WASHINGTON — Apple's latest software update gives users a new iMessage feature: a two-minute grace period to delete all butt-texts and autocorrect duds.
IOS 16, Apple's newest phone operating system, was released Monday and brought big changes across the board, including to how users can text. The biggest new feature in that department is the unsend function, which lets iPhone users edit and delete iMessages that have already been sent.
For up to 15 minutes after sending a text, users can edit their messages up to five times. However, a record of the edits will be made available to the person on the receiving end.
And for the first two minutes of a sent message's life, it can be recalled as if it had never been sent in the first place.
Like all things, there is a catch. For the feature to work, the other person must have an updated iPhone released in 2017 or later. This means any text exchange with a non-iPhone user, or the green text bubbles, cannot use the feature.
Here's how to delete and edit your iPhone messages:
Deleting a message:
- Press and hold on the "undesired" text message
- A Quick Actions menu will appear on your screen
- Tap "Undo Send"
- This feature will only work for two minutes after initially sending the message.
- The undo action will only work with iMessage texts, meaning that chats with Android users or iPhones via SMS won't have access.
Users on the receiving end of the text may be able to see messages if their iPhone is not up to date. Once a message is deleted, the other person is able to see that you've "unsent" a text.
Editing a message:
- Press and hold on the text message you want to edit
- A Quick Actions menu will appear for that message
- Tap "Edit"
- Once you're done editing, tap the blue check mark to update the text message.
- Beware that you can only edit the message up to five time and that changes must happen within 15 minutes of the text being sent.
- This feature only works on iMessage, meaning it won't let you edit SMS messages or any sent to Android users.
How to remove backgrounds from photos
Another new feature in iOS 16 is the ability to easily remove the subject of an image from its background and place it in another app like Messages. It's part of iOS 16's Visual Lookup.
For example, if you have a photo of your pet with a background you can tap and hold their image and paste just your pet in a message to a friend.
Adding multiple stops in Apple Maps
The latest software update also introduces a number of improvements to Apple Maps.
Drivers can now create routes with up to 15 stops and automatically sync routes from Macs to iPhones when they're on their way. According to Apple, transit directions will also now display how much a trip will cost and users can add transit cars without leaving Maps.
