You can delete Facebook messages one at a time, in bulk, or by clearing your entire chat history

Facebook gives you three ways to remove messages: delete individual messages from a conversation, delete entire conversations at once, or clear all messages from your account. The method you choose depends on whether you want to keep some messages and remove others, or start fresh with a person or group. Deleted messages disappear from your inbox, but the other person still sees them on their end unless you use the "unsend" feature, which removes the message from both sides within a short window.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a computer, the mobile app, or Facebook Messenger. This guide covers all three, so you can delete messages wherever you are.

Key Takeaways

  • Use "Remove" to delete a message from only your inbox, or "Unsend" to remove it from both your inbox and the other person's within a few minutes of sending.
  • You can delete an entire conversation by right-clicking it on desktop or long-pressing it on mobile, then selecting delete.
  • Facebook does not offer a built-in way to delete all messages at once across your entire account.
  • Deleted messages cannot be recovered, so make sure you want to remove them before confirming.
  • The other person in a conversation can still see messages you delete from your own inbox unless you unsend them.

Delete a single message on Facebook desktop

Open Facebook in a web browser and go to your inbox by clicking the Messenger icon (speech bubble) in the top right corner. Find the conversation containing the message you want to delete and click on it to open the chat.

Hover your mouse over the message you want to remove. A row of icons will appear to the right of the message. Click the three dots (more options menu) and choose either "Remove" or "Unsend". "Remove" deletes the message from your inbox only. "Unsend" removes it from both your inbox and the recipient's inbox, but only works within about 10 minutes of when you sent the message.

Delete a single message on Facebook mobile app or Messenger

Open the Facebook app or Messenger app on your phone. Tap the conversation that contains the message you want to delete. Long-press (press and hold) the message until a menu appears with options.

Tap "Remove" to delete the message from your inbox only, or "Unsend" to remove it from both inboxes if you sent it within the last 10 minutes. On some versions of the app, you may see "Delete" instead of "Remove"—both do the same thing.

Delete an entire conversation

On desktop, right-click the conversation name in your inbox list on the left side. A menu will appear. Click "Delete" to remove the entire conversation from your inbox. On mobile, long-press the conversation name and tap "Delete" from the menu that appears.

Deleting a conversation removes all messages in that chat from your inbox. The other person still has their copy of the conversation. If you change your mind, you cannot recover deleted conversations, so be certain before you confirm.

Clear your entire message history

Facebook does not have a single button to delete all your messages at once. If you want to remove all messages from your account, you will need to delete conversations one by one. Start with your inbox list and work through each conversation, deleting as you go. This can take a while if you have many conversations.

If you want a faster way to start fresh, consider downloading your Facebook data (which includes a record of your messages), then deactivating or deleting your account. Deactivating temporarily hides your profile and messages, while deleting permanently removes them after 30 days. You can find these options in Facebook Settings under "Deactivation and Deletion".

What happens when you delete or unsend a message

When you remove a message, it disappears from your inbox but stays in the other person's inbox. They can still see it and read it. When you unsend a message, it vanishes from both inboxes, and the other person sees a note saying the message was unsent. Unsending only works within about 10 minutes of sending, so if you wait longer, you can only remove it from your own inbox.

Neither option deletes the message from Facebook's servers. If Facebook receives a legal request or investigates your account for violations, they may still have access to deleted messages. Deleting a message is for your own organization and privacy from the other person, not for permanent erasure from Facebook.

Reasons to delete messages and when to unsend instead

You might delete messages to clean up your inbox, remove clutter, or organize your conversations. You might unsend a message if you sent it by accident, sent it to the wrong person, or regret what you wrote and want the other person not to see it. Since unsending only works for about 10 minutes, it is useful for catching mistakes quickly.

Keep in mind that even if you unsend a message, the other person may have already seen it or taken a screenshot. Unsending removes the message from the chat, but it does not prevent someone from having read or saved it before you unsend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete messages on Facebook Messenger without the other person knowing?

If you use "Remove", the message stays in their inbox and they will know it was there. If you use "Unsend" within 10 minutes, they will see that you unsent a message, but not the content. There is no way to delete a message so the other person has no record that it existed.

What if I delete a conversation by accident?

Deleted conversations cannot be recovered. If you need the messages back, you can ask the other person to send them to you again, or check if you downloaded your Facebook data before deleting. Facebook keeps deleted messages in your data download for a limited time.

Does deleting a message on my phone also delete it from my computer?

Yes. When you delete a message from your inbox, it removes it from all devices where you are logged into Facebook. The change syncs across your phone, tablet, and computer within a few moments.

Can I delete messages from a group chat?

Yes, the same steps apply. You can remove individual messages from a group conversation or delete the entire group chat from your inbox. Other group members will still see the messages unless you unsend them within 10 minutes of sending.

Is there a way to delete all messages from one person?

The fastest way is to delete the entire conversation with that person, which removes all messages between you at once. If you want to keep some messages and delete others, you will need to remove them one by one by hovering or long-pressing each message.