While iMessage first gets the “unsend” option for messages with the iOS 16 beta, WhatsApp already provides a similar feature. However, the Meta-owned messaging app (Facebook) is now releasing an update that will allow users to delete messages up to two days after they were sent.
Delete sent messages on WhatsApp
The change in the option to delete sent messages was announced by WhatsApp itself on its Profile Twitter. According to the company, users will now have two days to decide not to send a message in a private or group chat.
Specifically, WhatsApp users will have 2 days and 12 hours to delete a message after sending it. Previously, this limit was only 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds – it was specific. To delete a sent message in WhatsApp, all you have to do is press and hold it for a few seconds and then press the “Delete” button.
Interestingly, while WhatsApp is increasing the time users have to delete a message, Apple is going in the opposite direction with iMessage. In early betas of iOS 16, users had 15 minutes to unsend a message. Now, with the latest betas, that limit has been reduced to just two minutes.
The feature has been quite controversial as some users believe that the edit and undo message options can be used for malicious purposes. It also led Apple to add a change history for messages edited in iMessage. Meanwhile, Telegram, the popular WhatsApp and iMessage competitor, allows users to edit and delete messages without any limits.
