When I delete a iMessage from a conversation, does it get deleted from the recipients screen as well ?

When I delete a iMessage from a conversation, does it get deleted from the recipients screen as well ?

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Posted on Aug 24, 2014 9:22 PM

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Posted on Nov 16, 2017 12:30 PM

Your premise is not entirely reasonable. You sent the message, voluntarily (even if you accidentally sent it to the wrong recipient), using a messaging system that does not facilitate remotely deleting messages from other devices.


You can't walk out on a crowded street and shout something, then recall the shout. You can't walk in a theater and yell fire then just take it back. You cannot drop a letter in a USPS mailbox then reach in and take it back (not legally). You can't send an email then recall it. Even if you send it from Microsoft Outlook via an Exchange server, the recall feature is hard to find, only works if the recipient has not yet read the email on any device that they are able to read email on, and only works if the recipient has the Outlook app actually open somewhere, and even after all that, the mechanism only moves the message to the recipient's deleted folder where they can still find it, and is not 100% reliable. That is, unless you DRM-enable the message, which requires that you have a public/private keypair properly configured and so on. It's complicated. What I'm saying is that what you're asking is not a particularly common feature anywhere.


There are some services that let you set expiration timers on messages. Whatsapp recently added the ability to remotely delete messages, but there are still caveats.

64 replies

Apr 26, 2017 9:45 AM in response to McBaer

McBaer wrote:



And no your analogy is far from correct. There's a different between deleting a file from someone's computer that you have nothing to do with, and deleting and IMESSAGE that consists of to parties (people.)


I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that just because you sent the SMS, you still have some ownership of it once it's on my phone. You don't. You have ownership of the copy that is on your phone but not the copy on mine.


And, I'm beginning to think you're being deliberately obtuse about the mail analogy. By "delivered to me" I don't mean in my mailbox (I don't have one, by the way. I have a slot in my front door.) I mean once I have it and have opened and read it which would be the closest comparison to my having an SMS from you on my phone. At that point, you have no right to have that letter back.

Apr 26, 2017 9:46 AM in response to McBaer

McBaer wrote:


Point being it's technically possible to allow the function the OP wants. And as far as it being illegal is garbage. It's the same process as deleting a file on the clouded shared between 2 people that have access. If one deletes it, then it's gone for both people.

It's not the same because the phone is not a shared space like the cloud account.

Apr 2, 2015 9:09 PM in response to francoisbernard

Please note this is an old thread.


I think that if they did this it could cause legal issues, such as offensive messages being deleted from the recipient before they have a chance to report the sender. We are all responsible for what we say and do, but that doesn't mean we should have the ability to delete our mistakes. It's not like you can delete emails or phone calls or even physical mail.

Apr 3, 2015 11:45 AM in response to AppleMan001

AppleMan001 wrote:


Please note this is an old thread.


I think that if they did this it could cause legal issues, such as offensive messages being deleted from the recipient before they have a chance to report the sender.


Yes, it's an old one, but I started to send texts to the wrong recipients recently, and the problem is still up to date ! 😁


Of course, I agree with you : there must be a legal justification.

But, just for the discussion, I mean, when someone insists and really wants you to know he hates you, you can mute him or even report him, make screen captures…

We are all responsible for what we say and do, but that doesn't mean we should have the ability to delete our mistakes. It's not like you can delete emails or phone calls or even physical mail.


Very often, and that's actually why I searched this thread, I send a message to someone else than the one I thought. That's life, I mean, this is not just about agressive people. I would appreciate to be able to recover my mistake, and to not bother the wrong recipient, cancel the message. Plus, it can be something confidential.

What is the meaning of a mistake if we don't have the chance to recover it ?

Even the law, includes this aspect : « Is it the first, second or third time he did this ? » — I don't know in the US, but in France it's the case (and we use same iPhones).


This is one of the radical aspects of Apple I dislike, and on this point particularly, I disagree with you, because, I think, a mistake should be recoverable.

If, for example, I send a very rude text to someone, and then realize it was too much, I want to be able to delete it, because I changed my mind.

But if I consider it normal (maybe I should not) then the recipient will still be able to report me.


That's my opinion, and just wanted to share it. A mistake should be recoverable.


Hope my english is not too bad,

Best regards,


Francois

Apr 3, 2015 1:28 PM in response to deggie

deggie wrote:

You have no right to go into someone else's device and delete something from it.


Yes, of course.

But here it's not about going into someone else's phone and deleting something, it's not hacking, or doing something illegal.

It's just being able (for example) to cancel sending.

If I send something wrong, or to the wrong recipient and I want to cancel it, I can't. It's not deleting something in its phone, while it's not been delivered yet.

Today, when I press send, it's already too late. I my opinion it's a bit unfair, a little bit radical.


If, when I delete something on my side, the recipient's phone ask him if he agrees to delete it too on its side, it could be a good first step.

Ideally, it's just my opinion, I think may be Apple should consider the possibility to delete a copy on the recipient's phone. Why :


Legally, it's comparable to the author rights management, like for a painter.

What happens when a painter wants to modify his painting already in the museum for years ? It already happened.. What can we say ? He is the author !

And, even when the painting has been sold, he remains the author, and by that, keeps his rights to modify it.


As an author of the message, I have rights. The recipient has rights on his phone too !

I'm not asking to delete the entire content of the recipient's phone, just to be able to use my rights, as an author, to delete the piece, and any copies of it, if I want to.


I really think it's important. And I understand it implies difficult situations, like AppleMan001 said : what to do with some bad situations ?

I think for these situations, the first answer could be that the recipient has rights too, and blocking a specific phone number is one of his rights, on his phone.


What do you think ?


Best regards

Apr 3, 2015 1:32 PM in response to francoisbernard

francoisbernard wrote:


deggie wrote:

You have no right to go into someone else's device and delete something from it.


Yes, of course.

But here it's not about going into someone else's phone and deleting something, it's not hacking, or doing something illegal.

It's just being able (for example) to cancel sending.

You already can cancel a send, but not after the fact.

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When I delete a iMessage from a conversation, does it get deleted from the recipients screen as well ?

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