That iMessage Typo? You Can Finally Edit It

Both Messages and Dictation in iOS 16 will be getting several upgrades, allowing you to edit or delete sent texts and switch between voice and manual typing on-the-fly.

Apple's WWDC 2022 didn't waste any time getting into the details of what we can expect from iOS 16, which includes some much-requested features coming to Messages. Previously read texts, for example, will be able to be marked as unread so that you can keep track of what you may still need to respond to. It's pretty much the same idea as marking emails as unread.

Beyond that (and likely much more anticipated) is confirmation that Messages in iOS 16 will allow you to edit texts, even after they've been sent. It won't prevent the recipient from seeing any typos if they view the message before the edit, but it should provide clarification without the need to send a follow-up message.

You'll also be able to delete a message after you've sent it—whether it went to the wrong person, was sent in error, or is just embarrassing, and you want it to go away. Like with editing, it won't prevent the recipient from viewing (or taking a screenshot of) the original text if they read it before it's deleted.

Then there are the improvements to Dictation, which is still being handled on-device for security and privacy purposes. In iOS 16, the feature will be able to interpret punctuation and add it automatically as you're speaking. It will also leave the keyboard open on the screen, so you can immediately switch back and forth between speaking and typing. You'll even be able to manually select blocks of text with the keyboard and dictate new text to replace what you've highlighted.

All of these changes are coming to your iPhone via iOS 16 when it releases in September.