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How to delete messages in facebook messenger app


How To Delete Messages in Facebook Messenger

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Facebook Messenger provides an excellent avenue for sending messages to individuals for free across the globe. Despite this great feature, you might accidentally send messages that aren’t quite right, and you’re compelled to delete them. If you want to know how to delete messages on your Facebook Messenger, you’ve come to the right place.

This article will teach you how to do so across multiple devices. Let’s get started.

Delete Messages in Facebook Messenger on an iPhone

Deleting Facebook messages on your iPhone is relatively easy. Here’s how to go about it:

  1. Launch the Facebook app.
  2. Open the chat whose messages you’d like to delete.
  3. Press and hold the message.
  4. Tap on “More” in the bottom right corner of the screen.
  5. Select “Unsend” to proceed.

The above steps demonstrate how to delete a single message inside a chat using an iPhone. If you want to delete the entire chat instead, follow these steps:

  1. Open your Facebook messages.
  2. Swipe left to select the conversation you’d like to delete.
  3. Tap “More” and “Delete.”
  4. In the confirmation window, tap the “Delete” button again.

Note: Facebook doesn’t allow you to recover deleted messages. Therefore, it’s important to be certain that you want to delete the messages in question before proceeding with the action.

Delete Messages in Facebook Messenger on an Android

Here’s how to delete messages on Facebook Messenger using your Android phone:

  1. Open the Facebook app.
  2. Tap the messages icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Open the specific chat whose messages you’d like to delete by tapping on it.
  4. Long press the specific message you’d like to delete to select it.
  5. If it’s your friend’s message, tap on “More” and select “Remove.” Otherwise, if it’s your own message, tap on “Remove” in the bottom right corner of the screen to delete it.
  6. From the options, select “Unsend” to remove the message for everyone. To delete the message for you, tap on “Remove for you” and confirm the action by pressing “Remove.”

Sometimes you might want to delete the whole chat and not individual messages. Here’s how to do it if you’re using an Android phone:

  1. In your Facebook app, tap on the message icon at the top right corner of the screen to open your chats.
  2. Press and hold the chat you want to delete and select “Delete” from the options.
  3. Confirm the deletion by pressing “Delete.”

Alternatively, you can delete an entire conversation by doing the following:

  1. Open the chat you want to delete.
  2. Tap on the information icon in the far-right corner of the screen.
  3. Press the three dots in the top right corner of the screen.
  4. Select “Delete Conversation” from the options.
  5. Tap on “Delete” to complete the action.

Keep in mind that you can’t delete multiple chats simultaneously. The same is true for individual messages.

How to Delete Messages Using Facebook Lite

Facebook provides a lighter version of the app, saving a lot on storage and the data required to use it. While both the apps provide the same functionality, Facebook Lite has a few differences in the interface. Here’s how to use Facebook Lite to delete messages:

  1. Launch Facebook Lite.
  2. Tap the messages icon on the navbar of the screen.
  3. Select the chat whose messages you’d like to delete.
  4. Press and hold the message you want to delete and select “Delete” from the options.
  5. Tap on “Delete for me” and confirm the action by pressing “Yes.”

Delete Messages in Facebook Messenger on a PC

If you’re using Facebook on your PC, you can delete your Facebook messages through your browser. Here’s how to do it:

  1. On your computer’s browser, go to Facebook.
  2. From the navbar menu, click on the message icon.
  3. Open the chat whose messages you’d like to delete.
  4. Hover over the message you want to delete and click on the three dots.
  5. Select “Remove.”
  6. Click “Unsend for everyone” if you want to delete the message for your friend. Otherwise, select “Remove for you” and the “Remove” button.

How to Delete Messages Using the Facebook Messenger Mobile App

Facebook has a standalone Messenger mobile app that’s exclusive for texting. Here’s how to delete your Facebook messages using the app:

  1. Launch the Facebook Messenger app.
  2. Select the chat whose messages you’d like to delete.
  3. Press and hold the message you’d like to delete and tap on “Remove.”
  4. Choose “Unsend” to remove the message for your friend too. Otherwise, tap “Remove for you” and select “Remove” on the confirmation window.

Additional FAQs

Can I schedule Facebook messages to delete automatically?

Yes. Facebook features disappearing messages, although they are solely available for secret conversations and mobile devices. You can’t use the feature on your computer.

Can I delete my Facebook messages if I don’t have an active internet connection?

No, deleting Facebook messages requires an active internet connection because the process includes sending requests to the Facebook servers across the internet.

Can I delete all the Facebook messages at once?

Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t allow you to delete all your messages at once. However, some third-party browser extensions will enable you to do it.

Free Up Your Facebook Messenger

Just like any other messaging app, Facebook Messenger provides the ability to delete messages that we no longer need or composed incorrectly. While the feature is super helpful, it’s essential to be careful as the action is permanent and can’t be undone.

Have you tried deleting messages or chats on your Facebook Messenger? Have you experienced any technical issues while at it? Please let us know in the comments section below.

How to Delete Messages in Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is one of the social media platform’s most popular features, and while it’s a great way for users to have private conversations, it’s also used by many as a way to start a fight or say things they don’t really mean. It’s not uncommon to make a mistake on Messenger or instantly regret sending a message.

Contents

  • Deleting messages on your desktop
  • Deleting messages on your mobile device

Previously, when these mistakes happened, we just had to let them sit there, preserved in Facebook Messenger for all eternity. Now this is no longer the case.

Further reading

  • How to maintain your privacy on Facebook
  • Best text messaging apps
  • How to use Facebook

You can also archive and delete entire threads you no longer wish to look at. Deleting Facebook messages on your desktop or mobile device takes mere seconds, but deleting whole threads only applies to your own inbox, not your friend’s. Here’s how to do it:

Deleting messages on your desktop

Step 1: Log into Facebook like you normally would.

Step 2: Click the Chat Bubble in the upper-right corner, followed by See All in Messenger. The latter option is located in the bottom-left.

screenshot

Step 3: To delete an entire message thread, hover over the conversation and click the Three Horizontal Dots icon on the right side of the message in your inbox. Afterward, select Delete from the menu that pops up.

screenshot

Step 4: You will then be presented with three options: Cancel, Delete, or Hide Conversation. Click Delete to continue.

Step 5: To delete a part of your conversation, click into the conversation, and hover over the message you would like to delete. Then, click the Three Horizontal Dots and press Remove.

screenshot

Step 6: If it’s been less than 10 minutes since you’ve sent the message, you will then be given the option to remove the message for everyone or just for yourself. Once you’ve made your selection, press Remove.

The person on the other end of the conversation will be able to see that you removed a message if you chose the “for everyone” option, but the content will no longer be available. If it’s been more than 10 minutes, you’ll only be able to remove the message for yourself.

Deleting messages on your mobile device

Step 1: If you haven’t already, download the Messenger app for either iOS or Android, and log in as you normally would.

Step 2: If you want to delete an entire conversation, press and hold down the conversation, or if you’re an iOS user, swipe the conversation to the left and select the Red Trash Can. We know it’s easy to do this by mistake, so don’t stress about losing anything valuable. Your phone will always ask you to confirm before deleting. This is true for both Android and iOS.

screenshot

Step 3: If you want to delete a single message, go into the conversation, hold down the message you want to delete, and tap Remove at the bottom. Then select Remove for You. If you have an Android, you will need to select Remove again to confirm. iOS users won’t see this final prompt, so be sure you want to select Remove for You.

screenshot

You’ll be able to remove the message for everyone if you take action within 10 minutes of sending it. Your phone will give you the choice to remove for everyone or just yourself.  Once you’ve made your selection, press Remove. While the intended recipient will be able to see that you removed a message if you selected “for everyone,” they won’t be able to see the message’s content. If it’s been more than 10 minutes, you’ll only be able to remove the text for yourself.

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Delete a message on Facebook - clear the chat in the correspondence in the messenger

Almost every user has a moment when they have to clean the Facebook messenger. There may be various reasons: you need to free up additional memory on your mobile device, or you just need to put things in order so that unnecessary information does not interfere and there are no prerequisites for an awkward situation in the form of an erroneous message.

Therefore, let's consider how to delete unnecessary messages in the messenger, and how this can be done in the best way in a given situation. nineOl000 outdated private messages can be subdivided as follows:

  • by device type : on a computer, in an application for mobile devices; nine0010
  • by the number of messages that are supposed to be deleted : single messages, chain or entire correspondence;
  • if possible restore : archive or delete permanently;
  • available to users : delete only at yourself, delete from recipients.

Data storage

When you send a message using the Facebook messenger, be sure to take into account the following circumstances: the message sent in the messenger automatically ends up on one of the company's servers and is stored there, because it is available not only on the devices of users leading correspondence among themselves. That is, by clicking on "Send", the user sends a message to the online space, where he no longer has power over the information contained in the message. However, there are some exceptions. But more on that later. nine0003

Interesting fact! Information appeared on the network that a new application should be released in 2021, which is a symbiosis of Messenger, Instagram and WhatsUpp. It is assumed that this product will combine all the best qualities of these applications. There is also information that in this software, the developers intend to use end-to-end encryption, which involves storing the content of correspondence only with the users who participated in it.

Deleting private messages on a computer

The desktop version of Facebook provides a number of options for cleaning content in the segment responsible for personal correspondence. You can delete both some messages and a message chain, as well as delete the correspondence in the messenger completely or archive it with the possibility of recovery.

  1. Sign in to your profile to enable any of these options.
  2. By clicking the icon in the top bar, open the window for private messages, at the bottom of the window on the left side, click "Open Messenger". nine0010

  1. In the opened column with contacts, move the mouse cursor over any of the users with whom you corresponded. Click on the three dots that appear.

  1. In the drop-down box in the list of options you will see "Move to Archive" and "Delete".
  2. Select the action you want to perform in relation to the correspondence with this user.

If archiving is selected, the system performs the necessary actions without requiring a confirmation request. If after a while you need to find the archived correspondence, click on the gear-shaped sign located next to the “Chats” option, click on “Chat Archive”, write something to the user whose correspondence you want to view. And you will see the archived chat in the main list. nine0003

If you chose "Delete" , then the chat with this user will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.

Attention! Be sure to keep in mind that these actions archive or delete correspondence only from the sender. The recipient of all these messages remains available until he archives or deletes them on his own initiative.

How to delete correspondence from the addressee

Sometimes there are situations when you need to delete a message sent in the messenger not only from yourself, but also from the addressee of the correspondence. This can only be done for single messages. nine0003

  1. Open a chat where there are messages you want to delete.
  2. Click on the "…" next to the "Forward" and "React" options.
  3. In the drop-down menu, click on "Delete".
  4. If no more than ten minutes have passed since the message was sent, you will see a notification prompting you to choose the option of deleting: only for yourself or for yourself and the interlocutor.

Alas, Facebook allows you to delete old messages only from the sender. Moreover, the recipient will have access to this content, even if the sender completely deletes his account from the social network. The function of completely deleting messages from the system is available only in one case: if these are single messages sent for no more than 10 minutes before the desire to delete them arose. You need to remember this and take seriously all the information sent to other users of the social network, so that you do not have to regret it later. nine0003

Deleting messages on a mobile device

The procedure for deleting a message on a mobile device is very similar to the desktop version of the social network. In the mobile version, you can also clean out all the dialogues that clog it from your messenger, and you can also delete single messages from the interlocutor.

Paradoxically, the app for mobile devices is reproached for supposedly complicated access to the messenger's clearing function. But in fact, in this case, everything is very simple. nine0003

  1. Open the application, and in it - the "Chats" tab.
  2. Select the contact you want and swipe it from right to left.

  1. Icons will appear: "Trash" - means to completely clear the chat with this person, "Bell" - if necessary, disable message notifications, "Ξ" - additional functions where you can find and archive the chat.

By the way! If you swipe from left to right on a contact's name, a list of options will appear with which you can call the user, conduct a video call session, or instantly take a photo to send in a message. nine0003

As for deleting individual messages for all interlocutors, this procedure is exactly the same for all mobile devices, regardless of modification or manufacturer. And there is also a 10-minute time limit during which a message can be deleted.

The procedure is as follows:

  1. Open Chats and find the desired contact.
  2. Find the message you want to delete, tap and hold your finger on it. Then click "More".
    3. nine0063

    1. When the Save, Copy, Forward and Delete options appear, click on Delete, and if less than 10 minutes have passed since the message was sent, you can choose the option: delete for himself or for all interlocutors.

    Two ways to delete Facebook messages on iPhone / Android

    Is your Facebook inbox full of messages you don't need? Or you may have private messages that you want to delete directly. This article will focus on how to delete Facebook messages .

    • Part 1: How to Delete Facebook Posts from Homepage
      • Delete message
      • To delete the entire conversation
    • Part 2. How to Delete Facebook Messages from Facebook Messenger on iOS and Android
      • Delete one or more Facebook Messenger messages
      • How to delete Facebook Messenger conversations
      • nine0009 Part 3. Delete All Facebook Messages and Conversations on iPhone
    • Part 4: How to delete sent Facebook messages

    Part 1: How to delete Facebook messages from your home page

    From your Facebook home page, you can delete part of a message, all messages, or an entire conversation at a time according to your needs.

    Delete message

    Step 1 Click "Messages" in the left column of the main page.

    Step 2 Open the conversation in which you want to delete the message or messages. nine0003

    Step 3 Select Delete messages from the action menu.

    Step 4 Check the boxes to select the messages you want to delete.

    Step 5 Click the Delete button.

    To delete the entire conversation

    Step 1 Click "Messages" in the left column of Facebook.

    Step 2 Find and open the conversation you want to delete.

    Step 3 From the Actions menu, select Delete Conversation.

    Step 4 Confirm the deletion of the selected conversation. nine0003

    Part 2: How to Delete Facebook Messages from Messenger on iOS and Android

    Delete One or More Facebook Messenger Messages

    Step 1 Launch the Facebook Messenger app on your iPhone or Android phone. Scroll down the screen or use the search function to quickly find the message you want to delete.

    Step 2 Tap the target message until a new screen appears. This screen has various options such as Copy Text, Forward, Delete, and Details. nine0003

    Step 3 Select "Delete" and the selected message will be removed from the Facebook Messenger conversation.

    Step 4 Repeat the same steps if you want to delete other messages.

    How to delete Facebook Messenger conversations

    This section provides two ways to delete a conversation from Facebook Messenger, one is to archive the conversation and the other is to delete it permanently. In other words, the first method will hide the conversation and the second will permanently disappear from the conversation. nine0003

    Deleting a conversation will remove it from Facebook. It will be difficult to bring it back. However, there is no 100% guarantee that you will get a conversation even when using third party recovery tools.

    Step 1 Launch the Facebook Messenger app on your iPhone or Android phone. Find a conversation from the list that you are ready to delete. Scroll the conversation to the left to display the "Delete" option.

    Step 2 Select Delete from the options pop-up menu. When deleted, the conversation will be permanently deleted. You won't be able to see the conversation again. nine0003

    The Facebook conversation will then be hidden from Facebook Messenger. You can always delete the archive from the app or from the Facebook website.

    Part 3. Delete all Facebook messages and conversations on iPhone with iPhone Data Eraser

    Last but not least, you can also use iPhone Data Draw to delete all iPhone data including Facebook Messenger messages.

    Step 1 Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable. It will soon detect your device. nine0003

    Step 2 Select the erasing level (Low, Medium and High). "High Level" is recommended.

    Step 3 Select "Start" and get ready to erase all data including Facebook messenger messages.

    Don't Miss: How to Delete a Facebook Page on Your Phone or Computer

    Part 4. How to Delete Sent Facebook Messages

    Someone might ask that "How do I delete a message that I sent to the wrong person and won't show up in their inbox?" box? I deleted the message on my end." However, Facebook gives the answer no. Messages that have already been sent cannot be sent or removed from the recipient's inbox. Depending on your notification settings, they may also receive your message as an email notification. nine0003

    But still, some others who did the experiment successfully deleted the Facebook message before the recipient read it. This method is not guaranteed to be 100% useful, but it is worth a try.

    After you send a message, simply deactivate your account for at least 3 hours > reactivate your Facebook account to check messages sent to other users and find that they are gone.

    Learn more