Apple to allow users edit and unsend messages
Tech giant Apple unveiled its new iOS 16 operating system, offering new features that bring iMessage up to speed with other popular messaging apps, during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday.
Set for release this fall on all iPhone models 8 and up, the system upgrades iMessage to allow users edit and unsend recent texts within 15 minutes, recover recently deleted messages, and mark conversations as unread.
The upgrade also facilitates synchronized playback of audio or video files, allowing the option of consuming media together instead of talking.
While the features are new for iMessage, other apps such as Telegram already allow users to edit and delete messages, while Google offers a brief window of time in which a Gmail user can unsend an email. Twitter users, on the other hand, still languish without an edit button, despite frequent requests.
Another iOS 16 feature attracting attention at WWDC is Safety Check, which is supposed to protect users who may be in abusive relationships by allowing the individual to better manage and revoke app and password access across all their Apple devices. The company has been previously criticized by privacy advocates over the ease with which its AirTag trackers, meant to be attached to personal items such as keys or luggage, can be misused as a cheap means of stalking or spying on someone, when slipped into personal belongings.
