Refer China: Handy Trick to Extend WeChat Message Recall Time, 2 Mins → 3 Hrs

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A Handy Trick to Extend WeChat Message Recall Time from 2 Minutes to 3 Hours

Most WeChat users are familiar with the app's "Recall Message" feature: if you send a message and realize there's a mistake, you have a 2-minute window to long-press the message and tap "Recall" to withdraw it. The recipient will simply see "The other party recalled a message."

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Now, WeChat has quietly rolled out an update—some users have noticed that long-pressing a message within that 2-minute window now offers two options:

Recall this message
Recall all messages sent this time

This new function allows users to batch-recall multiple messages sent in one go, including text, images, and more—saving time and panic when multiple messages are sent in error.

User feedback has been positive, with comments like "This is really useful." Some even wish the recall window could be extended to 2 hours.

While this feature is currently in limited beta testing and not yet available to all users, there's another little-known tip that allows you to extend the recall time for certain content—up to 3 hours.

Here's how:

For files like Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, MP3s, and ZIPs, WeChat already allows up to 3 hours for message recall. The trick? Send images as files instead of direct photos.

Step-by-step:

Open the chat with the friend you want to send the image to.

Tap the "+" icon, swipe left, and select File.

Navigate to Phone Album, choose your image, and send it as a file.

The recipient will receive a file icon (not a thumbnail), but upon opening, the full image will be displayed.

Bonus: These image files can now be recalled within 3 hours, just like any document. This clever workaround is perfect for moments when you miss the standard 2-minute deadline.

Source: 微信派, 长江日报