You Can Now Edit Your Messages After Sending Them in Google Messages

The Google Messages app has introduced a handy feature allowing users to edit a message after it's been sent, similar to other messaging platforms. Perfect for fixing typos and avoiding misunderstandings!

With over a billion active monthly users, Google Messages has established itself as one of the leading SMS, MMS, and RCS apps. To maintain its edge, Google has continually worked to make it more like popular instant messaging apps, such as WhatsApp or Signal. Messages can be enhanced with links, emojis, high quality photos and videos, typing indicators show when the other person is writing, and group conversations are supported.

Recently, Google announced a bunch of new features (new recorder, Selfie GIFs, message reactions, better contact management...) with a bit of artificial intelligence to stay on top of trends. It's enough to make you want to leave the old SMS behind for RCS technology! And the tech giant doesn't seem to be stopping there! Back in December, several lines of code were detected in a beta version of the app, indicating a message editing feature, which was then rolled out to the beta channel. Now, it's available to everyone!

Message editing is now available in Google Messages. From now on, messages can be edited within 15 minutes of being sent. Simply long-press on the message you want to modify, then select the pencil icon. After making the necessary changes, just hit the "Enter" button.

A "Modified" label will appear below the message to indicate that it has been edited. Of course, this tool works with the RCS protocol, a major selling point for Google's app. However, it's important to note that while the app allows you to correct a sent message, it doesn't hide the original version. The recipient can always view the edit history.

Instant messaging platforms are increasingly taking inspiration from each other to offer more flexible and adaptable communication. So, it makes sense that Google has rolled out message editing, given that many competitors, starting with WhatsApp and iMessage, already offer this option. On iMessage, users have two minutes to edit a message, compared to fifteen on WhatsApp. These apps generally notify the recipient when a message has been edited.