To unsend a message on an iPhone, you need to be using iMessage with iOS 16 or later. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Messages app and go to the conversation containing the message you want to unsend.
- Touch and hold the message bubble you want to retract.
- Tap Undo Send from the menu that appears.
This will remove the message from both your device and the recipient’s device, and a notification saying "You unsent a message" will appear in the conversation. You can only unsend a message within 2 minutes after sending it
. Keep in mind:
- Both you and the recipient must be using iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura, or later for the unsend feature to work fully. If the recipient uses an older version, they may still see the original message
- This feature works only for iMessages (blue bubbles), not for SMS or MMS messages (green bubbles)
If you miss the 2-minute window to unsend, you can edit the message instead within 15 minutes of sending it, up to five times
