Delete Facebook Messages or Entire Conversations

This guide shows you how to delete individual messages or entire conversations on Facebook, whether you’re using the website on a computer or the mobile app. You’ll be able to clean up your inbox in a few taps, and you’ll also learn what happens when you delete a message for everyone.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your Facebook account (logged in).
• The Facebook app (for iPhone or Android) or a web browser.
• For “Unsend for Everyone”: the other person must be using the current version of Facebook Messenger; if they’re on an older version, the message may not be removed from their side.

Step-by-Step

Delete a Single Message (Mobile App)

1. Open the Facebook app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap the Messenger icon (the lightning bolt) at the top of the screen. If you don’t see it, tap the menu (three lines) and select Messenger.
3. Open the conversation that contains the message you want to delete.
4. Press and hold the message bubble until a menu appears.
5. Tap Remove (or the trash can icon).
6. Choose one of the following:
   • Remove for Everyone – This deletes the message from both your inbox and the recipient’s inbox. You can only do this within 10 minutes of sending the message.
   • Remove for You – This deletes the message only from your side. The other person can still see it.
7. Confirm your choice. The message will be replaced with a note that says “You removed a message” (if you chose “for everyone”).

Delete a Single Message (Web Browser)

1. Go to facebook.com and log in if you haven’t already.
2. Click the Messenger icon (speech bubble) in the top right corner.
3. Click See All in Messenger to open the full Messenger view.
4. Open the conversation with the message you want to delete.
5. Hover over the message and click the three dots (…) that appear on the right.
6. Select Remove.
7. Choose Remove for Everyone (if within 10 minutes) or Remove for You.
8. Click Remove to confirm.

Delete an Entire Conversation (Mobile App)

1. Open the Facebook app and go to Messenger.
2. Find the conversation you want to delete in your chat list.
3. Press and hold the conversation (or swipe left on it, depending on your device).
4. Tap Delete (or the trash icon).
5. Confirm that you want to delete the conversation. This will remove the entire chat history from your account, but the other person will still have their copy.

Delete an Entire Conversation (Web Browser)

1. Go to facebook.com and open Messenger (click the speech bubble, then “See All in Messenger”).
2. In the chat list on the left, hover over the conversation you want to delete.
3. Click the three dots (…) that appear.
4. Select Delete Chat.
5. Click Delete to confirm. The conversation will disappear from your inbox.

Common Mistakes

• Choosing “Remove for You” when you meant “Remove for Everyone”: If you pick the wrong option, the other person will still see the message. Double-check the option before confirming.
• Waiting too long to unsend: The “Remove for Everyone” feature only works within 10 minutes of sending. After that, you can only delete it for yourself.
• Deleting a conversation instead of a single message: If you only wanted to remove one message, deleting the whole conversation removes everything. Be careful which option you select.
• Expecting the other person to lose the conversation when you delete it: Deleting a conversation only removes it from your account. The other person’s copy remains untouched.

Tips

• To delete multiple messages at once, you can tap and hold one message, then tap other messages to select them. This works in the mobile app.
• If you want to permanently erase a conversation from your device, also check your archived chats. Archived chats are hidden but not deleted; you can find them by searching in Messenger.
• For sensitive messages, consider using the “Secret Conversation” feature in Messenger (end-to-end encrypted), which gives you more control over message expiration.
• If you accidentally delete a message for yourself, you cannot undo it. There is no trash bin for messages.

Troubleshooting

• “Remove for Everyone” is greyed out or not available: This usually means more than 10 minutes have passed since you sent the message. You can only remove it for yourself now.
• The other person still sees the message after you chose “Remove for Everyone”: They may be using an outdated version of Messenger. Ask them to update the app. Also, if they have notifications enabled, they may have seen a preview before it was removed.
• You can’t find the conversation to delete: It might be in your Archived chats. Go to Messenger, tap your profile picture, then select Archived. From there, you can delete the conversation.
• Deleting a conversation doesn’t free up storage: Facebook messages are stored on Facebook’s servers, not on your device. Deleting them won’t free up phone storage.
• You want to delete a message but the app keeps crashing: Try updating the Facebook app, or use the web browser version to delete the message.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a message for everyone after 10 minutes?

No. Facebook only allows “Remove for Everyone” within 10 minutes of sending. After that, you can only remove it for yourself.

If I delete a conversation, does the other person still have it?

Yes. Deleting a conversation only removes it from your account. The other person’s copy of the chat remains unaffected.

Does deleting a message notify the other person?

No, Facebook does not send a notification when you delete a message. However, if you choose “Remove for Everyone,” the message will be replaced with a note that says “You removed a message” in the chat.

Can I recover a deleted message?

No. Once you delete a message for yourself, it cannot be recovered. There is no recycle bin for messages.

Why can’t I delete a message in a group chat?

You can delete your own messages in group chats, but you cannot delete messages sent by other people. The same 10-minute rule applies for removing a message for everyone.

Does deleting a message remove it from Facebook’s servers?

Facebook states that deleted messages are removed from its servers within a certain timeframe, but the exact details are not public. For your own copy, it will disappear immediately.

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