Learn how to stop an outgoing iMessage from being delivered after hitting the send button in case you text the wrong person or have second thoughts.
I’ve had plenty of situations where I accidentally sent an iMessage to the wrong person because I wasn’t paying enough attention. This has motivated to find a solution that would stop an outgoing iMessage dead in its tracks. Now, the built-in Messages app lets you recall a message within two minutes. But you can also kill the Internet connection before the message is on its way by entering Airplane Mode as quickly as possible after hitting the send button.
Recall a sent message
Touch and hold an iMessage within 2 minutes of sending, and choose Undo Send. The recipient won’t see the message unless they’ve already read it from the notification banner. They will, however, know that you texted them but then recalled the message, as evidenced by a “You unsent a message” label below the blue chat bubble.
Turn on Airplane Mode
Quickly open the Control Center and tap the Airplane icon while your iMessage is still being sent. If you do this before the iMessage is delivered, a red “Not Delivered” label will appear. You may also see a warning telling you to turn off Airplane Mode to send messages; dismiss it. Before you exit Airplane mode, be sure to delete the message from the conversation by holding the chat bubble and choosing More > trash icon > Delete Message.
Jailbroken iPhones can use the Activator tweak
If your iPhone is jailbroken, download the Activator tweak from Cydia. With it, you can assign a quick gesture to turn on Airplane Mode. In my experience, trying to beat the clock by hitting the Airplane Mode icon in the Control Center is a hit-and-miss. That’s why I prefer this tweak.
I’ve assigned a three-finger tap gesture to toggle Airplane Mode. When the Messages app starts sending an iMessage, I can immediately invoke this gesture to turn on Airplane mode and cut off Internet access before the blue progress bar reaches the right side. Don’t forget to delete the message so that it doesn’t get automatically delivered upon exiting Airplane mode.
SendDelay is another tweak that can help you avoid missing the mark by extending message sending delay. You’ll have extra time before the blue progress bar reaches the right side, increasing your chances to react accordingly and enter Airplane Mode before the text is delivered.
Have you ever been in a similar situation? If so, has the Airplane Mode trick worked for you? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments down below.
Also, check out: 65+ tips and tricks for the Messages app on iPhone and iPad