macOS: How to Unsend a Sent iMessage

Apple has significantly updated the Messages app in macOS Ventura, bringing several functionality that other third-party messaging systems have long had. Unsending sent iMessages is one of these modifications. Read on to see how it operates.

Have you ever sent a text message just to wish you hadn't right away? There was nothing you could do if you sent an iMessage using Apple's service in earlier versions of macOS, but in macOS Ventura, you can, at least in part, undo an iMessage that you've already sent.

As you can see, the new Unsend tool has several restrictions that should be taken into account. In the first place, utilizing the undo send function on a message sent to a Mac running macOS Monterey or older (or an iPhone running iOS 15 or earlier) will not work and the message will not be rescinded.

In such circumstances, even though the message is deleted from your Mac, the recipient will not be able to tell that you unsent it. If this occurs, a notification will appear that reads: "A message was returned. On computers running earlier versions of macOS, [Person] might still be able to view your message."

Second, after an iMessage has been delivered, you can choose to unsend it for a maximum of two minutes. You can no longer unsend a message if it was sent more than two minutes ago (although you may still be able to edit the iMessage).

Here's how to cancel a received iMessage on a Mac running macOS Ventura, keeping the aforementioned restrictions in mind. (If you're using an iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or iPadOS 16), the comparable steps are identical.)

Make sure the discussion thread containing the message you wish to resend is selected in the Messages app's UI.
To recover a sent message, right-click (or Ctrl-click) the message you desire.
From the contextual menu, choose Undo Send. (If you don't see the choice, it can no longer be revoked since at least two minutes have passed.)
The words "You unsent a message" will show in its place when the message vanishes with a pop.