How to delete people from Messenger
You can remove someone from your Messenger contacts in two ways: delete the conversation thread entirely, or remove them from a group chat. Deleting a one-on-one conversation removes that person from your active chats, but it does not prevent them from messaging you again in the future — they can still start a new conversation with you. If you want to stop someone from contacting you altogether, you need to block them instead, which is a separate action.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Messenger on your phone or computer, and whether the chat is one-on-one or a group. This guide covers both platforms and both situations.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a conversation removes it from your chat list but does not stop that person from messaging you again.
- On your phone, swipe left on a conversation to delete it; on a computer, right-click the conversation and select delete.
- In a group chat, you can remove other people only if you are the group admin, or you can leave the group yourself.
- If you want to prevent someone from contacting you, blocking them is more effective than deleting the conversation.
- Blocked people cannot see your active status, message you, or call you, but they can still see your profile if they search for you.
Delete a one-on-one conversation on your phone
Open Messenger and find the conversation you want to remove. Press and hold the conversation name until a menu appears with options. Tap Delete. The conversation disappears from your chat list when ready.
On an iPhone, you can also swipe left on the conversation name and tap the trash icon that appears. On an Android phone, swipe left on the conversation and tap Delete. Both methods remove the chat from your active list.
If the person messages you again after you delete the conversation, a new chat thread will appear in your Messenger inbox. Deleting does not block future messages — it only clears the old conversation from your view.
Delete a conversation on your computer
Go to Messenger.com or open the Messenger app on your desktop. Find the conversation in your chat list on the left side. Right-click on the conversation name and select Delete from the menu that appears. The conversation is removed from your list.
If you use the Facebook website and have Messenger open in the sidebar, right-click the conversation there and choose Delete as well. The action is the same across all desktop versions.
Remove someone from a group chat
Open the group conversation and tap the group name at the top of the chat. This opens the group details page. Scroll down to see the list of members. Find the person you want to remove and tap their name, then select Remove from group.
You can only remove other people from a group if you created the group or if the creator made you an admin. If you are not an admin, you can only leave the group yourself by tapping Leave group at the bottom of the group details page. Leaving removes you from the chat but does not affect the other members.
On a computer, open the group chat, click the group name at the top, and find the members list. Click the three dots next to the person's name and select Remove from group. If you are not an admin, click Leave group instead.
Block someone instead of deleting the conversation
If you want to prevent someone from contacting you through Messenger, blocking is more effective than deleting. When you block someone, they cannot send you messages, see when you are online, or call you. They also cannot see your profile picture or status updates.
To block someone on your phone, open their conversation, tap their name at the top, scroll down, and select Block. On a computer, click their name in the conversation, scroll down, and click Block. A blocked person can still see your profile if they search for you directly, but they cannot interact with you through Messenger.
If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them the same way. Go to your Messenger settings, find Blocked people, and tap or click the person's name to unblock them.
What happens to old messages when you delete a conversation
When you delete a conversation, the messages disappear from your phone or computer, but they are not deleted from the other person's account. They can still see all the messages you sent them. Deleting only removes the conversation from your own view.
If you want to remove a specific message rather than the entire conversation, you can delete individual messages. Press and hold a message you sent, tap Remove, and choose whether to remove it just for yourself or for everyone in the chat. Removing for everyone deletes the message from the other person's view as well, though they will see a note that you removed a message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone message me again after I delete the conversation?
Yes. Deleting a conversation only removes it from your chat list. If that person sends you another message, a new conversation will appear in your inbox. To prevent them from messaging you at all, you need to block them instead.
If I leave a group chat, can I rejoin later?
Yes, if the group is still active. You can ask another member to add you back, or if you have the group link, you can join through that. Leaving a group does not permanently remove you — it just takes you out of the current chat.
What is the difference between deleting and archiving a conversation?
Archiving hides a conversation from your main chat list but keeps it in your archive folder, where you can find it later. Deleting removes it from both your main list and your archive. You can archive a conversation by swiping left and tapping Archive instead of Delete.
Will the other person know if I delete our conversation?
No. Deleting a conversation on your end does not notify the other person or change anything on their account. They will not see any indication that you deleted the chat.
Can I delete someone's messages without deleting the whole conversation?
Yes. Press and hold a specific message and tap Remove. You can remove it just for yourself, which hides it from your view but keeps it on their account, or remove it for everyone, which deletes it from both sides (though they will see a note that you removed it).