A lot of people have recently taken to Signal Messenger in order to safeguard their user data and privacy, meaning a lot of users are still getting to grips with the app.
As a result, a lot of things are still relatively unknown about how it works, and one key feature is too important to go without - that is the ability to delete sent messages or to unsend a message.
The inability to do as much on Apple's iMessage application is one of the reasons so many of its users have made the switch to Signal or WhatsApp, which both do allow for sent messaged to be deleted before the recipient sees them.
How to unsend a message in Signal
The first thing to be sure of if you want to unsend a message in Signal is that you need to have downloaded a recent version of the app, as some of Signal's older versions do not allow for messages to be deleted after they have been sent.
If you have installed a newer version, though, the process is relatively straightforward:
- Open the chat and find the message you want to delete.
- Press and hold the message until more options appear on the screen.
- Tap on the icon of a trash can that shows up above the on-screen keyboard.
- When presented with the option, choose 'Delete for Everyone'. Then confirm.
That's all there is to it. Once you've completed those four steps, the message has successfully been deleted, but that doesn't mean that the message will definitely not be seen.
Can a user see an unsent message in Signal?
In short, the answer is yes. But it's not always the case.
Even after a message has been deleted by the sender, the recipient of the message will still be able to see that a message was deleted after having been sent to them.
What's more is that the recipient may still be able to read the deleted message in their phone's notification centre, provided the notification was delivered to them as soon as the message was received on Signal.
FAQs
Signal prioritizes user privacy and security, and messages are not stored on their servers once deleted from the device. While it's unfortunate, it's an intentional design choice to ensure message content can't be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties.
Where do deleted Signal messages go? ›
Signal prioritizes user privacy and security, and messages are not stored on their servers once deleted from the device. While it's unfortunate, it's an intentional design choice to ensure message content can't be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties.
What happens if I delete a message on Signal? ›
Deleting a message or chat does not delete it from your contact's phone. Learn more about disappearing messages for messages that disappear from your device and your contact's device.
Does disappearing messages delete for everyone Signal? ›
Each vanishing message will feature a timer countdown icon visible at the bottom of the message bubble. Signal's disappearing messages can be turned on by anyone in the chat and are deleted from all locations when the timer reaches an end.
When you delete a chat does the other person know? ›
If you delete a one-on-one chat, the other person won't know that you've deleted it. Deleted chats are removed from all your devices and aren't searchable.
When you delete a conversation on Messenger does the other person know? ›
If you delete a conversation on Messenger, the other person will not be notified that you have done so. Deleting a conversation is a private action that only affects your view of the conversation. The other person's messages and conversation will remain on their Messenger app.
Can you delete someone from Signal? ›
Long press on their name or click on the three dots next to their name. Select Remove. Select Remove in the alert or pop-up to confirm. After removing, you will no longer see profile updates and you will need to accept a message request if they message you.
Does deleting a message delete it for the receiver? ›
Unfortunately, they will see (or have already) those messages. Deleting a message only affects the messages on your device, not your recipients. You need to use unsend or edit (iOS 16 and later).
Can someone still text you if you delete their contact? ›
Deleting someone's number only deletes the number in their contact card in the contacts app. The person can still send you texts. If you don't want them to contact you, add them to the blocked numbers in settings app under phone or messages.
What does the single tick on Signal mean? ›
One check mark indicates that the message was sent. Two checks mean that the message was delivered. The check marks fill in when the message is read.
Additionally, it is always possible for a recipient to take a screenshot or screencast of a message thread, even if the sender has enabled disappearing messages. Even if there were settings that allow the sender to suppress notifications, the recipient can arbitrarily process and save the message.
How do I know if my message has been read on Signal? ›
If both you and your contact have read receipts enabled, this indicates your contact has read the message.
Will someone be notified if I Unsend an old message on messenger? ›
If a person is viewing the conversation when you unsend a message, they might notice that the message has been removed. Otherwise, they won't see the original message but will see a notice saying that you unsent a message.
Does blocking someone delete messages? ›
Blocking someone doesn't automatically delete the messages you exchanged with them. The messages persist, but the blocked user loses the ability to see new messages or engage in further communication with you. If you unblock them later, the existing messages will still be accessible.
When you delete a text does it delete on both ends? ›
If you are using Google Messages, deleting a message you have sent does not delete it for the recipient of the message.
Can Signal texts be recovered? ›
Signal messages, pictures, files, and other contents are stored locally on your device. If you have your old device, select the platform to transfer messages: Android.
How to retrieve deleted messages? ›
- Open the Messages app on your phone,
- Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner,
- Open the Recycle bin,
- Check your deleted text messages,
- Long tap the message you want to retrieve,
- elect Restore at the bottom,
- Now check if the message is restored in your inbox.
Instead, they are marked as deleted and hidden from the user, but the actual data of the deleted messages are still stored somewhere on the device's storage. The length of time deleted texts stay on an Android device varies depending on the phone model, storage capacity, and usage.
Where does Signal save files? ›
By default, Signal for Android stores files and media inside this sandbox rather than writing it to the public camera roll or other shared storage locations.
