James Harper
How To Recall a Message in Signal 2025
If you’re like me, sometimes you send a message in Signal and immediately realize it was a bad idea—maybe a typo, or sent to the wrong chat, or just something you want to erase before anyone sees it. The good news is Signal does have a way to unsend messages, but it’s kinda weird how it works. Usually, it’s quick — but if you miss the window, tough luck. This guide runs through how to get that message deleted for everyone, plus some tips if it doesn’t work right away. If you’ve never tried, it’s basically about holding down the message, then choosing “Delete for Everyone” within a certain time frame. Expect some frustration if your message was sent ages ago, though.
How to Fix Sending Mistakes in Signal
Look for the Delete Button and Use ‘Delete for Everyone’
This is the main trick. Signal allows you to erase messages for both you and whoever else got the message—if you do it quick enough. On Android or iPhone, you’ll want to hold your finger down on the message you want to get rid of. After a second or two, a menu pops up or appears at the top with options like Copy, Forward, or Delete. Tap the trash icon or choose Delete. Then, pick Delete for Everyone.
This option helps because it completely removes the message from the chat, so unlike just deleting it locally, it’s gone from the other person’s chat window as well. Usually, the message will be replaced with something like “This message was deleted,” so no awkwardness.
Be Quick About It—Timing Matters
Really, if you want it to work, act fast. Signal’s message unsend window is kind of limited—think a couple of minutes tops. If you’re too late, the message just stays. On some setups, the “Delete for Everyone” toggle might stay active for a few more seconds, but don’t test your luck too long. Once the window closes, you’re stuck unless you want to go through other complicated hacks (like screenshotting before it’s gone—gross, I know).
Word of warning: if you’re on an old version of Signal, the feature might be buggy or just not work. Make sure you’re running the latest version, because Signal tends to release small updates that fix these issues. Sometimes on initial attempts, the delete seems to fail, but after rebooting the app or phone, it works fine.
Check Your Settings and Network Connection
If the delete option isn’t behaving, make sure your app is updated (check the app store), and look at your network connection. Signal needs to sync with their server to make the deletion happen on both ends. If your connection is flaky, it might say “Deleting…” forever or just fail outright. Turning on airplane mode briefly, then toggling it off, can sometimes help refresh the connection and push that delete command through.
Also, check that you haven’t disabled any permissions or remapped your Signal privileges. Sometimes, if permissions are restricted, the app may not perform deletions correctly.
Alternative Approach: Clearing Chat or Reinstalling the App
If nothing else works, try clearing the chat cache or reinstalling Signal. This is kinda extreme, but sometimes signal’s local cache gets corrupted or stuck, and a reinstall or clearing cache (via device settings) can nudge the app into working properly again. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Signal > Storage & cache > Clear cache. On iPhone, you might need to delete and reinstall the app entirely. This won’t delete your chat history if you back up first, but do double-check.
Of course, reinstalling might also reset your app permissions, so double-check you’re allowed to send and delete messages afterward.
Summary
- Hold down the message you want to unsend, then tap Delete for Everyone.
- Act quickly—timing is key, usually within 2 minutes.
- Update Signal and check your internet connection if things seem buggy.
- Try clearing cache or reinstalling if deletions still won’t work.
Wrap-up
Ended up sending that message? No worries—just don’t wait too long. Signal’s delete feature is decent if you catch the window, but it can be flaky if you’re too slow or running an outdated app. Sometimes rebooting the phone or toggling airplane mode helps force that delete to go through. Also, keep Signal updated, because bugs crop up in older versions. Overall, it’s a pretty effective way to keep things private in a pinch, just gotta move fast.