This is How Editing and Unsending Messages Will Work in iMessage The new features will be a first for the tech giant, set to debut on iOS 16.
By Emily Rella
Apple's long-awaited iOS 16 is set to roll out next month with a slew of new features and updates — the most anticipated being the ability to edit and unsend messages.
The feature is now available to view in beta mode but will rollout on iPhones everywhere once iOS 16 is available on iPhone 7 models or later.
The beta version reveals how to use the feature, which is thankfully pretty simple, given the urgent nature of wanting to unsend or correct a message.
In order to edit a message, simply hold down the message you've sent and an "edit" option will pop up beneath the different text reaction options. Select the option, edit the text and click the blue checkmark that appears. The person you send the edited message to will receive a notification that you have done so.
In order to unsend a message, the process is the same — hold down the message and an "unsend message" option will pop up. Select that option and it will notify both you and the receiver that a message has been unsent.
However, if a message has already been edited, it cannot be unsent.
Original story below.
Apple's coveted WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) is underway.
The keynote began at 1 p.m. PST in Cupertino, California, with the conference set to reveal what the tech behemoth has in the product and software pipeline, something that makes headlines each year when exciting new features and launches are announced.
One of the most troubling (and anxiety-inducing) features of all Apple iOS systems has long been the inability to alter an iMessage once it's sent into the ether.
Related: Apple Made It Harder for Thieves to Make Money Off of Stolen IPhones
Whether it's a message you regret sending or sent in error, or an important message that you fumbled with a misspelling or missed detail, sending any sort of erroneous message can be a less-than-pleasant experience.
Revealed on Monday, Apple has shared that in its latest software update (iOS 16), iMessage will now not only have an edit button, but an unsend option as well, something that's a complete game changer for the company and iMessage senders everywhere.
The newest update will also let users mark a message as unread even after it's been opened.
"These three features are going to make a big difference in how you use messages every single day," Apple's software engineering SVP Craig Federighi explained.
iOS 16 is set to roll out in September 2022.
You can watch Apple's WWDC here.
