How to unsend a message on an iPhone
Two minutes to erase embarrassment.
Sending a message (especially a spicy one) to the wrong person could lead to all sorts of trouble, ranging from mild embarrassment to real-life consequences. In iOS 16, Apple introduced a feature that lets iPhone, iPad and Mac owners unsend an iMessage within two minutes of sending it. Here’s how to unsend messages on Apple devices.
How to unsend a message on an iPhone
Apple’s unsend feature only works in iMessage (blue bubbles), so remember that SMS text messages (green bubbles) can’t be unsent, even a moment after pressing the send button.
The following will let you unsend a message on an iPhone (or iPad):
Open the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
Choose the conversation thread containing the message.
Touch and hold your finger on the message bubble you want to unsend.
Tap Undo Send in the pop-up menu. (After it unsends, you’ll see a balloon-popping animation.) An alert (“You unsent a message”) appears in small gray text, and the recipient will see a similar notice.
The feature only works for two minutes after sending the message. It also requires at least iOS 16 (or iPadOS 16), so, if you don’t see the option, you’ll need to ensure you’re running the latest software to use the feature. You can check which version your iPhone is on by navigating to Settings > General > About > iOS version.
Note that the Delete option in the same pop-up menu as Undo Send only deletes the message on your device, not the recipient’s.
One frustrating wrinkle to Apple’s unsend feature is that if the person you’re chatting with still has pre-2022 Apple software on their devices, they could still see the deleted message. That means the recipient’s device must be running at least iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1 or macOS Ventura. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do about that but hope the person you sent it to isn’t running very old hardware or has updated their device since 2022.
How to unsend a message from a Mac
The instructions on macOS devices are similar. Your Mac will need to run at least macOS Ventura (Apple's 2022 Mac update) to use the feature:
Open the Messages app on your Mac.
Select the conversation thread containing the message.
Right-click (or control-click) on the message bubble you want to unsend.
Choose Undo Send. (After it unsends, you’ll see a balloon-popping animation.) An alert (“You unsent a message”) appears, and the recipient will see a similar notice.
Similar qualifiers apply to unsending messages on a Mac. It must be an iMessage chat (blue bubbles). Your Mac must be on macOS 13 or later, and your recipient’s device must be on at least iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1 or macOS Ventura.
FAQs
How long do you have to unsend a message on an iPhone?
You have two minutes after sending an iMessage to unsend it.
How do I see unsent messages on my iPhone?
You can’t typically view a message after you unsend it. However, if you have any Apple devices running pre-2022 software (logged into iMessage when the original message was sent), it’s probably still available on that device.
Can someone see if I unsent a message?
Yes, an alert (in small gray text) letting the recipient know you unsent a message will appear in the chat where the unsent message was initially. You’ll see a similar notice on your side.
Can you recover an unsent message?
No, there’s currently no official way to resend an unsent message. The closest you’d get is if you have another device (logged into iMessage when you sent the message) running pre-2022 Apple firmware.
Can you unsend a message on an iPhone after it has been read?
Yes. The read / unread status of the message doesn’t affect your ability to unsend it. As long as it’s an iMessage (and your device is running recent Apple software), the only limitation on unsending it the two-minute window.
