New Apple iOS 16 update allows you to unsend texts in iMessage. But there’s a catch
Apple initially announced the addition of several changes coming to iPhone’s new operating system update during its WWDC 2022 event this week. The company finally released the iOS 16 update on Monday, CNBC reported.
One of the more interesting features that was announced by software engineering senior vice president Craig Federighi was the incorporation of an unsend and edit feature on iMessage that would allow users to withdraw or revise texts that have already been sent.
According to Apple, the feature that comes with the new update will allow users to edit a message for up to 15 minutes after it has been sent and completely unsend the message within two minutes from the time it was sent.
Selected users were able to beta test new features in June. Among the lucky bunch was Darshil Patel, a full stack engineer who was included in the beta testing group for iOS 16.
“They give out access to developers a few months early so they can make sure the apps are ready for the new version,” Patel told The Charlotte Observer in June. Although iOS 16 brings a host of shiny new features, there are still a few catches that users should keep in mind.
For instance, the action of editing or unsending isn’t entirely discreet, according to Patel.
In iOS 16, recipients of your message will be notified if the initial text has been unsent or edited. You may also run into trouble if the recipient of a message you want to edit isn’t running the updated operating system.
“It’s not implemented properly,” Patel said. “If the other person doesn’t have iOS 16, the message won’t unsend for them.” Additionally, the newest features included in the iOS 16 update will only be available for users who have an iPhone 8 and up, he said.
While beta testing for iOS 16 over the summer, Patel described the operating system to the Observer as “buggy.”
“Occasionally, things will take a bit longer to load than usual, but it’s normal,” Patel said. “It’s always like this when they launch the beta.”
There have been no major bugs or disturbances reported by Apple since the Monday rollout of the new operating system.
Other changes to iMessage that iPhone users can expect in the new update include optimized diction tools for drafting messages with your voice and the ability to mark messages as “unread” so you can revisit them in the future.
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 5:46 PM.
