You can delete messages in Messenger, but the other person may still see them

Messenger offers two ways to remove a message: delete for yourself and unsend. Delete for yourself removes the message from your chat history only — the other person still sees it. Unsend removes it from both sides, though the recipient gets a notification that you unsent something. On mobile and desktop, both options take about five seconds and require no special permissions.

The method depends on how much time has passed. You can unsend a message within 10 minutes of sending it on most accounts, though some older accounts may have a shorter window. After that window closes, you can only delete it for yourself. Neither option permanently erases the message from Messenger's servers — it simply removes it from the visible chat.

Key Takeaways

  • Unsend removes a message from both your chat and the recipient's chat, but they receive a notification that you unsent it.
  • Delete for yourself removes the message only from your own chat history; the other person continues to see it.
  • You have approximately 10 minutes to unsend a message before that option disappears.
  • Both options work the same way on iPhone, Android, and desktop, accessed through a long-press or right-click menu.

How to unsend a message on mobile

On iPhone or Android, open the Messenger app and find the message you want to remove. Press and hold the message until a menu appears with several options. Tap Unsend — the message vanishes from both chats, and the recipient sees "You unsent a message" in its place.

This works only within 10 minutes of sending. If more than 10 minutes have passed, the Unsend option will not appear in the menu. The recipient gets a notification of the unsend, so they know you removed something, even though they cannot see what it was.

How to unsend a message on desktop

In Messenger on a computer, hover your mouse over the message you want to remove. A row of icons appears to the right of the message. Click the three dots (more options) and select Unsend. The message disappears from both chats within seconds.

The 10-minute window applies on desktop as well. If you miss that window, the Unsend option becomes unavailable, and you will see only Delete for yourself instead.

How to delete a message for yourself only

On mobile, press and hold the message and tap Delete instead of Unsend. On desktop, hover over the message, click the three dots, and select Delete. The message disappears from your chat history immediately, but the other person continues to see it in their chat.

This option never expires — you can delete a message for yourself at any time, even years later. Use this when you want to clean up your own chat history but do not need to remove the message from the other person's view.

What happens when you unsend in group chats

Unsending works the same way in group conversations as in one-on-one chats. The message vanishes from everyone's view, and all group members see "You unsent a message." The 10-minute window still applies, and after that, you can only delete for yourself.

In group chats, deleting for yourself removes the message only from your own view — all other members continue to see it. This is useful if you want to clean your own chat without affecting what others see.

Why unsend notifications appear

When you unsend a message, Messenger notifies the recipient that you unsent something. This is by design — the app does not hide the fact that you removed a message, only the content of the message itself. The recipient cannot see what you unsent, only that you did.

This means unsending is not truly private. If you unsend a message seconds after sending it, the other person knows you sent and then removed something, which may draw more attention than if you had left it alone. Unsending works best for accidental messages or typos sent within the first minute.

Messages you cannot delete or unsend

Some messages cannot be removed. If a message is very old (typically older than a few years), Messenger may not allow unsending, even within the normal window. Messages that have been reported to Messenger for violating community standards also cannot be unsent by the sender.

If someone else sent you a message, you cannot unsend it — you can only delete it for yourself. The sender controls whether a message can be unsent; recipients have no unsend option for messages from others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the other person see that I deleted a message for myself?

No. When you delete a message for yourself only, the other person sees no change. The message remains visible in their chat. They have no way of knowing you deleted it from your own history.

What does the other person see when I unsend a message?

They see "You unsent a message" in the chat where your message was. They cannot see the content of the message you removed, but they know you sent and then removed something.

Can I unsend a message after 10 minutes?

No. After 10 minutes, the Unsend option disappears and you can only delete the message for yourself. The exact window may vary slightly by account type, but 10 minutes is the standard limit.

Does unsending work in Messenger video calls or voice calls?

No. You can only unsend text messages and media files sent through the chat. Messages sent during or about a call cannot be unsent through the call interface itself, though you can unsend them from the chat history if they appear there.

If I unsend a message, can the other person take a screenshot of it?

If they take a screenshot before you unsend, yes — the screenshot preserves what was on their screen. Unsending only removes the message from Messenger itself, not from any record the other person may have already made.