Google Messages looks set to get an upgrade which could save you from the inevitable discomfort after sending that message you immediately regret.
Playing catchup with the likes of WhatsApp, Google is working on a Messages feature that will allow you to remote delete what you’ve sent.
This should mean you’ll be able to remove the offending message, both from your own device as well as those you’ve sent it to.
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The catch? There is going to be a time limit of 15-minutes. So, that should save you from basics – like typos – right through to instantly regretted moments of saying too much, but not a lot beyond that.
When is this saviour service being sent to devices? That is less clear. The fact this in development comes from the tinkerers over at Android Authority who not only found this, last month, but have just been playing with using it in developer mode.
Currently users will be able to delete messages remotely from other devices, but only if the other user has an updated version of the app. In testing the developer model you are simply told that it will only delete on devices with the newer version of the app.
This could be something that gets addressed before rollout of the feature, although since this relies on recent additions to the RCS Universal Profile that could prove challenging.
Right now the AA testers say: “We still can’t say with much certainty when this support might be ready to go live, but based on the development progress we’ve observed so far, it really does feel like there’s some good momentum to it.”
Since this has been accessible for the developers, on public versions of the app, it’s likely going to arriver sooner rather than later.