Apple introduces option to edit and delete iMessages in new iOS

Apple has made a massive change to the way iPhones work in the latest version of its operating system which drops today.

Apple launched its new operating system on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nicholas Eagar

Tech giant Apple has announced its new iPhone operating system will allow users to edit messages after they’re sent.

The iOS 16, as the update is known, was launched on Tuesday and features some significant changes to iMessages, emails and the lock screen.

Users who install the update will be able to unsend and edit text messages.

While that’s a big change, it comes with some caveats, which Apple hid in the fine print of a press release.

Apple has made a range of changes in its new operating system launching Tuesday.

Unsending a message will need to be done within two minutes of hitting send, while editing will be possible for 15 minutes.

“Users can make up to five edits to a given message, and recipients will be able to see a record of edits made to the message,” Apple wrote in a footnote to the press release.

Emails sent via the Mail app will also be possible to unsend.

That will need to be done within 10 seconds of hitting send, unless the user changes the time emails spend in the outbox before reaching the recipient.

The operating system has other new features as well, including the ability to customise the lock screen.

Notifications will appear in groups from the bottom of the lock screen.

Other changes include the option to automatically “lift” a subject from a photograph and place it in other apps, the automatic translation of texts in videos, and improvements to various apps.

The new operating system is free to download, and some of the features require a newer iPhone to work.