Facebook starts rolling out ‘Unsend’ feature in Messenger

Ever wish you could retract something you said?

Soon you’ll be able to do something of the sort on Facebook’s Messenger. The social network has started a rollout of an “Unsend” feature for Messenger, letting users delete messages within 10 minutes of sending.

The news of the feature existing isn’t new — Facebook confirmed it earlier this month. But now, TechCrunch has found out that it’s actually rolling out in some markets, namely  Poland, Bolivia, Colombia and Lithuania, on both iOS and Android. Other markets are coming soon, though timing is uncertain due to an App Store policy that doesn’t let app updates around the holidays (typically from Dec 23-27).

The feature is simple to use, and will appear as an additional option at the bottom of the screen when you long press a message you’ve sent in Messenger. Now, the options include “copy,” “forward” and “delete;” the new option will be known as “remove.” Tap it, and you’ll be able to remove the message either only for you, or for all recipients. 

TechCrunch also has some new details on how the feature might be upgraded in the future. For example, Facebook is considering the possibility of adding an expiration date in advance — either for a single message or an entire message thread. 

The “Unsend” feature has an interesting history. TechCrunch reported in May — and Facebook later confirmed — that Facebook has deleted years-old messages sent by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, without giving any sort of warning to recipients. Now, finally, all users will be getting this option — albeit usable only within a much shorter timeframe.