Edit iMessages on iPhone in iOS 16
Though editing iMessages works as expected, there are a few limitations that you need to keep in mind. Spoiler alerts, editing message restrictions are similar to unsending an iMessage in iOS 16.
Editing iMessages requires iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura.Both the sender and the recipient must have the latest version of the operating system to use this feature.If a recipient is using the older version of the operating system like iOS 15 or macOS 12, they will not be able to see the edited message.Moreover, you can edit an iMessage only up to 15 minutes after sending it. Otherwise, the Edit button will no longer appear.The one good thing is that you can make changes to an already sent iMessage as many times as you want – within the limited time.While we have mostly focused on iOS 16, you can follow this same guide to edit messages on your iPad in iPadOS 16 as well.
Quick Way to Edit Messages on iPhone and iPad
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Apple Messages app.
- Now, navigate to the conversation thread where you would like to edit a sent message.
- Next, long-press on the message and then tap on the Edit button in the popup menu.
- Edit your iMessage just like any other text.
- Once you have made the desired changes to the message, tap on the tick mark that appears on the right side of the message to confirm. That’s it! You can repeat the same steps to edit more messages in the stock messaging app on your iPhone or iPad. Read more: How to Enable Keyboard Haptic Feedback on iPhone in iOS 16
My Critical Views…
In terms of ease of use, the editing iMessage feature is pretty neat. So, I give a thumbs up to the implementation. However, I would recommend Apple make a couple of changes to improve this feature. First things first, it would be better to make the editing feature compatible with older operating systems. Considering the fact that older yet very capable devices like the iPhone 7 Series have been left out of the iOS 16 update, a large number of users will not get this feature. The incompatibility will badly hurt this feature from realizing its true potential. Second, the 15 minutes of time limitation seems to be too little. Personally, I would want to have the flexibility of at least 1 to 2 hours after sending a message. What is your take on this feature and do you agree with my suggestions? Make sure to share your thoughts with us.
