This could be a game changer.
We’ve all probably done it, sent a text message to the wrong person. Whether it was a drunk “u up?” text or accidentally saying something to your family group chat, most of us had endured the dreaded wrong text before. Well, luckily for us, we may not have to worry about that for much longer. According to MacRumors, Apple is reportedly testing a new feature that will allow iPhone owners retract messages sent through iMessage. However, since this would be an iMessage feature, this capability would likely only work when sending texts to another iPhone, iPad, or Mac user — not those using Android devices remember.
The logistics aren’t yet revealed as for how long you would have before the text was officially sent. On Google’s email service, you can adjust your settings to choose whether you’d like to have the option of rescinding an email five, 10, 20, or 30 seconds after it’s been sent. So I’d expect something similar to that concept.
It’s one of several updates Apple is reportedly testing for iMessage, which may arrive in the company’s next major iPhone update, expected to be called iOS 14. Other features Apple is reportedly testing include a typing indicator for group chats, aka those little dots you see when someone is typing, as well as a mentions feature for tagging other people in a group message.
Apple didn’t respond to the rumors, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted if confirmed or more info comes out. Stay tuned.