Over the years, Google Messages has developed features that make it a worthy alternative to Apple Messages. The latest addition, which allows users to fully unsend messages, is now being rolled out to a wide range of Android users, alleviating the discomfort of mistakenly sent texts.
After showcasing the “Delete for Everyone” feature in its Messages app, Google is now extending it beyond the beta testing phase. This new functionality enables senders to remove a message for all participants in both one-on-one and group chats, replacing earlier versions that left deleted messages visible to others.
The “Delete for Everyone” feature was first noticed by a Reddit user named seeareeff (via 9to5Google), but they did not specify which version of Google Messages is required to activate it. Despite updating to the latest version, we were unable to enable it, hinting that the rollout might be controlled server-side.
It’s important to note that this feature is available only for messages sent over RCS, a more modern internet-based messaging standard that Google is trying to promote as a replacement for traditional SMS, especially in the face of Apple’s resistance. Therefore, everyone in the conversation must have RCS enabled to take advantage of this functionality, which is also necessary for features like message reactions and typing indicators. Updating Google Messages is essential; otherwise, deleted messages might still be visible to some users.
In addition to chats with other Google Messages users, the cross-platform nature of RCS suggests it should also function smoothly with Apple Messages. Apple has recently embraced RCS alongside its own iMessage protocol for its messaging app. However, it’s necessary for other participants to update their iPhones or iPads to iOS 18 for compatibility. Setting up RCS in Google Messages may require additional configuration by some users, and not all telecom carriers may support the feature.
With Google Messages solidifying its place as the primary messaging application for Android, further moves toward standardization from Google can be expected.
