Given that the majority of us communicate with vast swathes of our social network solely via our fingers, and touch-screens, it would make sense that applications such as
WhatsApp and
Facebook Messenger should give us greater control over what happens to our messages once they have been sent.
As such, WhatsApp users were jubilant last month, when the messaging platform announced that they had added an "unsend" feature, which allows people to retract ill-advised text messages and risqué one-liners once they have already been delivered.
The hotly-anticipated addition allows anxious users to "unsend" messages within seven minutes of sending, ensuring that the recipient in question never sees the message. WhatsApp users are able to use the function after they have updated the app to the latest version, and you can use the feature as many times as you like.
When you delete a message with the "unsend" feature, it disappears from both conversation, but the recipient will be altered to the fact that you have consciously erased a message. And while it's certainly a great addition for those who use the app to communicate with their loved ones, the seven-minute rule can prove to be a little annoying, especially if you have a habit of drunkenly texting your ex at all hours of the morning...
However, it appears that there is a way to get past the stringent 7-minute time frame, and it's easier to do so than you think.
According to tech blog, Android Jefe, you can "unsend" WhatsApp messages that were delivered up to a week ago through exploiting some basic loopholes in the WhatsApp app and your iPhone or Android's operating system.
It requires you to change your phone's date to the date before the message was sent, and you also have to temporarily disconnect your WhatsApp app from the internet. And, don't worry, it sounds much complex than it actually is.
You start off by disconnecting your smartphone's internet connection (both WiFi and mobile data). Then you are required to close down WhatsApp before changing the date of your phone to the day before the message that needs to be "unsent" was delivered to the recipient. After this, you can open the messaging app, locate the message in question and proceed to use the "unsend" feature as usual. Now you can reset your phone to the correct date and reconnect to the internet.
Once you've successfully connected to the internet, the message will be deleted from the recipient's phone.
Easy as one, two, three, right?
Android Jefe does state that it's rather pointless to attempt to delete a message that is over 7 days old, as WhatsApp will simply display a warning message asking you to update the date on your phone.
Well, it appears that you can erase your embarrassing blunders after all. You can thank me later.
In other, more morbid news,
here's how you could talk to the deceased online...
