WhatsApp finally lets users unsend messages

WhatsApp users will have a new way to hastily unsend embarrassing messages, with a new update set to add the ability to delete sent messages for the first time.

The new feature will offer users to option to "delete messages for everyone" in a chat within seven minutes of the initial message being sent. Both users will require the latest version of WhatsApp on iOS or Android for the delete message function to work.

After a message has been deleted users will see a message saying "this message was deleted" in place of the original message.

Other apps have started implementing unsend functions, such as Google's Gmail.

WhatsApp appears to be slowly rolling the feature out, with a guide to using the function has appeared on the app's FAQ page. It is not clear how long it will take for it to filter through to the wider public.

How to unsend WhatsApp messages

Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp for iOS or Android, you can find this in the App Store or Google Play Store
Open WhatsApp and go to the chat with the message you want to delete within seven minutes of sending
Tap and hold the message. You can also tap multiple messages to delete more than one
Tap the Delete icon at the top of the screen > tap Delete for Everyone
Everyone on your chat will see the message: "This message was deleted". So you may still have some explaining to do