You can delete a message you sent, but the other person will see it was removed

When you delete a message in Facebook Messenger, the message disappears from your own chat history. The other person will see a notification that says "You deleted this message" or a similar phrase — they won't see what you wrote. This is different from unsending, which some messaging apps offer, but Facebook Messenger's delete function works this way across all devices.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Messenger on a computer, an iPhone, or an Android phone. In all cases, you need to act within a certain window: you can delete a message for up to 10 minutes after you send it. After that, the delete option disappears and you cannot remove the message.

Key Takeaways

  • You have 10 minutes from the time you send a message to delete it from Messenger.
  • When you delete a message, the other person sees "You deleted this message" instead of the original text.
  • On a computer, right-click the message and select "Remove" from the menu that appears.
  • On iPhone or Android, press and hold the message until a menu appears, then tap "Remove" or "Delete".
  • Once 10 minutes have passed, the delete option is no longer available for that message.

Deleting a message on a computer

Open Facebook Messenger in your web browser or the desktop app. Find the conversation that contains the message you want to delete. Locate the specific message you sent — it will appear on the right side of the screen if you sent it, or the left side if someone else sent it.

Move your mouse over the message. A small menu icon (usually three dots or a down arrow) will appear near the message. Click that icon. A dropdown menu will open with several options. Look for "Remove" or "Delete" — the exact wording depends on your version of Messenger. Click it, and the message will disappear from your chat history. The other person will see a placeholder saying you deleted the message.

Deleting a message on iPhone

Open the Messenger app on your iPhone. Go to the conversation containing the message you want to remove. Find the message you sent and press and hold it with your finger. Do not tap — press down and keep your finger there for about one second.

A menu will pop up with several options. Tap "Remove" or "Delete" (the exact wording varies by iOS version and Messenger version). The message will disappear from your screen. The other person will see that you deleted a message, though they won't see what it said. If you don't see a delete option, the 10-minute window has passed and you can no longer remove that message.

Deleting a message on Android

Open the Messenger app on your Android phone. Navigate to the conversation with the message you want to delete. Find the message you sent and press and hold it. Your finger should stay on the message for about one second until a menu appears.

Tap "Remove" or "Delete" from the menu. The message will be removed from your chat. The other person will see a notification that you deleted the message. If the delete option doesn't appear, you've waited longer than 10 minutes and the message can no longer be removed.

What happens after you delete a message

Once you delete a message, it vanishes from your own Messenger inbox. You won't see it in the conversation thread anymore. However, the other person in the conversation will see that a message was deleted — Messenger shows a line that says "You deleted this message" or similar text in place of where your message was.

This means the other person knows you sent something and then removed it, even though they can't read what you originally wrote. If you want to explain why you deleted it, you can send a new message saying so. There is no way to delete a message without the other person knowing a message was removed.

The 10-minute time limit explained

Facebook Messenger only lets you delete messages within 10 minutes of sending them. This window starts the moment you hit send. Once 10 minutes have passed, the delete option will no longer appear when you try to access the message menu, and you cannot remove it.

The reason for this limit is to prevent people from deleting messages long after a conversation has happened, which could make it impossible for the other person to understand the context of your replies. If you realize you need to delete a message, act quickly — check the time you sent it and delete it before the 10-minute mark passes.

Deleting entire conversations versus single messages

Deleting a single message is different from deleting an entire conversation. When you delete a single message, only that one message disappears from your view, and the other person sees it was deleted. When you delete an entire conversation, the whole chat thread disappears from your Messenger inbox, but the other person still has the full conversation on their end.

To delete an entire conversation, find it in your Messenger list, press and hold it (or right-click on a computer), and select "Delete Chat" or "Delete Conversation". This removes the conversation from your inbox but does not affect the other person's messages. If you want to remove a single message because it contains a mistake or something you regret, use the delete message feature described above rather than deleting the whole conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a message after more than 10 minutes?

No. Once 10 minutes have passed since you sent a message, the delete option disappears and you cannot remove it. The message will remain in the conversation permanently. If you need to address something you said, you can send a follow-up message explaining or correcting what you wrote.

Will the other person know what I deleted?

The other person will see that you deleted a message, but they won't see the original text. Messenger shows a placeholder like "You deleted this message" where your message was. If they read your message before you deleted it, they will remember what it said, but they won't be able to see it in the chat history after you remove it.

Can I delete messages someone else sent to me?

No. You can only delete messages that you sent yourself. If someone sends you a message you don't want to see, you can mute the conversation or block the person, but you cannot remove their messages from the chat. You can delete the entire conversation, which removes it from your inbox, but the other person will still have their messages.

Does deleting a message on Messenger delete it from my phone's storage?

Deleting a message in Messenger removes it from the Messenger app and your chat history, but it does not affect anything stored elsewhere on your phone. If you took a screenshot of the message or saved it in another app, that copy will remain. Deleting in Messenger only affects what appears in the Messenger conversation thread.

What if I delete a message by accident?

There is no way to undo a deletion in Messenger. Once you delete a message, it is gone from your chat history and cannot be recovered. If you deleted something important, you can send a new message explaining what you meant to say, or ask the other person if they remember what you wrote before you deleted it.