There's some welcome news coming out of X for a change: The Elon Musk-owned platform now lets you edit direct messages (DMs).
The update rolled out over the weekend and is currently available only on the iOS app. X confirmed the news after one of its lead engineers introduced the feature on the platform.
To edit a DM on X, long-press a message and select Edit message from the pop-up. Make your edits and tap Send (blue arrow).
On iOS, the sender and receiver will see "Edited" underneath the message. On Android and the web, people will get a new message with your edits, prefixed with the word "edited."
The timestamp will retain the original time the message was sent "to maintain the timeline of the conversation," according to X's Help Center page. The exception is if you edit a message before the recipient opens the original.
While X only gives you 30 minutes to edit a tweet when you have X Premium, there's no time limit for DMs. "You can edit your messages at any time after they've been sent," X says. You can only edit a specific message five times at most, though.
Previous versions of an edited DM won't be visible, but "edited messages are logged for security reasons, ensuring that there's a record of changes for moderation and user safety," X says.
"This new editing feature provides more flexibility in your communication on X," the company says. "Remember: while you have the freedom to edit, use it wisely to maintain the integrity of your conversations."
Editing images and encrypted DMs are not yet supported, but the team is working on it.
Instagram added the ability to edit direct messages earlier this year, but you have to make changes within 15 minutes of sending.