Not too long ago, sending a message felt like a permanent decision. Typos or accidental messages sent to the wrong recipient couldn’t be undone once that “send” button was pressed. The recipient would keep the message indefinitely, regardless of any regrets.

However, advancements in technology have introduced options to safeguard against such slip-ups. Many messaging applications now allow users to retrieve messages post-sending, whether through message editing or the ability to delete a message from all participants in a chat. While this doesn’t prevent the recipients from having seen the original message, it ensures that it is removed from their view. If they missed it, it will forever remain unseen.

Numerous chat apps offer this deletion feature today, ranging from WhatsApp to iMessage. A notable holdout, however, has been Google Messages. While users could edit a message within a 15-minute window, they lacked the ability to retract it entirely. Fortunately, changes are on the horizon. According to 9to5Google, the capability to delete messages sent to everyone was recognized back in February and is beginning to be implemented gradually.

Specifically, RCS—the messaging protocol that Google Messages now uses as the default—gained this feature with the “Universal Profile 2.7” update last July, allowing users to “Edit, Recall, and Delete earlier messages for both themselves and the receiver.”

Understanding “Delete for Everyone” in Google Messages

Once this feature becomes available in your Google Messages application, two distinct options will be presented when deleting a message. The “Delete for me” option operates as it always has; it erases the message on your device but does not affect other participants. Conversely, the newly introduced “Delete for everyone” option removes the message from all users who are utilizing a compatible version of Google Messages.