FACEBOOK will soon allow you to "unsend" messages in its Messenger app up to ten minutes after originally pressing send.

Plans for the new feature were announced in the release notes for the latest update of the app which was made available to iPhone and iPad users on Tuesday.

4 The latest update to Facebook Messenger announced that the 'unsend' feature is 'coming soon' this week Credit: Getty - Contributor

The note read: "Coming soon: Remove a message from a chat thread after it's been sent.

"If you accidentally send the wrong photo, incorrect information or message the wrong thread, you can easily correct it by removing the message within ten minutes of sending it."

A prototype of the unsend feature had previously been spotted by Jane Wong who shared screenshots on Twitter explaining how it will work be done.

She wrote: “Facebook Messenger is finally working on "Unsend Message" in the app for everyone!”

4 Facebook tested the prototype to allow users to unsend private messages in its Messenger app Credit: Twitter

The screenshots showed how a message is selected and how the user can select an option to either “unsend” or “delete” it.

However, users will be limited with how many times they can do this.

Jane added: “Facebook Messenger users will only be allowed to unsend their messages after a certain amount of times.”

It comes less than a year after Facebook admitted that it was purging messages sent by Mark Zuckerberg – a feature unavailable to normal users, according to a TechCrunch report.

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4 There is currently no way to delete a message on the app after it's been sent Credit: Getty - Contributor

In a statement given to The Sun about the Zuck purge, a Facebook spokesperson said: "After Sony Pictures' emails were hacked in 2014 we made a number of changes to protect our executives' communications.

"These included limiting the retention period for Mark's messages in Messenger.

"We did so in full compliance with our legal obligations to preserve messages."

But the revelation sparked fury among users, who questioned why Facebook's billionaire boss was allowed to delete messages, but normal users weren't.

4 33-year-old billionaire Mark Zuckerberg can already delete his messages from other users' inboxes – and you'll be able to soon, too Credit: AP:Associated Press

There's no way right now to delete messages sent to other users so that they can't see them any more.

That's in contrast to Facebook-owned messenger WhatsApp, which lets you unsend messages up to an hour after being sent.

And Facebook's Instagram photo-sharing app lets you unsend Direct Messages whenever you want – even years after you originally sent the message.

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It's believed that Mark Zuckerberg's own message retractions work using a timeout system.

When the timer runs out, the message would disappear from all recipients' inboxes.

The fact that Mark Zuckerberg's unsend tech already exists means it should be very easy to roll out to users.

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