You can delete messages one at a time, or delete entire conversations at once
Facebook lets you remove messages from your inbox without deleting them from the other person's account. When you delete a message, it disappears from your chat list and message thread, but the person you were talking to still sees it on their end. If you want to erase a message from both sides of the conversation, you can use the "Remove for Everyone" option, which works for up to 10 minutes after you send it.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Facebook on a computer, phone, or the Messenger app. The process takes less than a minute either way.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a message from your inbox does not delete it from the other person's view — they still see it in their conversation with you.
- The "Remove for Everyone" option erases a message from both accounts, but only works within 10 minutes of sending it.
- You can delete individual messages or entire conversations, and the other person will not receive a notification that you deleted something.
- Deleted messages cannot be recovered, so make sure you want to remove them before you confirm the action.
How to delete a single message on Facebook Messenger
Open the Messenger app or go to Messenger.com in your browser. Find the conversation containing the message you want to delete. Hover your mouse over the message (on a computer) or long-press the message (on a phone) until a menu appears with options.
Click or tap the trash icon or "Remove" option. A small menu will pop up asking whether you want to delete the message just for yourself or remove it for everyone. Choose "Remove for You" to delete it only from your inbox, or "Remove for Everyone" if you sent the message within the last 10 minutes and want to erase it from both accounts. Confirm your choice, and the message disappears.
How to delete an entire conversation
In Messenger, find the conversation you want to delete in your chat list. On a computer, right-click the conversation name. On a phone, long-press the conversation name until a menu appears. Select "Delete" or the trash icon from the menu that shows up.
The entire conversation and all its messages will be removed from your inbox. The other person will still have the conversation in their chat list unless they delete it separately. You will not receive a notification confirming the deletion, and there is no undo button, so the conversation is gone permanently once you confirm.
The difference between deleting for yourself and removing for everyone
Delete for You removes the message from your view only. The other person still sees it in their conversation with you, and they can read it, forward it, or take a screenshot. This is the option you use when you want to clean up your own inbox but do not need to erase the message from the other side of the conversation.
Remove for Everyone erases the message from both your inbox and the other person's inbox. The message is replaced with text saying "This message was removed" on both sides. This option only works if you sent the message yourself and within 10 minutes — you cannot remove someone else's messages, and you cannot remove a message you sent more than 10 minutes ago. The other person does not get a notification that you removed the message, but they will see that something was deleted.
What happens when you delete messages on Facebook's main chat feature
Facebook has two places where you can send messages: the Messenger app (or Messenger.com) and the chat box on the main Facebook website. The chat feature on the main site works the same way as Messenger — you can delete messages for yourself or remove them for everyone within 10 minutes.
To delete a message in the Facebook chat box, hover over the message and click the three dots that appear. Select "Remove" and choose whether to delete it for yourself or everyone. The process is identical to Messenger, and the same 10-minute limit applies to removing messages for everyone.
Why you might not be able to delete a message
If the "Remove for Everyone" option is grayed out or missing, the message is older than 10 minutes. Facebook's system deletes the option automatically after that window closes, so you can only delete the message for yourself at that point. There is no way to extend this time limit or remove older messages from the other person's account.
If you cannot delete a message at all, check whether you are the one who sent it. You can only delete your own messages — you cannot delete messages that someone else sent to you. If the message came from another person and you want it gone from your view, you can delete it for yourself, but they will still see it on their end.
How deleted messages affect your data and privacy
When you delete a message from your inbox, Facebook removes it from your chat history and your account. However, the other person still has a copy of the conversation unless they delete it too. If you used "Remove for Everyone," the message is deleted from both accounts, but Facebook's servers may retain copies of the message for a period of time for security and legal reasons — you cannot see these copies, and they are not part of your visible account.
Deleting messages does not affect Facebook's ability to show you ads or use your data for other purposes. Deletion only removes the message from your chat history. If you want to limit how much data Facebook collects about you overall, you would need to adjust your privacy settings or read your information from Facebook's read tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the other person know when I delete a message?
No, Facebook does not send a notification when you delete a message for yourself. If you use "Remove for Everyone," the other person sees that a message was deleted (it shows as "This message was removed"), but they do not get a notification about it — they only see it if they look at the conversation.
Can I delete a message I sent more than 10 minutes ago?
You can delete it from your own inbox, but you cannot remove it from the other person's account. After 10 minutes, the "Remove for Everyone" option disappears, and you can only choose "Remove for You." The other person will still see the message in their conversation.
What if I delete a conversation by accident?
Deleted conversations cannot be recovered. Once you confirm the deletion, the conversation is permanently gone from your inbox. The other person still has the conversation in their chat list. If you need the information from that conversation, you would have to ask the other person to share it with you again.
Does deleting messages on Messenger also delete them from Facebook's main chat?
Messenger and the Facebook chat box are connected to the same account, so deleting a message in one place deletes it everywhere. If you delete a message in the Messenger app, it is also gone from the chat box on Facebook.com, and vice versa.
Can I delete messages from a group chat?
Yes, the same rules explore. You can delete your own messages for yourself or remove them for everyone within 10 minutes. In a group chat, "Remove for Everyone" erases the message from all members' views, not just one person's.