations even after you have deleted them. However, you can delete a single text message or a full conversation permanently from the Messages app on your iPhone. Here’s how you can do it.
Deleting One Message
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation that contains the message you want to delete.
- Long press on the message you want to delete.
- Tap the trash can icon that appears in the popup window.
- Confirm the deletion on the pop-up alert.
Deleting a Conversation
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Swipe left on the conversation you want to delete.
- Tap on the “Delete” button located in the red background.
- Confirm the deletion on the pop-up alert.
Why Can’t You Unsend Messages on an iPhone?
Have you ever sent a text message or email and immediately regretted it? If so, you’re in the majority—which is why unsend functions are found in messaging apps and email platforms. Unsending a message is a useful way to retract something you said, but unfortunately, there’s typically no way to unsend a message on an iPhone.
Although not having an unsend option might feel like a missed opportunity, there are several reasons why the feature isn’t available for iPhone users. Here are three of them.
User Experience
From the start, Apple has focused Apple hardware and software on user experience. As features are added from the iPhone’s launch in 2007 until today, Apple has always weighed the features they add or don’t add to the product based on how they affect the user experience. In Apple’s eyes, an unsend feature on an iPhone might work against user experience in two ways.
- Users could potentially get in trouble for unsend messages that are already seen or downloaded by the recipient.
- It could potentially confuse users as some messages are sent, and some are unsent.
Data and Security Concerns
Apple’s focus on data security and privacy is well known. The company consistently makes statements and takes actions on how they use, collect, and protect user information. An unsend feature could fly in the face of data security and privacy on an iPhone.
If an iPhone user unsends a message, the message is still technically sent and stored on Apple servers. There may be legal or security-related issues when a message is unsent and stored on Apple servers. Although the message might not appear in the recipient’s inbox, hackers (or hostile governments) might still be able to access the message.
Burden on Apple Servers
Although it’s rarely mentioned in the news or by Apple, an unsend feature places a significant burden on Apple servers. When an iPhone user sends a message, it is stored on Apple servers until the message is received in the recipient’s inbox. Even after the message is deleted, it may temporarily remain on Apple servers.
If an unsend feature were made available, Apple servers would need to store more than just sent messages. Apple servers would also need to store unsent messages, which exponentially increases storage requirements. This increase could put a burden on Apple servers.
What Can You Do Instead of Unsending Messages on an iPhone?
Although there may be situations when you want to permanently delete or unsend a message from an iPhone, this is unfortunately not an option. iPhones are designed to store certain data and messages until you manually delete them. But that doesn’t mean you have to leave the embarrassing message on the record. Here’s a few things that you can do in situations where you don’t want to leave an untimely remark in the chat.
Edit the Message
The fastest and simplest way of dealing with an unsent message is to edit the message and replace what you originally sent with something else. Just hold down on the text you sent and a menu will appear above it. If you hit the “Edit Message” option, you’ll be able to edit the text and type something else. If the message to be replaced is slightly embarrassing or too risky, you can simply delete it and send a new one in its place.
Forward the Message to Yourself
If you don’t think editing and replacing the message is enough, you can always forward the message to yourself. To do this, you’ll be required to select the message that you want to delete, and hit the “Forward” option. From the next menu, you’ll be able to select your own contact and send the message to yourself. Doing this will delete the message from view, but there’s still a possibility that the recipient may have backed the message up or screenshots it.
Send an Apology Message
Sometimes the most honorable thing to do, when you want to delete a message, is simply apologize and admit your mistake. A kind and simple message such as “I’m sorry for the messasge I sent earlier, that wasn’t appropriate”, can go a long way in smoothing things over without compromising the relationship with the receiver.
Consequences of Unsending Messages
Due to certain legal issues, Apple currently doesn’t provide the feature of unsending messages on iPhones. If you try to tamper or delete text messages that you sent, it can have legal consequences. It is considered as a form of tampering with evidence and is punishable by law. It is therefore better to select alternative methods of resolving embarrassing messages, as mentioned above.
Conclusion
For those seeking to remove messages that have been sent on an iPhone, the new feature in iOS 13 is the way to go. Thanks to the Unsend feature, users can easily delete messages minutes after they are sent. It’s important to keep in mind that the deleted message deletes from both sides, the sender and receiver. For users who are iOS 13 and later, they can benefit from the Unsend feature for their peace of mind.
Overall, the Unsend feature available in iOS 13 is an important addition for users who want to send something and quickly undo it. An important note to consider is that the recipient of the deleted message will get a notification to inform them that the sender has retracted a message. As always, be mindful and careful when communicating through messaging apps.
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