To delete Facebook messages, open the conversation in Messenger, touch and hold your sent message, tap Delete, then choose Delete for you or Delete for everyone. The first option removes your copy, while the second removes your sent message for everyone in the chat. You can delete received messages and whole conversations from your own history, but those actions leave other participants’ copies intact.
The short version
- Sent messages: Touch and hold your message, tap Delete, then choose Delete for you or Delete for everyone.
- Received messages: Use More and Delete to select messages and remove your copies.
- Whole conversations: Delete a conversation from Chats to remove your inbox copy.
- Several chats: Tap Delete more in the notice after deleting one conversation.
- Computer: Open Facebook’s Messenger inbox and use the message or chat Options menu.
| What you want to delete | Where to start | Deletion scope |
|---|---|---|
| Your sent message for everyone | Messenger message > Delete > Delete for everyone | Everyone in the chat |
| Your sent message for yourself | Messenger message > Delete > Delete for you | Your copy only |
| Received messages | Message > More > Delete | Your copies of selected messages |
| A Messenger chat on Android | Touch and hold the conversation in Chats | Your conversation copy |
| A Messenger chat on iPhone or iPad | Swipe left on the conversation in Chats | Your conversation copy |
| Several Messenger chats | Delete more after deleting one chat | Your copies of selected chats |
| A sent message on Facebook desktop | Message Options > Unsend | Your copy or everyone’s, depending on your choice |
| A whole chat on Facebook desktop | Chat Options > Delete chat | Your conversation copy |
| A sent message in Facebook mobile | Message > More > Unsend | Your copy or everyone’s, depending on your choice |
| A sent message in Facebook Lite | Touch and hold the message > Delete | Your copy or everyone’s, depending on your choice |
| A chat in Facebook for Android or Facebook Lite | Touch and hold the conversation > Delete | Your conversation copy |
| A chat in Facebook for iPhone or iPad | Swipe left on the conversation > More | Your conversation copy |
| A business conversation on mobile | Conversation deletion controls in Chats | Your conversation copy |
| A business conversation on desktop | Conversation Options below Chats | Your conversation copy |
| One message request | Menu > Message requests | The request you delete |
| Several message requests | Message requests > Edit | Selected requests |
| A message in an archived chat | Menu > Archive | Your copy or everyone’s for your sent messages |
| Future messages automatically | Encrypted chat > Disappearing messages | Future messages subject to the timer |
Delete a sent message in Messenger
On Android, iPhone or iPad, open Messenger and enter the conversation containing your message. Touch and hold the message, then tap Delete. Select Delete for everyone to remove your sent message for everyone in the chat.
If you only want to remove your own copy, follow the same steps and choose Delete for you. Other participants keep their copies, even if you later delete the entire conversation from your inbox.
Delete received messages or several messages
Open the chat, touch and hold a received message, then tap More followed by Delete. Select the messages you want to remove, tap Delete, then choose Delete for you. This lets you remove several messages while keeping the rest of your conversation.
You can only remove received messages from your own history. To remove a message you sent for everyone, use that sent message’s Delete for everyone option.
Delete a whole conversation on your phone
On Android, go to Chats in Messenger and touch and hold the conversation you want to remove. Tap Delete, then tap Delete again to confirm.
On iPhone or iPad, open Chats and swipe left on the conversation. Tap More, choose Delete, then tap Delete again. On either platform, you remove your conversation copy without clearing anyone else’s inbox.
For a conversation with a business on Android, touch and hold it in Chats, tap Delete, then confirm with DELETE. On iPhone or iPad, swipe left on the business conversation in Chats, tap More, then choose Delete and confirm with Delete.
Delete several conversations at once
Start by deleting one conversation using the steps for your phone. In the deletion notice, tap Delete more, then select the other chats you want to remove. Tap Delete and confirm with Delete.
You can use this bulk deletion option in Messenger on Android, iPhone and iPad. It clears your copies of the selected conversations, but it does not unsend their messages for everyone.
Delete Facebook messages on a computer
Open Facebook in your browser, click Messenger at the top right, and open the conversation. Hover over your sent message, click Options, then choose Unsend. Select Unsend for everyone or Unsend for you, then click Remove.
To delete the entire conversation, click Messenger at the top right of Facebook and open the chat. Click Options at the top of the chat, choose Delete chat, then click Delete chat again. This removes only your conversation copy.
For a conversation with a business, open Facebook Messages and hover over the conversation below Chats. Click Options, select Delete chat, and confirm with Delete chat.
Delete messages through Facebook or Facebook Lite
If messaging is available inside your Facebook mobile app, tap Messenger at the top and open the conversation. Touch and hold your sent message, tap More, then choose Unsend. Select Unsend for everyone or Unsend for you, then confirm with Ok.
In Facebook Lite on Android, tap Messenger at the top and open the chat. Touch and hold your sent message, then tap Delete. Choose Delete for everyone or Delete for me, then confirm with Yes or Delete, as shown on your screen.
To remove a whole conversation in Facebook for Android or Facebook Lite, tap Messenger at the top and touch and hold the conversation. Tap Delete, then Delete again.
In Facebook for iPhone or iPad, tap Messenger at the top and swipe left on the conversation. Tap More, choose Delete, then confirm with Delete.
Delete message requests and archived messages
For an unwanted message request, open Messenger’s Menu and select Message requests. On Android, touch and hold the request; on iPhone or iPad, swipe left on it. Tap Delete, then tap Delete again to confirm.
To select several message requests, go to Menu > Message requests and tap Edit. Select the requests you want to delete, then follow the deletion prompts on your screen. Use this selection process for requests and Delete more for ordinary chats.
To reach an archived conversation, open Menu > Archive in Messenger. Open the conversation, touch and hold your sent message, tap Delete, then choose Delete for you or Delete for everyone. Opening an archived conversation does not itself unarchive it, and archiving alone does not delete messages.
Set future messages to disappear automatically
In Messenger, open a supported encrypted conversation from Chats. Tap the person’s name or group chat name, then select Disappearing messages. Choose when messages should disappear after they have been seen.
The timer applies to future messages, so use the manual deletion controls for existing messages. Meta says disappearing messages that remain unread disappear automatically after 14 days.
Fix missing options and outdated instructions
If you cannot find Delete in Facebook’s messaging interface, look for Unsend instead. Facebook’s controls use Unsend for everyone and Unsend for you, while Messenger uses Delete for everyone and Delete for you. For received messages, you can delete only your own copy.
If Disappearing messages is missing, update Messenger through Meta’s official mobile download page using its App Store or Google Play link for your device. The feature requires a supported encrypted conversation and is rolling out gradually, so updating does not guarantee immediate availability.
Meta no longer supports vanish mode, so use Disappearing messages for future messages. The native Messenger app for Windows and Mac is also no longer available; use Facebook’s browser inbox or the supported mobile app for deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a Messenger message remove it from the encrypted backup?
Yes, Meta says deleting messages from your chats also removes them from your encrypted backup. For a message you sent, touch and hold it, tap Delete, then choose Delete for you to remove your copy.
How do you delete Meta AI’s copy of a Messenger conversation?
Send /reset-ai in the conversation with a supported Meta AI to delete that AI’s copy of your conversation history. Send /reset-all-ais in an AI conversation to delete the AIs’ copies across supported Meta AI interactions. Delete the visible conversation separately if you also want it removed from your inbox.
Can you send a photo or video that disappears after one viewing?
Yes, you can use View once for future photos and videos where the feature is available. Open the chat and use Camera to capture media, or use Add files to select media and tap its preview. Tap Keep in chat so it changes to View once, then tap Send.
Will deleting your Facebook account erase messages from other people’s inboxes?
Deleting your Facebook account does not guarantee removal of messages from recipients’ inboxes. It also removes your associated Messenger access, so it is not a substitute for deleting individual sent messages for everyone.
Does reporting a Messenger message delete it?
Reporting requests a review and does not guarantee deletion. In Messenger for Android, open the chat, touch and hold the message, tap More, choose Report, select a category, then tap Submit report. Use the message deletion controls separately to remove your own copy.