Facebook set to test ‘unsend’ feature for Messenger

Facebook Messenger appears to be testing an unsend feature not unlike the one already available on Instagram. The feature was spotted by developer and tipster Jane Manchun Wong  in Messenger’s Android code, where she noticed an ‘Unsend Message’ option. It comes many months after Facebook said in April it would be shipping such a feature […]

Facebook Messenger appears to be testing an unsend feature not unlike the one already available on Instagram.

The feature was spotted by developer and tipster Jane Manchun Wong  in Messenger’s Android code, where she noticed an ‘Unsend Message’ option.

It comes many months after Facebook said in April it would be shipping such a feature for users. The social media giant only announced it would after it was caught deleting messages already sent by CEO Mark Zuckerberg to other users.

Wong tweeted screenshots of what could be a prototype Unsend Message feature on Friday.

Currently, users can delete messages from a conversation, but they’ll still appear in the recipient’s chat log.

With the Unsend feature, they’d be able to delete it from both their own and the recipient’s conversation.

The tool can be accessed in the Messenger app by clicking on the ‘Edit’ option.

The screenshots show users would have a certain amount of time to unsend a message after they’ve sent it.

Once a user selects the feature, a pop-up window will appear asking them to confirm their choice.

The notice adds: ‘Your message will be removed from the chat, and you.’

It’s unclear when or if this feature will appear for users.

‘Facebook internally tests products and features before they ship to the public so we can ensure the quality of the experience,’ a Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch.

Facebook wouldn’t be the first tech platform to test an unsend feature.  Earlier this year, Instagram began allowing users to unsend messages sent via Instagram Direct.

To do so, users press down on a message and wait until a window pops up giving them the option to ‘Copy, Paste or Unsend.’

They hit Unsend and it will remove the message from the chat. However, the recipient may still receive a notification on their smartphone saying you sent a message, as well as its contents, depending on their settings.

Gmail also has an ‘Undo Send’ feature which lets users unsend messages within a 30 second window.