You can delete multiple Messenger messages at the same time, but the method depends on whether you're using a phone or computer
Facebook Messenger lets you remove messages in bulk, though the steps differ between mobile and desktop. On a phone, you select several messages and delete them together. On a computer, you delete them one at a time or clear an entire conversation. Neither method is when ready — deleted messages disappear from your view, but Facebook keeps copies on its servers for a period of time.
The reason to delete messages is usually privacy: you want to remove something you said, or you want to clean up a conversation that contains personal information. Deleting from your side doesn't remove the message from the other person's phone or computer — they still see it unless they delete it themselves. If you want to erase a message before someone reads it, use the "unsend" feature instead, which works within a short time window after you send.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone or Android, open the conversation, press and hold a message, tap the trash icon, then repeat for each message you want to remove.
- On a computer, you can delete messages one at a time by hovering over each one and clicking the trash icon, or clear the entire conversation through settings.
- Deleting a message removes it only from your own Messenger — the other person still sees it unless they delete it on their end.
- The "unsend" feature removes a message from both sides, but only works within about 10 minutes of sending on most accounts.
- Messenger keeps deleted messages in its backup systems, so deletion is about privacy from the other person, not from Facebook itself.
How to delete multiple messages on iPhone or Android
Open the Messenger app and go to the conversation containing the messages you want to remove. Press and hold on the first message until a menu appears with options including a trash or delete icon. Tap the trash icon. The message disappears from your view.
Repeat this process for each additional message. There is no way to select a range of messages at once on mobile — you must delete them individually, even though you're doing it in the same conversation. If you have many messages to remove, this takes longer than deleting on a computer.
How to delete multiple messages on a computer
Go to Messenger.com or open Messenger from Facebook.com. Find the conversation and hover your mouse over the first message you want to delete. A trash icon appears on the right side of the message. Click it. The message is removed from your view.
Hover over the next message and click its trash icon. Continue for each message you want to remove. Like the mobile version, you delete one at a time — there is no bulk-select option on desktop either.
If you want to remove all messages in a conversation at once, right-click the conversation name in the left sidebar and look for "Delete chat" or similar wording. This clears the entire conversation from your Messenger, though the other person still has their copy.
The difference between deleting and unsending
Unsend removes a message from both your Messenger and the other person's Messenger. Delete removes it only from your own view. Unsend works only within a short window — usually around 10 minutes after you send the message, though this varies by account and region. After that window closes, unsend is no longer an option.
To unsend a message, press and hold it (on mobile) or hover over it (on computer) and look for an "unsend" or "remove" option. It will say something like "You unsent a message" in the conversation, so the other person knows you removed something, but they cannot see what it was.
What happens to messages after you delete them
When you delete a message from your Messenger, it disappears from your screen when ready. The other person in the conversation still sees the message on their phone or computer unless they delete it themselves. Deleting is not a way to take back something you said — it only hides it from your own view.
Facebook stores deleted messages in its backup systems for a period of time. This means the company can still access them, and they may be recoverable if you contact Facebook support with a legal request. Deletion protects your privacy from the other person in the conversation, not from Facebook itself.
When to delete versus when to unsend
Use unsend if you catch a mistake or send something sensitive within a few minutes. It removes the message from both sides before the other person has a chance to read it or take a screenshot. Use delete if you want to clean up your own Messenger view after a conversation is over, or if you want to remove old messages to free up space on your phone.
If you're trying to hide something from the other person after they've already seen it, unsend will not work because the time window has passed. In that case, you can only delete it from your own view. The other person will still have the message unless they delete it themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the other person get notified when I delete a message?
No, they do not see a notification. They straightforward still see the message in their Messenger because deletion only affects your own view. If you unsend a message, they see "You unsent a message" but cannot read what was removed.
Can I delete messages from a group chat?
Yes, the same steps work in group conversations. You delete messages one at a time from your own view. Everyone else in the group still sees the message unless they delete it themselves.
What if I delete a message by accident?
Messenger does not have an undo button for deleted messages. Once you tap or click the trash icon, the message is gone from your view. You cannot recover it from within the app. If you need to reference what you said, ask the other person to tell you or take a screenshot of their view.
Does deleting a message free up storage space on my phone?
Deleting individual messages has minimal effect on phone storage. Messenger stores messages on Facebook's servers, not primarily on your device. If you want to free up phone space, clear the Messenger app's cache through your phone's settings, or uninstall and reinstall the app.
Can I delete messages from someone else's Messenger?
No. You can only delete messages you sent, and only from your own view. You cannot remove messages that someone else sent to you, and you cannot affect what appears on their phone or computer.