Welcome to our comprehensive guide on retrieving unsent messages on your iPhone. In the following sections, we will share a series of straightforward and quick tips to help you access messages that may have been accidentally deleted or left as drafts.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know how to make the most of your iPhone’s messaging features and ensure that no important messages slip away unnoticed.
The difference between unsending and deleting a message
Deleting is easy—you take something off your phone.
But what happens when you unsend a message? Where does it go? Who can see it? And who knows about it?
Well, it depends on the app and the device. Usually, when you unsend, it’s like taking back a message you sent. This means it disappears for both people in the conversation (although it works a bit differently in Messenger, but I’ll explain that soon).
It’s as if the message never existed (though sometimes the other person might still see that a message was deleted. It can be a bit confusing).
So, if you’re wondering how to check unsent messages on an iPhone, let’s find out how it works for three types of messages: Messenger, iMessage, and Instagram DMs.
How to see unsent messages on Messenger on iPhone
If you’d like to view a message that someone has unsent, ensure that you have notifications enabled for both the Messenger app and your iPhone’s Messenger notification settings.
To set this up, follow these simple steps:
1. Open Messenger and tap the three lines at the top left.
2. Tap the gear icon.
3. Navigate to Notifications and sounds.
4. Make sure the option for “Show preview” is switched on.
Next, be sure to enable notifications in your iPhone’s settings:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Scroll down and select Messenger
- Turn on all the notification options.
- Ensure that the Banner Style setting is set to “Persistent.”
- Make sure that the Show Previews setting is set to “Always.”
Now, let’s talk about seeing the messages you took back.
This part might not make you too happy, and I’m sorry to start with that.
You know how Messenger lets you take back messages, right?
To do it:
- Hold your finger on the message you sent, the one you want to take back (maybe you sent it to the wrong place because you were chatting in different groups).
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take it back and not have to type it again in the right chat? Well, sadly, you can’t do that.
- Next, choose “Unsend” from the options.
- You can pick to unsend for everyone or just for yourself (though that might seem odd since it still stays in the conversation).
- When you unsend a message, it leaves a note saying you did unsend it, but nobody can see what it was.
And just so you know, there’s no magic way to get back an unsent message. Once you unsend it, it’s gone for good.
But here’s a trick: before you unsend a message, you can copy what it says. You can paste it into a notes app or anywhere else you like. That way, even if you unsend it, you’ll still have what the message said.
Technically, you can also set up email notifications for new Messenger messages. But be ready for your email inbox to fill up fast (not that it’s empty right now).
How to see unsent messages on Instagram on iPhone
If you’re curious about checking out unsent Instagram messages someone sent you, it seems the only way to do it is by trying out the Notisave app. This app keeps a record of your recent notifications.
Furthermore, ensure that you have activated all your Instagram notifications, following the same steps we discussed for Messenger.
As for viewing an unsent message that you sent yourself, Instagram allows you to unsend a message, just like Messenger. To do this, you can tap and hold the message you sent and then choose “Unsend.” It’s simple.
Now, when it comes to the regular Instagram inbox on the iPhone app, I must admit it’s a bit tricky (and I mean it).
Conclusion
In summary, learning how to find unsent messages on your iPhone can be very useful. With the quick tips we’ve shared in this guide, you can get back messages you might have deleted by mistake or didn’t send.
Now, you can use your iPhone’s messaging features better and make sure you don’t miss anything important.