Apple’s (AAPL) iOS 16 is finally here. The software update, which automatically downloads and installs to your phone while it charges on your nightstand overnight, brings a litany of big changes to your iPhone.
There’s no denying that the update is impressive for iPhone owners.
Users will experience a redesigned lock screen, complete with widgets for everything from the weather to your activity. The update also features the ability to track your medication and improved photo editing tools.
But the software’s most buzzed-about new feature is the ability to edit and un-send text messages. Yes, you can fix grammatical errors, retract spicy texts you might have sent in haste, and finally change “duck” to the word you meant to send.
It’s a powerful tool, especially when combined with the new option that lets you mark your previously read texts as unread. But don’t think you can fire off heated texts and quickly pull them back or change what you originally sent without consequence.
That’s because Apple included a specific caveat to its new feature that tells users when someone has unsent or edited a text they sent to them.
So no, the text edit and retraction feature isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card. You can’t launch texts at people like cruise missiles without leaving debris in their inboxes.
What’s more, if the person you try to retract a text from doesn’t have iOS 16 installed, they’ll still see your text message.
Still, Apple’s latest innovation is worth using when you need to fix a text you forgot to proofread or need to change the time for a meetup. Here’s how to use it.