Are you looking for a way to permanently delete messages on Facebook Messenger? If so, this ultimate guide is for you! We’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to delete individual or multiple messages from Facebook Messenger with just a few clicks.
Are you looking for a way to permanently delete messages on Facebook Messenger? If so, this ultimate guide is for you! We’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to delete individual or multiple messages from Facebook Messenger with just a few clicks.
Hello friends! It is your dear friend Frankie Caruso here to share another helpful and convenient tip to improve your knowledge and use of Facebook Messenger.
In no time at all, you will be armed with the knowledge of how to delete a message from Messenger using the Facebook website or the Messenger app.
Everyone has been in this boat a time or two. You send a message and immediately regret it. Or maybe you need to delete a conversation that you need to keep a secret because it should not be happening if you catch my drift.
No matter your reason, I have arrived with your solution.
You can delete a single message (or an entire chat) from Facebook Messenger in a matter of seconds. You don’t even have to be like Mark Zuckerberg’s nerdy cousin – you just need to know how to get the most out of the app.
What you actually need – is about two minutes to read through this guide fully and a stable internet connection.
Let’s stop dancing around it and get right into what you need to know to make this happen.
Frankie’s Take:
You might not know that Messenger is equipped with a feature allowing you to set messages to self-destruct after a few seconds of being opened and read by the recipient. This version is called Vanish Mode, and you can read this guide to get a better idea of how to use it.
Highlights
I understand in this situation that you might not have the luxury of casually reading through the entire article before acting.
Let me instead offer you a short synopsis of the process so you can get something accomplished right now if you need to.
Facebook.com
- Select Messenger
- See All in Messenger
- Any Chat
- Hover over the message to delete
- Click the three vertical dots
- Choose Remove
- Choose Remove for You (or Unsend for Everyone)
Messenger App
- Open any chat containing the message
- Tap and hold the message to remove
- Select More…
- Choose Unsend
- Choose Unsend for You (or Unsend for Everyone)
Delete the Conversation
- Open Messenger.com
- Hover over the problematic chat
- Choose the three horizontal dot icon
- Select to Delete Chat
Note: This process is different using Android and iOS devices.
Deleting Messages through Facebook.com
You can use the following instructions to show how to delete messages using Facebook.com from any browser that you prefer, such as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.
Steps include:
1. Go to Facebook’s website and select the Messenger icon
2. Click the button to See All in Messenger
3. Open the chat where you wish to delete a message (or several). Hover the cursor above the problematic message. Click on the three vertical dots (More)
4. Choose Remove
5. You have the choice: Remove for You (deletes only on your device) or Unsend for Everyone (deletes message on your device and any recipient’s)
So, you can see that this process is actually pretty easy to achieve.
Repeat the process if there are other messages you might want to delete in that chat or others.
Seems easy enough, right?
But can you do that same thing with an entire conversation?
As you might have read up above, it is possible to delete a full conversation from Messenger as well.
You will just need to follow these steps instead:
1. Start by being in Messenger and hovering over the chat you want to remove. Chats are listed to the left on the screen. Next click the three horizontal dots icon.
2. On this drop-down menu that appears, you should choose Delete Chat.
3. You will see a pop-up and you can confirm to Delete Chat.
Deleting Messages on Messenger App
This phase of the guide is going to show you how to use your iPhone or Android and delete messages with the Messenger app instead.
Fortunately, this is not a complicated process. It is similar steps to follow with iOS and Android.
It begins by opening the Messenger app on the phone and then these steps:
1. Select the chat from the list that has a message you wish to delete. Next tap and long press the message you wish to remove. Select More…
2. Choose Remove.
3. Then select between local deleting Remove for you or universal deleting Remove for Everyone
Can’t get easier than that, right?
It is just as simple to delete a full chat and all of its connected messages.
Unfortunately, this is going to vary based on your operating system. The good news is that it is still overwhelmingly simple to achieve.
Android users can delete a full conversation by long pressing on the threat and then choosing Delete when the option appears.
iOS devices are just as direct. Find the thread you wish to delete and swipe left with it to reach the More menu, and choose to Delete when prompted.
Can Multiple Conversations Be Deleted at Once?
This is a very important question that must be considered.
Unfortunately, the answer is no. There is no feature in the programming at this time to allow you to select multiple conversations and delete them at once.
Every time I get the urge to clear up what seems like 1,000 Messenger chats on my account, I am curious why this wasn’t something that Uncle Mark thought of when making these delete functions. It is already available on WhatsApp, but not yet on the similarly Facebook owned Messenger. Imagine that.
I have found a bit of a workaround though for Facebook’s current shortcomings.
You can download an extension for Google Chrome called Fast Delete Messages.
Not only is this free, but it is also VERY user friendly. Just install, log in to Messenger from Messenger.com, select the chat, and choose to delete all messages or just a few at a time.
FAQs
Will Facebook delete messages after a certain time?
Facebook messages are there ‘forever.’ So no, even after several years, without direct action the conversation you have now will still be accessible.
To do this, you will need to follow the steps to delete the conversation yourself.
Is it possible to recover messages deleted from Facebook Messenger?
Unfortunately, no, you can’t do this. Once a message has been deleted on Facebook, it stays gone.
You do have a hail mary play, of sorts, to see if a deleted message is still within a backup copy containing your data Facebook keeps in their servers.
Allow me to explain a little further.
Facebook stores messages you delete for a truly unknown among of time before they are permanently deleted from the database. If you have any luck, you possibly could find a deleted message by downloading your Facebook data directly.
To access and download your messages from Facebook, you should look to the official guide for these answers.
Is there any way to view deleted messages even if they cannot be recovered?
No, once something is deleted, you no longer can find it or read it.
Is it possible for my Messenger texts to be leaked even if they are deleted?
Deleting might not always be the end-all of action you must take to protect yourself and your conversations from prying eyes.
We are living in a day and age of advanced spy apps and it being easier than ever for unskilled individuals to get hacker-like access to your personal information. You must be mindful of spy apps installed, as this would give anyone access to your conversations and social media activity.
Conclusions
Now we have reached the end of this guide. I can hope that the information I have shared here is enough to help you.
If you want to learn how to delete single messages or entire conversations from your Facebook Messenger threads, this should be all the information you need to do this.
As you have seen, the process is far from complication. You should now be able to accomplish this goal by using an iPhone, Android device, or through Messenger on a PC.
Before we part ways, though, I would like to iterate one more thing.
If you are someone who is committed to protecting their privacy (and you should be), you are going to have to do more than just delete messages containing sensitive information that could be used against you. If your phone is being spied on, even deleted messages can be recovered and read.
I would recommend that everyone take a look at a different guide that I wrote about the primary spy techniques people are using right now. This should be able to protect you against any future attacks because you will be prepared.
That is all you need to do to protect yourself and get some of the sensitive content from your Facebook Messenger deleted as soon as possible. If you are having any trouble getting this done, leave a comment below and I will do my best to figure out how to help and walk you through the process.
Thank you,
Frankie Caruso
PS – If want more tips and strategies like this for the social media and instant messaging apps you use daily, subscribe to my YouTube channel for helpful video content. See you soon!
