New WhatsApp feature will let you recall that embarrassing message you regretted sending

The Facebook-owned messaging platform will giving users the chance to recall messages after they have been sent out.

Several online publications have alluded that the feature, which has been dubbed “Recall”, should be available for devices in the coming weeks.

In it’s current state, WhatsApp only lets users delete messages on the device level and the messages remain visible to the recipient.

Apart from just regular messages, the recall feature is supposed to work on images, videos, GIFS, documents, quoted texts and even Status replies.

It is said to work by long pressing a sent message.

However, the feature will probably work only in the case if the recipient hasn’t seen the message from the sender. Also anything sent more than five minutes ago, however, is unfortunately there to stay.

The initial report on the feature was by WABetaInfo, a website dedicated to testing new WhatsApp features.

The WABetaInfo report says Recall feature will be enable in version ‘2.17.30+’ of the messaging app.

Version 2.17.30 has just hit the App Stores — so hopefully not too long to wait.

WhatsApp sent out a FAQ on how the new Recall feature is expected to work.

Here are some pointers from the WhatsApp article;

• You can only recall a message for up to 5 minutes after sending and once the five minutes are over you will not be able to recall a message.
• Both you and your recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, iPhone or Windows Phone.
• Recipients might see the message before you recall them or if the recall is not successful, so do it fast.
• WhatsApp will notify you if a recall was not successful.
• If the sender queries for a recall, you as the recipient will be notified with a “This message was recalled” message.

The Recall feature has long been anticipated by WhatsApp users after competitor messaging app, Telegram launched a similar feature a while back.

In Africa, WhatsApp reportedly accounts for over 23% of internet traffic according to the 2014 Global Internet Phenomena Report.

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Originally published at www.businessinsider.com on July 11, 2017.