WhatsApp has pushed-out an update to its Delete For Everyone feature, which now allows users to delete messages an hour after they were sent.
The Facebook-owned messaging app first added the ability to delete sent messages from an individual conversation or group chat back in November 2017.
The feature, which is already available on iOS, Android and Windows, replaces the sent message with a note that states: “This message was deleted”.
In order for messages to be successfully deleted for every recipient in the chat, everyone needs to be running the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, iPhone or Windows Phone.
It is possible to delete a sent message your recipient has already read.
At launch, WhatsApp only allowed users to delete a message within the first seven minutes of it being sent.
With the latest update, which rolled-out earlier this week, WhatsApp has dramatically increased that deadline.
Users can now delete a message one hour eight minutes and 16 seconds after it was sent.
After that deadline, WhatsApp users are only able to delete the message from their own smartphone, which has no effect on your recipients’ chats – leaving them still able to see the messages.
Users should head to the Apple App Store to get their hands on the latest version of WhatsApp, v 2.18.31.
Besides the new time limit for deleted messages, the new version of WhatsApp also includes a slew of bug fixes.
The news comes as WhatsApp added a new Stickers feature to its iOS app.
The new stickers allow users to tag a location, as well as the current time, on any photos and videos sent to an individual recipient, or group chat.
WhatsApp’s new stickers are fairly limited, with only two designs to choose from for the location sticker, and the choice of either an analogue or digital clock for the timestamp.
Similar functionality has existed on rival social networks, including Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, for a while.
Snapchat lets users add stickers which are specific to their current location, including historic monuments and local points of interest.
Previously, WhatsApp only allowed users add emoji to their photos and videos on WhatsApp.