What You Need To Know About Unsending Messages On Instagram & Snapchat

You know that unbearable feeling of panic and regret when you realise you spelled a prospective boss's name wrong in an email you just sent? The same feeling usually hits after you send an Instagram DM or Snapchat message with an angry note texted in the heat of the moment. If only you could take back what you typed.

Fortunately, social media apps are catching on to the fact that it's not only nice to include a way for users to unsend messages, it's downright irresponsible not to offer the option. Everyone makes mistakes — especially in the fast-paced digital era of autocorrect — and an unsend tool provides a critical course correction.

Still, while many apps offer a message "delete" tool it doesn't always work the way you want. For example, on some social apps, deleting a message from your screen does not mean it also disappears from your recipient's inbox. Ahead, a full breakdown of where you can unsend messages on social media — and where "delete" doesn't fulfil its intended effect.