Overview

• As of mid-August, Google Messages has expanded its ‘delete for everyone’ feature beyond beta testers to a wider user base
• When retracting a sent text, users can choose either ‘Delete for me’ to clear it from their device or ‘Delete for everyone’ to remove it from recipients’ devices
• The unsend option is available only within about 15 minutes of sending a message
• Deletions depend on Rich Communication Services compatibility, requiring recipients to have RCS enabled and supported apps for the recall to succeed
• Since the feature cannot undo messages already viewed or captured by screenshots, it does not guarantee complete removal and highlights persistent platform inconsistencies