Once upon a time, professionals collaborated through face-to-face meetings, water cooler discussions, and unwieldy email threads. These days, colleagues are often spread across the globe, so companies rely on communication andtask management appsto promote productivity. Slack is one of the most advanced and popular tools in this space, helping individuals worldwide to work together in real time.
However, no matter how advanced the tool, people will still make mistakes, which is where Slack’s editing functionality comes in. You can fix your errors whether you’re using the browser version on anew Chromebookor the mobile app on Android or iOS.
Does Slack allow users to edit sent messages?
Slack does; your boss might not.
By default, all users can edit, delete, and unsend messages after they’ve been sent. However, the Slack workspace’s owners and admins canrestrict or remove an individual user’s ability to edit. So you might find that you can only edit messages for a certain amount of time or not at all.
This might seem a tad overbearing, but it’s easy to see why a company might go down this route. Let’s say a Slack user sends something inappropriate to somebody, who then complains to HR. By default, the sender would be able to edit the offending message, which could make it harder to address what might be a serious issue. If you find that you can’t quickly fix an error or otherwise amend a sent Slack message, you should identify the relevant admin contact and check your permissions.
How to edit Slack messages on desktop
If you’re using the Slack web or desktop app, you can follow these steps to edit your messages:
How to edit Slack messages on mobile
Slack is built to connect channel members wherever they are. If you’re on the move and using the mobile app, you may edit messages with these steps. They should work on both Android and iOS. We’ve used an Android phone for our tutorial, but iPhone users should be able to follow along.
If you are using Android, you can also skip straight to step 3 by double-tapping the message you want to edit.
Unsending a message on Slack
When a Slack message is edited, it adds aneditedlabel in parentheses at the end of the altered text. That means people can see that it’s been changed. If you’re working on the desktop app, you can avoid this by unsendingthe message entirely as though it never existed in the first place. However, it only works under the following conditions:
If all of the above conditions are met, then you can unsend a message on Slack using the following steps:
Unsending is perfect for when you notice a blunder and want to correct it before anyone notices. Like normal editing on Slack, your admins can restrict your ability to retract messages after they’ve been sent.
What if you can’t edit, unsend, or delete Slack messages?
One of the great things about Slack’s editing feature is that it lets you correct mistakes without lengthy explanations. Even teams that don’t have permission to alter messages after they’ve been sent can devise their own system to deal with edits.
For example, you may use the stop sign emoji to react to messages that should be ignored.
Slack has a ton of emojis available, so this could be an opportunity to develop a fun signaling system. In the example below, a zombie emoji means you’ve messed up.
If you’re able to edit but can’t delete or unsend, you can strike through the original message. That way, you’re communicating that a message should be ignored while remaining totally transparent.
You can even edit a message to read “Deleted” or “Removed.” However, checking that this is OK with the relevant admin contact first is best. After all, your permissions have been restricted for a reason.
Of course, you can always explain that you’ve made an error. The above tips are just ways of limiting the time spent tidying up after mistakes. Every team and individual is different; it’s just a case of finding what works for you.
Upgrade your Slack chat game by editing sent messages
It can be embarrassing when you make a mistake, but it can also be genuinely damaging. Slack message editing is a useful function that can help you, your team, and your company perform better. If you have any questions about your Slack capabilities, you can contact your Slack admin.
