Mugula › Disappearing messages in iMessage
Does iMessage have disappearing messages?
Not built in. iMessage keeps everything until someone deletes it, and Apple has no timer like WhatsApp or Signal. You do have two tools: Undo Send for quick mistakes, and an iMessage app like Mugula for photos and videos that vanish.
Free on iPhoneGet Mugula, freeWhat iMessage can do
Undo Send. On iOS 16 and later you can unsend a message for up to 2 minutes. Touch and hold it, then tap Undo Send.
Edit. For up to 15 minutes you can edit a sent message; the other person can see that it was edited.
Keep Messages. In Settings, Messages, Keep Messages, you can have your own iPhone delete messages after 30 days or a year. This only clears your copy, not the other person's.
Disappearing photos and videos with Mugula
Mugula is a camera that runs inside Messages. When you send a photo or video you choose how long it can be viewed once opened (down to one second), when it expires from the chat, and whether the preview is blurred until tapped.
Step by step: how to send disappearing photos on iPhone.
Compared
| Disappearing texts | Disappearing photos | Same friends as iMessage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iMessage on its own | No | No | Yes |
| iMessage + Mugula | No | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram | Yes | Yes | Only if they use it |
Questions
Does iMessage have disappearing messages?
No. Unlike WhatsApp or Signal, iMessage has no setting that deletes messages after a time. Texts and photos stay until someone deletes them.
Can you unsend an iMessage?
Yes, within 2 minutes of sending, on iOS 16 or later: touch and hold the message and choose Undo Send. Older versions of iOS on the other end may still show it.
How do I send a photo that disappears in iMessage?
Use an iMessage app that adds a timer. In Mugula you set how long the photo stays visible once opened and when it expires from the chat.
Does Mugula make text messages disappear?
No. Mugula handles photos and videos (with captions on them). Your regular texts work the way they always do.
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