How to unsend an iMessage

Don’t worry, if you struggle quickly to learn how to unsend an iMessageWe’re here to help. It’s okay, we’ve sent iMessages to the wrong person by accident, but in the past, we just had to put up with the embarrassment. Thankfully, the Apple gods listened to your pleas and implemented this handy feature in iOS 16. So, stick with us and we’ll make sure you never cringe at your own iMessages again.

But before you scroll down further, we have plenty of other guides you might need to use. Other messaging apps can be helpful, so be sure to check out our Microsoft Teams, What is Discord, Download WhatsApp, and What is Slack guides in case you need another way to communicate with your friends and family.

How do I unsend an iMessage?

Unsending an iMessage isn’t as difficult as you might think, and it can be done on any iPhone or iPad, as long as you have iOS 16 or later installed. We’re now on iOS 18, with the hot-off-the-press iPhone 16 refreshing the design of Apple’s smartphones.

If you need to unsend an iMessage on your iPhone or iPad, here’s how to do it in a few easy steps:

• Open the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad
• Tap the conversation containing the message you want to cancel
• Press and hold the message
• Press “Cancel Send”
• Your message will now be deleted from your conversation

How long do I have to unsend an iMessage?

While this feature is very convenient, it’s worth noting that you only have two minutes to unsend an iMessage before your time limit expires. If you try to delete an iMessage after two minutes, it won’t be possible to remove it from your conversation. Make sure to act quickly once you’ve accidentally sent an iMessage.

Can anyone see an unsent iMessage on an iPhone?

When you unsend an iMessage, the other person will be notified that the last message was deleted, but they won’t be able to see what was in it before. However, if the message has already been read by the recipient, it won’t be able to be deleted.

And there you have it, you’re all set to unsend an iMessage in the future. If you need more help with anything iPhone or smartphone related in the future, dive into guides to the best iPhone games, everything you need to know about the latest iPhone update, how to cancel subscriptions on iPhone, or how to delete contacts on iPhone — we’ve all done it.