Facebook Messenger gets WhatsApp-like ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature: How it works

Facebook on Tuesday added a Messenger feature for anyone who has fired off a comment they regretted -- a way to take it back.

"Have you ever accidentally sent a message to the wrong group of friends, mistyped something, or simply wanted to remove a message in a chat?" Facebook asked rhetorically.

"You're not the only one! Starting today, we are launching a feature where you can easily remove your message on Messenger."

How to unsend messages on Facebook Messenger

Long press on the message you wish to delete permanently.

Select 'Remove', and then choose 'Remove for Everyone'.

After the message is deleted, a note will appear that reads "You removed a message".

Like WhatsApp, Messenger users will also know that a message was deleted.

Facebook gives Messenger users a 10-minute window after sending a message to undo it.

Facebook owns the mobile messaging application used by more than a billion people.

Early last year it was revealed that Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was apparently able to remove his sent messages, which caused pressure to make the feature available to all.

The freshly added feature will let people tap on a message shown in a Messenger conversation then select a "Remove for Everyone" option, which will only be available for 10 minutes from when it was sent.

The remove feature will be available on mobile devices powered by the latest versions of Apple or Android software, according to Facebook.