Youth Incorporated Magazine

Finally! After all the WhatsApp updates that have graced us over the years, the one everyone’s been hoping for is here. WhatsApp has come out with a new ‘delete for everyone’ message feature that allows you to delete a message after it has been sent. Yes, no more fretting over that emotional outburst you probably shouldn’t have sent in the first place, or sending a very revealing message to the wrong group (yikes!).

All WhatsApp users will have a seven-minute window to revoke the message, as long as the person you’ve sent the message to has not yet read it. Both of you have to be using the latest version of WhatsApp on your Android or Apple phone. The feature won’t work if one of you do not have the updated version.

WhatsApp’s FAQ section clearly explains, ‘This is particularly useful if you sent a message to the wrong chat or if the message you sent contains a mistake. Messages you successfully delete for everyone will be replaced with “This message was deleted” in your recipients’ chats.’ This means that if you delete a message after sending, the recipient will be notified that the message has been erased. Likewise, if you see ‘This message was deleted’ in one of your chats, you’ll know that the sender has deleted their message for everyone.

To delete a message you’ve already sent, all you have to do is tap on the message you want to delete, select the ‘delete’ option, followed by ‘delete for everyone’. This feature is surely going to avert embarrassing and awkward situations! And despite the fact that the recipient will come to know of the deleted message, at least you have a chance to wiggle your way out of a tight spot!