A "delete for everyone" option for Google Messages may be in development
Users are said to have up to 15 minutes to delete messages
Only devices which comply with latest RCS changes may be compatible
The feature was discovered following an APK teardown of the Google Messages app
Photo Credit: Google
Google Messages is said to be developing a new feature for Android which could potentially make it easier to deal with accidentally sent messages. According to a report, a new remote delete functionality was discovered following an APK teardown of the app's beta build. The feature could soon make its way to the stable release of the Messages app, enabling users to delete messages for everyone in the chat, not just locally on the device.
Remote Delete Feature in Google Messages
In a report, Android Authority detailed the in-development remote delete feature. It was discovered after an APK teardown of the Google Messages app version messages.android_20250317_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic. As per the publication, it will have similar functionality to the “delete for everyone” option offered in other instant messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp. Deleted messages will be replaced by a Message deleted label.
When deleting a message, users may be presented with two choices — Delete for everyone and Delete for me. However, the former is reported to depend upon the recent changes to Rich Communication Services (RCS) and it may only work on devices which comply with them. Further, the message deletion window states that users who are on the older version of the app may still be able to see the deleted messages.
Similar to other messaging platforms, the remote deletion feature in Google Messages may come with a time limit. The report suggests that users will only have up to 15 minutes to delete messages for everyone, post which the option may not be available.
Notably, this feature was first reported last month and code references suggested that its development was underway. However, it is not yet active. While code references suggest its development may be underway, not all features discovered in an APK teardown make it to the release stage in a future stable version of the app. Thus, Google Messages users are advised to take this development with a grain of salt.
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