The basic steps differ by phone type and app
Deleting messages on your phone works differently depending on whether you use an iPhone or Android device, and which messaging app you use. The built-in Messages app on iPhones (for text and iMessage) has one method. Android phones vary by manufacturer — Samsung, Google Pixel, and others each have slightly different layouts. Third-party apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Signal each have their own delete buttons and options.
The good news: on almost every platform, deleting a message from your phone removes it from your device when ready. The bad news: deleting from your phone does not delete it from the other person's phone, and it does not erase it from your phone company's servers if the message was a text (SMS). Understanding this difference matters if you are trying to remove something sensitive.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone Messages, press and hold a single message, then tap Delete; to delete multiple messages at once, tap Edit in the upper left corner.
- On Android, the method varies by phone maker, but usually involves long-pressing a message and tapping the trash or delete icon.
- Deleting a message from your phone does not delete it from the recipient's phone or from your carrier's backup systems.
- Third-party apps like WhatsApp and Signal often have an "unsend" feature that removes the message from both phones if you act within a time window (usually minutes).
- If you want to delete all messages with one person, look for a "Delete Conversation" option rather than deleting messages one by one.
How to delete messages on an iPhone
Open the Messages app and find the conversation or individual message you want to delete. To delete a single message within a conversation, press and hold your finger on that message until a menu appears. Tap Delete (or sometimes More, then the trash icon). The message disappears from your phone when ready.
To delete multiple messages at once, tap Edit in the upper left corner of the Messages list. Circles appear next to each conversation. Tap the circles next to the conversations you want to remove, then tap Delete in the lower right. This removes the entire conversation and all messages in it from your phone.
If you want to delete just some messages within a conversation (not the whole thread), you can also swipe left on a message in the conversation view. A red delete button appears on the right side — tap it to remove that single message.
How to delete messages on Android
The exact steps depend on your phone manufacturer. On a Google Pixel or most stock Android phones, open the Messages app (or whatever default messaging app came with your phone). Find the conversation you want to delete. Press and hold the conversation name until it highlights. A trash or delete icon appears at the top of the screen — tap it.
To delete a single message within a conversation on Android, open the conversation, then press and hold the specific message. A menu appears with options including Delete. Tap it to remove that message from your phone.
On Samsung phones, the process is similar but the icons and menu locations may differ slightly. Open Messages, find the conversation, long-press it, and look for a delete or trash icon. If you cannot find it, check the three-dot menu icon at the top right of the screen.
Deleting messages in WhatsApp, Signal, and other apps
WhatsApp lets you delete messages in two ways. Long-press a message to select it, then tap the trash icon at the bottom. This removes it from your phone only. WhatsApp also offers an "unsend" feature: if you delete a message within about an hour of sending it, you can choose to unsend it, which removes it from the recipient's phone too. Look for the option to unsend when you delete — it usually appears as a checkbox or separate button.
Signal works similarly. Long-press a message you sent, and you will see an option to delete it from your device or to delete it for everyone. If you choose delete for everyone, the message disappears from both your phone and the recipient's phone, but only if you act within a certain time window (usually a few hours).
Facebook Messenger lets you delete messages by long-pressing them and selecting delete. You can also unsend messages you sent yourself, which removes them from the recipient's view as well. The unsend window is typically a few minutes to an hour depending on when the message was sent.
What happens to deleted messages
When you delete a message from your phone, it is removed from the app you are using. However, the message still exists in other places. The person you messaged still has it on their phone unless they delete it too. If the message was a standard text (SMS), your phone carrier has a copy on their servers — deleting it from your phone does not erase the carrier's record.
If you are concerned about privacy, understand that deleting a message is about cleaning up your own device, not about erasing the message from existence. The recipient can still see it, screenshot it, or forward it. If you need a message to truly disappear from both phones, use an app like Signal that has a disappearing messages feature, which automatically deletes messages after a set time on both devices.
Deleting entire conversations versus individual messages
Deleting a whole conversation is faster than deleting messages one by one, but it removes everything at once. On iPhone, swipe left on a conversation in the Messages list and tap Delete. On Android, long-press a conversation and tap the delete icon. This removes the entire thread from your phone.
If you only want to remove certain messages but keep the conversation, delete them individually using the methods described above. This is useful if you want to keep recent messages but remove older sensitive ones, or if you want to keep the conversation thread but clean up clutter.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I delete a message, can the other person still see it?
Yes. Deleting a message from your phone removes it only from your device. The recipient still has the message on their phone unless they delete it themselves. The only exception is if you use an unsend feature (available in WhatsApp, Signal, and Messenger) within the allowed time window, which can remove it from their phone too.
Does deleting a text message erase it from my carrier?
No. Your phone carrier stores copies of text messages (SMS) on their servers for their own records. Deleting the message from your phone does not erase the carrier's copy. If you are concerned about privacy, use a messaging app like Signal or WhatsApp instead, which do not go through your carrier.
Can I recover a message I deleted by accident?
On most phones, once you delete a message, it is gone from the app. However, if your phone has a backup (iCloud for iPhone, Google Drive for Android), you may be able to restore an older backup to recover deleted messages. This restores your entire phone to an earlier point in time, so you would lose any changes made since the backup.
What is the difference between delete and unsend?
Delete removes a message from your phone only. Unsend (available in WhatsApp, Signal, and Messenger) removes the message from both your phone and the recipient's phone, but only if you act within a short time window — usually minutes to an hour depending on the app.
Why does my messaging app not have a delete button?
Some messaging apps hide the delete option in a menu. Try long-pressing the message (press and hold your finger on it for a few seconds). If a menu does not appear, look for a three-dot menu icon at the top of the conversation and check there. If your app truly has no delete option, check the app's settings to see if the feature is disabled.