You can delete your own messages, but not everyone else's

In Slack, you can remove any message you sent yourself within 30 days of posting it. The message disappears from the channel or conversation for everyone who can see it — not just for you. If you need to delete a message older than 30 days, you cannot do it yourself, but a workspace admin can remove it. You cannot delete messages sent by other people unless you are a workspace admin with that permission turned on.

The process takes seconds and works the same way on desktop, phone, and web. The main limitation is time: once 30 days pass, the option to delete vanishes from your menu.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete any message you sent within 30 days by hovering over it and selecting the delete option from the menu that appears.
  • Deleted messages are removed for everyone in the workspace, not just for you — there is no "delete for me only" option in Slack.
  • Messages older than 30 days cannot be deleted by the person who sent them, but a workspace admin can remove them if needed.
  • Workspace admins can turn on permissions that let them delete other people's messages at any time, but this is not the default setting.

How to delete a message on desktop

Open Slack on your computer and find the message you want to remove. Move your mouse over the message — a row of small icons will appear to the right of it. Click the three dots icon (called a "more actions" menu). A dropdown list will open with several options, including "Delete message" near the bottom. Click it.

Slack will ask you to confirm. Click "Delete" again in the confirmation box. The message is now gone from the channel or conversation for everyone. If you change your mind when ready, you can undo the deletion by pressing Ctrl+Z (on Windows) or Command+Z (on Mac) before you do anything else.

How to delete a message on your phone

Open the Slack app and navigate to the channel or direct message where your message is. Press and hold your message with your finger until a menu appears. On iPhone, tap "More" and then "Delete message". On Android, look for the trash icon or "Delete" option in the menu. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

The phone interface is slightly different from desktop, but the result is the same — your message is removed for everyone in the workspace. The 30-day time limit still applies, so older messages will not show a delete option at all.

What happens when you delete a message

When you delete a message, it vanishes from the channel or conversation thread when ready. No one sees a notification that you deleted it, and there is no record left behind saying "this message was deleted." The space where your message was straightforward closes up, and the conversation flows as if the message was never there.

If someone had already replied to your message, those replies stay in the conversation. The replies will no longer have a message to reference, so they may look out of context. If you need to remove a message that has replies, you may want to edit it instead — changing the text to something brief like "removed" — so the replies still make sense.

The 30-day window and what to do after

Slack locks you out of deleting your own messages 30 days after you post them. This is a hard limit that applies to all regular users. If you need to delete a message older than 30 days, you have two options: ask a workspace admin to remove it, or edit the message to blank it out (though the edit history may still show what was there).

Workspace admins can delete any message at any time, regardless of age, if they have the permission turned on. To find out whether your workspace allows admins to delete messages, ask your workspace owner or admin. Some workspaces turn this permission off to preserve message history.

When a workspace admin can delete your messages

Workspace admins have the power to delete messages sent by anyone, but only if the workspace owner has turned on that permission. It is not automatic — the owner has to enable it in the workspace settings. If your workspace has this permission active, admins can remove messages for policy violations, sensitive information, or other reasons the workspace has decided on.

You cannot delete messages sent by other people unless you are an admin with this permission. If you see a message that violates your workspace's rules, report it to an admin instead. Most workspaces have a report button (usually three dots on the message) that sends a flag to the admin team.

Editing instead of deleting

If you want to change a message rather than remove it completely, you can edit it instead. Hover over your message on desktop (or press and hold on phone), select the three dots menu, and choose "Edit message". You can change the text, and the message will show an "edited" label so people know it was changed. Unlike deletion, editing keeps the message visible and shows that a change was made.

Editing is useful when you want to correct a typo, add missing information, or clarify something you said. The original message stays in the conversation, and people can see what you changed. You can edit messages indefinitely — there is no time limit like there is for deletion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a message after 30 days?

No, regular users cannot delete messages older than 30 days. A workspace admin can remove it if they have permission to do so. If you need an older message deleted, contact your workspace owner or admin and explain why.

Does deleting a message notify people?

No. When you delete a message, no notification is sent to the channel or to people who saw it. The message straightforward disappears, and there is no record that it was deleted.

What if I delete a message by accident?

If you realize when ready, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to undo the deletion. This works only if you have not done anything else in Slack yet. If more than a few seconds have passed, the undo option is gone, and you will need to ask an admin to restore it if possible.

Can I delete messages in a shared channel?

Yes, the same rules explore. You can delete your own messages within 30 days in shared channels just as you would in regular channels. Admins with permission can delete any message in a shared channel as well.

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

Slack does not have a bulk delete feature for regular users. You have to delete messages one at a time. If you need to remove many messages, ask a workspace admin — they may be able to do it more quickly using admin tools.