Where to find and delete individual messages

Facebook Marketplace messages live in your regular Facebook Messenger inbox, not in a separate folder. To delete a single message, open Messenger on your phone or computer, find the conversation with the person you messaged about the item, and locate the specific message you want to remove.

On a phone (iPhone or Android), press and hold the message until a menu appears. Tap "Remove" or "Delete" — the exact wording depends on your phone's operating system and which version of Messenger you have installed. On a computer, hover your mouse over the message until a trash icon or three-dot menu appears, then click to delete.

Deleting a single message removes it from your view only. The other person can still see it on their end unless they delete it themselves. Facebook does not notify them that you deleted something.

How to delete an entire conversation

If you want to remove all messages with one person at once, you can delete the whole conversation. In Messenger, find the conversation thread, then press and hold it (on phone) or right-click it (on computer). Select "Delete Chat" or "Delete Conversation" from the menu that appears.

Deleting a conversation removes all messages between you and that person from your inbox. Like deleting individual messages, this only affects what you see — the other person's copy of the conversation stays in their inbox unless they delete it too.

If you delete a conversation by accident, you cannot undo it. However, if the other person sends you another message later, the conversation will reappear in your inbox with only the new message visible.

Key Takeaways

  • Individual messages can be deleted by pressing and holding (phone) or hovering and clicking (computer), but the other person still sees their copy unless they delete it too.
  • Entire conversations are deleted the same way — press and hold or right-click the thread and select delete — and this removes all messages with that person from your view.
  • Deleting messages or conversations is permanent on your end and cannot be undone, though the other person retains their copies.
  • Marketplace messages are stored in your regular Messenger inbox, not in a separate Marketplace messages folder.

Why you might want to delete Marketplace messages

People delete Marketplace messages for different reasons. You might want to clear out conversations after a sale is complete, remove messages from someone who was rude or made you uncomfortable, or straightforward keep your inbox organized if you buy and sell frequently.

Deleting messages does not affect the transaction itself — if you already completed a purchase or sale, deleting the conversation will not change the payment, shipping, or any record the other person has. It only cleans up your own message history.

What happens to your Marketplace activity record

Deleting messages does not erase your Marketplace history or ratings. If you bought or sold an item, that transaction remains visible in your Marketplace profile and in your purchase or sales history, even if you delete all the messages about it.

Other people can still see your ratings and reviews from that transaction. They can also still see that you completed a sale or purchase with them — they just cannot see the deleted messages unless they saved screenshots or forwarded them elsewhere.

Protecting yourself before you delete

Before you delete a conversation, consider saving important information. If the seller or buyer gave you their address, phone number, tracking information, or payment details in the messages, take a screenshot or write down what you need before you delete.

If there was a problem with a transaction — the item never arrived, it was damaged, or the seller did not send what they promised — keep those messages until the issue is fully resolved. Deleting evidence of what was promised or what went wrong can make it harder to dispute a charge or leave an accurate review later.

Why keeping records matters for disputes

Marketplace transactions sometimes go wrong. A seller might not ship an item, an item arrives damaged, or what you received does not match the description. If you need to file a dispute with Facebook or your payment processor, having the original messages is your strongest evidence.

Once you delete those messages, you cannot recover them. You can ask the other person to resend them, but they may refuse or claim they do not have them. Screenshots help, but original message threads are more reliable proof. Wait until any potential dispute is fully closed before deleting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the other person tell if I deleted a message?

No. Facebook does not send a notification when you delete a message. The other person will not know unless they were looking at the conversation at the exact moment you deleted it and notice the message is gone.

If I delete a conversation, can I get the messages back?

No, deleted messages cannot be recovered. Once you delete a conversation or message, it is permanently removed from your inbox. If you need the information later, you will have to ask the other person to resend it.

Does deleting messages affect my Marketplace rating or seller status?

No. Your ratings, reviews, and transaction history remain in your Marketplace profile regardless of whether you delete the messages. Deleting conversations does not change how buyers or sellers see your account.

What if I want to delete all my Marketplace messages at once?

Facebook does not have a "delete all" button for Marketplace messages. You have to delete conversations one at a time by pressing and holding each thread and selecting delete. If you have many conversations, this takes a few minutes but is the only way to clear them all.

Can I delete messages after I have already left a review?

Yes. Deleting messages does not affect reviews you have already posted. Your review stays visible to other users even if you delete the conversation with that person.