Facebook is one of the most widely-used social networking platforms, even after a decade of its popularity and its Messenger app is a force to reckon with. Although you can use it from within Facebook, Messenger has a standalone instant-messaging app of its own across all platforms and even has a dedicated website if you want to use it on the web.
Since Messenger has been one of the oldest messaging apps that might still use now, you might want to clear off messages that you no longer want to see. The following post will help you delete messages that you sent or received on Facebook Messenger including the ones that you posted as reactions and stories.
Related: Facebook Messenger limits: Maximum participants, maximum duration, and more
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Remove newly sent messages (without leaving a trace)
So you accidentally sent a message to the wrong person or misspelled a word when using Facebook Messenger. It happens and unless it’s already been over 10 minutes since you sent it, you can remove the message from the chat so that it’s no longer visible to anyone.
This works regardless of whether the message you want to delete was sent to a group or an individual.
Note: The ‘Remove for Everyone’ will only show up for a period of 10 minutes after sending a message on Messenger. After that, you will only be able to remove the message from your inbox and not others’.
On Phone
To delete a message that you’ve sent, open the Messenger app on your phone and go to the conversation you sent the message to. When the chat open, press and hold the message you want to delete and then tap on the ‘Remove’ button. You will be asked whether you want the message to be deleted for just you or everyone in the thread.
Tap on ‘Remove for Everyone’ and then ‘Remove’ again, if you don’t wish others to see the message that you have sent. You should do this within 10 minutes of sending the message.
If you want the message to only be deleted just for yourself, you can tap on ‘Remove for You’, which will also be the only option visible for you if it has been over 10 minutes since you sent the message on Messenger.
On PC
If you want to delete the message you have recently sent, open the Messenger app on your computer or go to messenger.com. Head over to the chat you want to delete a message from, tap on the 3-dots icon adjacent to the desired message, and click on Remove. On the desktop app, you can get this option by right-clicking on the message you want to delete.
If you don’t want the receiver to see the message you sent, click on ‘Remove for Everyone’ and then confirm by clicking ‘Remove’ again.
You can do this only within 10 minutes of sending a message on Messenger.
Delete a message or photo from a chat
You can also delete older messages that you sent or received on Facebook Messenger. Facebook allows you to delete a single message containing text, photo, video, or even a sticker.
Note: Deleting an older message from Messenger will remove it from your inbox but will still show up in your friend’s inbox.
On Phone
To delete an older message from inside a chat on your phone, open the Messenger app on your phone, tap on the ‘Chats’ at the bottom and select the conversation you want to delete a message from. Once inside the chat, tap and hold the message (text, photo, or video) you want to delete and hit ‘Remove’.
Confirm the deletion process by tapping ‘Remove for You’ and then ‘Remove’ again. Your message will now disappear from your inbox.
On PC
When using Messenger on your PC, you can delete a message on your PC by opening the Messenger desktop app or going to messenger.com. Inside the conversation screen, hover over the message you want to delete, click on the 3-dots icon, and then hit the ‘Remove’ option. You can get this option on the desktop app by right-clicking the message.
Delete a reaction to a message
In addition to sending texts, videos, and pictures to a person or a group, Messenger also lets you ‘react’ to someone else’s message through ‘Reactions’. You can react to a message using any one of the pre-selected emojis available on the screen if you’re not actually in the mood for typing a word.
On Phone
You can delete your message reactions on Messenger on your phone by opening the conversation or chat you reacted to. Now, tap and hold on the message you reacted to and select the emoji you used to react to the message previously.
When you do that, your reaction will disappear from the message’s reactions and do not worry, the other person will not be notified about this.
On PC
To delete your message reactions on PC, open a conversation and hover over the message you reacted to earlier. When you move the cursor over the reacted message, an emoji icon will appear.
Click on this and select the emoji you used to react to the message the first time. Your previously sent reaction will be highlighted with a blue dot under the emoji you reacted with. This reaction will now disappear from the messenger screen when you click on it.
Delete an entire conversation
Although Facebook doesn’t have an option to delete multiple messages at once, you can, however, remove the entire conversation from your inbox. This will remove all the messages that you received and sent in the selected conversation with a person or group.
On Phone
To delete an entire conversation, open the Facebook Messenger app on your phone and hit the ‘Chats’ tab at the bottom. Inside the Chats screen, tap and hold on the chat you want to delete, tap on the delete icon that appears in the menu, and then tap on the ‘Delete’ button.
All the messages in your conversation will be deleted.
On PC
If you want to delete an entire conversation when using Messenger on your computer, open Messenger desktop app or going to messenger.com. In this screen, click on the ‘Chat’ tab and hover over the conversation you want to delete. To delete the entire chat, click on the 3-dots icon, and then hit the ‘Delete’ button.
For those of you using the Messenger desktop app, you can get this option by right-clicking on the conversation and then selecting the ‘Delete’ option inside the Delete Conversation dialog box.
Clear up your Facebook Story from Messenger
Besides messages, Facebook Messenger also lets you share photos and videos through Stories. These Stories appear at the top of your screen when using Facebook or Messenger and if you have posted something of your own as a Story, it will also show up on your Messenger inbox.
While Facebook Stories only appear for 24 hours since you first post them, you can also delete your story if you don’t wish to keep it visible for others.
On Phone
To delete your Facebook Story from the Messenger app on your phone, tap on the ‘Chats’ tab at the bottom, and tap on your Story at the top. You can then delete your Story by tapping the 3-dots icon at the top right corner and selecting the ‘Delete’ option from the list of options.
On PC
To delete a photo or video you added to a Story, open your Story on Facebook, click the 3-dots icon at the top right, and then hit the ‘Delete Photo’ or ‘Delete Video’ button. Your story will no longer appear on your Messenger home screen or on other’s News Feed or Messenger app.
RELATED:
- How to share your screen on Facebook Messenger
- How To Delete Reactions On Messenger
- How to turn off Active Status on Facebook app and web
FAQs
What is the easiest way to delete messages on Facebook Messenger? ›
- Open the Facebook Messenger app on your phone or desktop.
- Open a conversation with messages you'd like to delete.
- Press and hold on a message, or select the three dots menu icon on desktop.
- Select “remove” next to the message.
Keep in mind that once the message sends, the other person can see it. When you delete a message in Messenger, you only delete it for yourself. The other party can still see it. But you can overcome this by unsending a message.
Does blocking someone on Facebook delete messages? ›Your previous messages between yourself and the person you're blocking won't be deleted, so you have to manually delete those messages if you don't want them.
How to delete old messages on Messenger from both sides after 10 minutes? ›You can delete old or unwanted conversations from Messages, move them into your archives, or mark all messages as read. Note: Some of the following steps only work on Android 6.0 and up. Generally, open the Message app, touch and hold each conversation, and tap Delete.
Can I delete all messages on Messenger at once? ›6. Quick Delete From Messenger Apps. Unfortunately, using the Facebook-owned Messenger app on iOS and Android won't offer bulk delete, but the same options are added as website and Mac/Windows apps. Instead of right-clicking in the desktop apps, tap and hold on any message you want to remove/unsend.
When you block someone on Messenger what do they see? ›When you block someone's Facebook profile on Messenger, it also blocks their profile on Facebook. They won't be able to message, call or find your Facebook profile. If you're Facebook friends, blocking them also unfriends them. Profiles won't be notified when you block them.
Are deleted messages on Messenger gone forever? ›A Facebook message that has been deleted is permanently lost, at least in terms of Facebook Messenger. However, there are steps you may take to recover those messages from other archives or downloads of Facebook Messenger, as well as your app's cache.
When you block someone on Messenger can they see old messages? ›1 Answer. If you block someone on Facebook or Messenger, you both will not be able to see each others activities and also not be able to send messages. Old conversation will be still in inbox but name of that person will not be clickable.
Why can't I remove message for everyone on Messenger? ›User Has Blocked You
To be sure this is why the “Remove for everyone” button doesn't work for you, check whether you can add that friend again. If this option is unavailable to you, it means the user blocked you. They will still see your message even if you use the “Remove for you” option.
Some information, like messages you sent to friends, may still be visible to them after you delete your account. Copies of messages you have sent are stored in your friends' inboxes. If you use your Facebook account to log into Meta Quest, deleting your Facebook account will also delete your Meta Quest information.