iOS 16 Messages Guide: Undo Send, Edit, and Other New Features

With iOS 16, available now, Apple has made some major updates to the Messages app, introducing features that many people have been wanting for years. This guide highlights everything that's new with the Messages app in iOS 16, as well as iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura coming in October, as many Messages features are cross-platform.

iOS 16 Messages Guide Feature

iMessage Editing

When you send an iMessage in iOS 16, you can edit for up to 15 minutes after it is sent. To edit an iMessage, you just long press on the message that you want to fix, add your edit, and then press the blue checkmark to resend.

imessage editing ios 16
There are some caveats to be aware of when using this feature. It only works with iMessages, not SMS messages, so both people need to have an iPhone for it to work effectively. Edited messages will be repeated for those who are not running iOS 16.

Using the message editing feature as it is intended requires participants to be using Apple's latest updates, including iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and watchOS 9. People who are running an earlier operating system or those on Android will see text that says "Edited to [text]" when receiving an edited iMessage.

The Messages app provides a history of the iMessage that is edited, so the person on the other end will know what the change was if they tap on the "Edited" text. It's also worth noting that an iMessage can only be edited up to five times before the edit option disappears.

iPhone 13 Editable Messages Feature

iMessage Undo Send

If you send an iMessage and then change your mind, you can use the undo send feature to retract it. You can unsend an iMessage for up to two minutes after sending it.

messages undo send ios 16
As with iMessage editing, iMessage unsending has limitations that you need to be aware of. If you use the undo send feature on a message sent to someone running an earlier version of iOS, it will not work and the message will not be unsent.

In this situation, the person on the other end will not see that you unsent it, even though it will disappear from your ‌iPhone‌. If someone is running an earlier version of iOS, it will say the following:

"You unsent a message. [Person] may still be able to see your message on devices running older versions of iOS."

For undo send to work, participants need to be running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and watchOS 9 on their devices. iMessage is required, as the feature does not work on SMS messages.

Mark as Unread

There is a new mark as unread feature in iOS 16, which allows you to mark an SMS message or iMessage as new, so it has the blue dot to remind you to return to it.

ios 16 mark as unread messages
Mark as unread is useful if you get a message and don't have time to read it or address it in the moment because it keeps it as a new message with a notification badge on the Messages app.

To mark a thread as unread, long press on the conversation and then tap on the "Mark as Unread" option.

Recover Deleted Messages

Under the "Filters" interface in the Messages app, there is a new "Recently Deleted" section that aggregates all of the texts that you've deleted. If you accidentally delete a message that you did not mean to delete, you can recover it here.

recently deleted messages ios 16
This interface has dedicated "Delete All" and "Recover All" options for dealing with all of the messages at once, or you can select an individual message and opt to delete it or recover it.

SharePlay Support

SharePlay, the feature that is designed to let you use apps, watch TV, listen to music, and more with friends and family over FaceTime, has expanded to the Messages app. In any app that supports SharePlay, you can opt to start a SharePlay session with the Messages app.

messages shareplay ios 16
The participants in the SharePlay experience can see the same content, discussing it through iMessage. This is handy for collaborating on various apps, playing games, working out, talking about TV shows and movies, and nearly every other SharePlay interaction. SharePlay is now compatible with both Messages and ‌FaceTime‌, so you can pick which method of communication you prefer.

Collaboration Integration

Collaboration is a new feature built into iOS apps. You can work together with colleagues, friends, or family in Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, and Safari, sending an invite to collaborate through Messages.

When a Collaboration has begun, all invited participants will see Messages updates when the shared project in the app is edited. Collaborations can be initiated from Messages or ‌FaceTime‌.

Junk Message Reporting

Apple is expanding the built-in "Report Junk" feature in the Messages app to cover SMS/MMS messages, allowing spam messages to be reported to select carriers in the United States.

report junk message ios 16
If you long press on an SMS/MMS message in the Unknown Senders section of the Messages app in ‌iOS 16‌, you can select the "Report Junk" option. Using this option lets you report a message as junk, sending it to Apple and Verizon and deleting the message.

The Report Junk feature was previously available for iMessage, but the option to report SMS/MMS messages to both Apple and carriers is new.

Developer APIs

Apple is making the Shared with You API available to developers, so they can build a dedicated Shared with You section into their apps, which will aggregate app content that you've been sent from friends into that app. So, for example, if a friend sends a Zillow listing, you might be able to see it in a new Shared with You section in the Zillow app.

This is opt-in for third-party apps, and it is an expansion of the Shared with You function that Apple introduced in iOS 15. Shared with You takes Safari links, photos, music, and more, and makes them accessible in the relevant app so you don't miss content from friends.

Apple also has a Messages Collaboration API to allow third-party apps to take advantage of the new Collaboration feature that allows users to communicate in the Messages app while working together in another app.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the iOS 16 Messages app, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

ipad mini 2021 youtube

New Report Reveals When to Expect the iPad Mini 7

Tuesday October 1, 2024 2:09 pm PDT by
Apple is working on a new iPad mini that will "potentially" be released "by the end of 2024," according to a report today from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Last month, Gurman reported that Apple had "new iPads in the works," including an upgraded version of the iPad mini. At the time, he said the device was "on deck for Apple's October event" alongside the first M4 Macs. The wording in his...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.0.1 With Touch Screen Bug Fix and More

Thursday October 3, 2024 2:22 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, the...
apple silicon mac lineup wwdc 2022 feature purple

MacBook Pro, iMac, and Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 Chips on Track to Launch 'This Year'

Tuesday October 1, 2024 1:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models with the M4 series of chips "this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman initially said these Macs would likely be announced during a virtual event this October, but he has been more vague about the timing lately, with wording such as "in the coming weeks" and now merely "this year." In any case, it is clear that...
15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.1

Friday September 27, 2024 6:14 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.1 in October, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update marks a significant step forward in Apple's AI integration, offering a new Siri contextually-aware experience and a range of additional capabilities powered by on-device machine learning and large language models. There are a couple of handy new...
macOS Sequoia Night Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 With Bug Fixes

Thursday October 3, 2024 2:27 pm PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.0.1, the first update for the macOS Sequoia operating system. The 15.0.1 update comes a week after Apple first released macOS Sequoia 15. Mac users can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. According to Apple's release notes, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 fixes a bug that could cause the Messages app...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Tuesday October 1, 2024 5:47 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.0.1 Coming Soon: What to Expect for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 2, 2024 5:50 am PDT by
Following the release of iOS 18 for the iPhone last month, Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.0.1 with bug fixes in the near future. We previously reported that Apple has been internally testing iOS 18.0.1, and today a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing iOS-related information said the update will have a build number of 22A3370. We expect iOS 18.0.1 to be a minor ...
Apple Logo

Apple in October: Six New Things to Expect This Month

Tuesday October 1, 2024 11:47 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to October, and it should be another busy month for Apple. Apple is likely to hold another event this month to announce new Macs and iPads, and there are also a couple of iOS 18 updates that are expected to be released soon. Below, we outline six new things to expect from Apple this month. MacBook Pro Apple plans to announce updated 14-inch and 16-inch...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Here Are All the New Features Coming to macOS Sequoia This Month

Thursday October 3, 2024 6:27 am PDT by
‌Apple in October will release macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1, bringing to Macs the first Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools, new Siri features, Smart Replies, and more. In addition, macOS 15.1 adds a handful of welcome tweaks and improvements to existing Mac capabilities. Here's what we can expect from the first major update to macOS Sequoia later this month. Note that Apple...

Top Rated Comments

TinaBelcher Avatar
30 months ago
WHY THE HELL IS THE ICON STILL GREEN? IT'S IMESSAGE, ITS SUPPORSED TO BE BLUE!!!!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyanite Avatar
30 months ago

release it already for Android. Nobody in the EU is using iMessage cos of that
Plenty of people in the EU are using iMessage.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Trik Avatar
30 months ago
Also, I think a key question on "mark as unread" is: for those that allow read receipts, does it then change the message as unread for the other user. That would be an amazing feature IMO.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tgwaste Avatar
30 months ago
Report junk isn't done properly. You should be able to swipe on the entire conversation and "report junk". You shouldnt have to go it and select a msg in the thread (if any) and report it that way. Thats dumb.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kognos Avatar
30 months ago
And yet, still, no RCS support.

Apple: "Apple cares deeply about your security and privacy, more than any other vendor. We want you to have the most seamless, easy, magical experience. That's why we downgrade to SMS when you send messages to Android phones, because we really don't care about your messages anymore once they leave our walled garden. Just look at that green bubble. It means we don't care. Magical."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kanki1985 Avatar
30 months ago
With so many features with iOS16, I am sure I will skip this update till 16.2. It is going to be buggy as hell with 16 and 16.1
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)