You will soon be able to delete messages for everyone in Google Messages

There was a time when sending a message meant you were stuck with it-whether it had a typo, a wrong recipient, or an awkward mistake. Once the “send” button was tapped, there was no turning back. The recipient had your message, and there was no way to undo it. Fortunately, modern messaging platforms have evolved, giving users ways to recover from such blunders. Most now include options to either edit or completely delete a message after it’s been sent. While this doesn’t guarantee the message wasn’t already seen, it does allow you to remove it from the conversation, sparing you from lingering embarrassment if it goes unnoticed.

Many major apps-like WhatsApp and iMessage-already offer the “delete for everyone” feature. One exception, however, has been Google Messages. Until recently, users could edit a message within 15 minutes of sending it, but not delete it for all parties involved. That’s finally starting to change. Back in February, 9to5Google identified early signs of this update, and now it seems Google is beginning to roll it out more widely, albeit gradually.

Specifically, this new capability is part of the RCS messaging protocol that Google Messages uses by default. The feature was introduced in the “Universal Profile 2.7” update released last July, which added the ability to edit, recall, or delete previously sent messages for both sender and recipient.

Once this feature becomes available on your device, you’ll see two choices when deleting a message. The “Delete for me” option behaves as it always has-removing the message only from your side. The new “Delete for everyone” option will attempt to erase the message from all recipients’ devices, provided they are using a compatible, updated version of Google Messages.

However, this compatibility requirement is the catch. The feature won’t work on older versions of the app, so there’s no guarantee your message will be removed from every participant’s chat unless they’re all fully updated.

Currently, the rollout is slow and limited. One beta user reported access to the feature in a 12-person group chat but not in one-on-one conversations. 9to5Google also noted that they haven’t received the update themselves.

If you’re eager to try this out, joining the Google Messages beta program may help. Just visit the app’s Play Store page, select “BECOME A TESTER,” and follow the steps to opt in. Note that beta versions might not be as stable.