Apple’s iOS 16 features some amazing new messaging features – with the new update, you can retrieve deleted messages for up to 30 days, mark them as unread to return later, and have more options for SharePlay than ever. The two functions of Messages that were headlines, however, were the ability to edit and delete messages after sending them. These are convenient options for those of us who press “send” too quickly, but for some, they can also be a serious problem. You can prevent others from editing your messages, even if the solution isn’t particularly pleasing.
Let’s explore how these features work: When you send a message to an iPhone with iOS 16, a 15-minute timer is activated. In this window, you have the option to edit this message or undo it completely. After 15 minutes, the text is blocked, as are all iMessages in iOS 15 and earlier. There are obvious advantages to both of these features. If you re-read a message that you sent and you realize that you made an embarrassing spelling mistake, you can quickly correct it so that the recipient knows what you really mean. If you send a message to the wrong person (which sometimes has horrible consequences), you can immediately retract it.
Apple is also not the first messaging provider to offer these features. Facebook Messenger lets you send messages at any time, while apps like Telegram and Slack also let you edit messages. However, as iMessage is the leading messaging service for iPhone users in the US, it is by far the largest platform offering features.
While most of us will use these features innocently and to make our conversations clearer, there is a possibility that people will abuse these options, especially when it comes to using text messages as evidence. As Jennifer Nielsen of Nielsen Law points out in this tweet, the ability to edit or delete messages is a problem with those in the family court who rely on text message logs as proof of their case. Of course, you can imagine applying the same thing every time messages are used as proof, as the case may be: if the other party knows that you will use their messages against them, they can take advantage of the fact that they can say whatever they want. i want you to have 15 minutes to clean up the mess.
Now, any iMessage that is edited in iOS 16 is labeled as such, so you’ll never confuse an edited message with the original intent. However, there is no edit history – unless you have a screenshot of the message as it was at the beginning, there is no way to confirm what the sender actually told you. You can report the message exactly as it was sent to you, but the sender can claim to have simply corrected a spelling mistake. Sure, you could burn your battery by charging your iPhone screen all day long, but that’s not ideal, just because Apple introduced a new feature.
Here’s the bad news: There’s no way to disable this feature. If someone is running iOS 16 on their iPhone, they can edit and cancel the sending of any iMessage they want, even if you’re not running iOS 16 with them. However, the key word here is iMessage: If you send text messages to someone, as in SMS, green bubble text messages, these messages are blocked, with no way to manipulate or undo them.
If you’re worried about other people editing your messages, all you have to do is turn off iMessage to force all SMS conversations. Unfortunately, there is no way to do this contact by contact: either you have iMessage enabled or not. For your friends, it will be like having an Android, turning all group chats into horror green texts. But if you have to make sure no one changes your text, this is the only way to do it. Fortunately, iOS 16 silently fixes most of the group SMS chats on your iPhone, so you won’t bother your friends as much.
To turn off iMessage on your iPhone, open Settings, scroll down, and tap “Messages.” Now tap the switch next to iMessage to turn off the feature at your end. All of your future messages may be green, but at least they can’t be edited or deleted.