To take full advantage of the feature, there are some tips you need to keep in mind or else the feature won’t work as intended. There are also some limitations that the feature has (at least for now), but hopefully they will be improved in the near future.
Tips to Keep in Mind
If you’ve noticed that you’ve sent a message to the wrong person, you only have seven minutes to delete the message. If you wait longer than that, the message is there to stay. Also, to be able to erase the message, you and the recipient have to have the latest version of WhatsApp. Another downside to the new feature is that after you erase the message, the recipient will see a message that says “This message was deleted.” If you were hoping that the other person would never know that you sent a message, I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.
The feature is just rolling out to WhatsApp users worldwide, so it’s beset not to test the new feature by sending a message you’ll regret sending later. The unsend feature will be available for iOS, Android, desktop, and the Windows phone. This is great since no one will be left out or have to wait to use it. You’ll also be able to unsend attachments such as videos, pictures, GIFs, voice messages, etc. You can delete messages you sent in either an individual or group chat. WhatsApp also warns that the other person may see your message before you get a chance to erase it. There is also the possibility that the deletion could fail (nothing is fail-proof) even if you did everything correctly.
How to Erase Sent WhatsApp Messages
Deleting the sent messages or attachments is very easy. Just long-press on the message you want to erase until a window appears. In that window you’ll see three options: Delete for Me, Delete for Everyone or Cancel.
If you choose “Delete for me,” the message will only disappear from your device. The “Delete for Everyone” option will erase the message or attachment from both your device and the recipient’s device. You can erase the attachments the same way you would the messages. You can also delete multiple messages at once if you ever need to do so. Just long-press on all the messages, and each of them will be highlighted so you know which ones you chose. The messages will also be erased from the notification center.
Conclusion
Being able to unsend a message is a long-awaited feature WhatsApp users have been asking for. Now the wrong person doesn’t have to read a message that was intended for another person. Are you happy this feature is finally here? Leave a comment below and let us know.
