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Messaging

Recall a message

Remove a message or file you sent so other participants can no longer see it. Admins can still retrieve recalled content.

Overview

Things move fast in healthcare messaging. If you send something by mistake — wrong recipient, wrong file, wrong person's PHI — BloomText lets you recall the message so other participants can no longer see it.

Recalling a message removes it from the conversation view. It does not delete the message from BloomText servers. Admins can still retrieve recalled content through an audit request.

Prerequisites

  • You are the original sender of the message. You cannot recall a message sent by someone else.
  • You can reach the message in your chat history (it hasn't been archived or cleared).

Steps

On the mobile app

Press and hold on the message or file you want to recall. A menu appears. Tap Recall.

BloomText mobile app on an iPhone. Dr. Amina Patel conversation with a long-press action sheet open showing Recall..
Long-press on your message, then tap Recall.

On the web or desktop app

Hover over your message. Three dots () appear to the left. Click them. Pick Recall message.

BloomText UI mockup window
BloomText — Conversation
Dr. Amina Patel
Message from coworkerDid the lab fax the path report?
Message from youAttaching now — sent to wrong patient.
Type a message…
Hover your sent message → click the three-dots → Recall message.

What "recall" actually does

  • The message is removed from every participant's view of the conversation.
  • The message is not deleted from BloomText servers.
  • An admin can still retrieve the recalled message via a formal audit request. Audit requests are logged.
  • Both text messages and file messages (images, documents, voice notes) can be recalled.

Edge cases / gotchas

  • Recall does not mean delete. If you sent PHI to the wrong person and it was already read on their device, assume the information is out. Recall prevents future viewing in BloomText; it does not undo memory, screenshots, or any copies already downloaded.
  • Only the sender can recall. If you received a message in error, you cannot recall it. Ask the sender.
  • Recall is retrievable by admins. Recalled content is still on our servers and can be surfaced via audit. This is intentional for compliance and dispute investigations.
  • Patient SMS is different. For messages sent to a patient via SMS, recall removes the conversation from your inbox view but does not unsend the text on the patient's phone — carrier networks don't support that.
Common questions
Can I recall a message someone else sent?

No. Only the original sender can recall a message or file.

Does recall permanently delete the message?

No. Recall removes the message from participant views, but admins can still retrieve recalled content through an audit request.

Can I recall files too?

Yes. Text messages and file messages, including images, documents, and voice notes, can be recalled by the sender.

Does recall unsend SMS messages?

No. Carrier SMS messages cannot be unsent. Recall affects what appears inside BloomText, not a text already delivered by a carrier.

What should I do if PHI was seen before recall?

Treat the information as disclosed. Recall prevents future viewing in BloomText, but it cannot undo screenshots, memory, or already downloaded copies.

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