You can delete Facebook messages from your inbox, and the other person will no longer see them either

Facebook lets you remove messages you have sent or received. When you delete a message, it disappears from your inbox and from the other person's inbox too — they will see a note saying the message was removed. You can delete one message at a time, or delete an entire conversation. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Facebook on a computer or on a phone.

Deleted messages cannot be recovered, so make sure you want to remove them before you confirm. Facebook does not keep a separate archive of deleted messages that you can access later.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleting a message removes it from both your inbox and the other person's inbox, and they will see that the message was deleted.
  • On a computer, right-click a message to see the delete option; on a phone, press and hold the message until a menu appears.
  • You can delete a single message or delete an entire conversation at once.
  • Once deleted, messages cannot be brought back, so double-check before you confirm the deletion.

How to delete a single message on a computer

Open Facebook in your web browser and go to your Messages section by clicking the message icon at the top of the page. Find the conversation that contains the message you want to remove. Click on the conversation to open it and see all the messages inside.

Hover your mouse over the message you want to delete. A small menu will appear to the right of the message. Click the three dots (more options) icon. Select Remove from the menu that appears. A confirmation box will ask if you are sure — click Remove again to confirm. The message will disappear immediately.

How to delete a single message on a phone

Open the Facebook app and tap the message icon at the bottom of the screen (on iPhone) or at the top (on Android). Find and open the conversation that holds the message you want to remove.

Press and hold your finger on the message for about two seconds until a menu pops up. Tap Remove or Delete depending on your phone type. Confirm the deletion when prompted. The message will be gone from both inboxes.

How to delete an entire conversation

If you want to remove a whole conversation instead of single messages, the process is faster. On a computer, go to your Messages section and find the conversation you want to delete. Right-click on the conversation name in the list on the left side. Select Delete from the menu.

On a phone, open your Messages and find the conversation. Press and hold the conversation name until options appear. Tap Delete and confirm. The entire conversation and all its messages will be removed from your inbox.

What the other person sees when you delete a message

When you delete a message, the other person will not see the message text anymore. Instead, they will see a note that says something like "This message was removed" or "You removed this message." The note stays in the conversation so they know a message was there, but they cannot read what it said.

If you delete an entire conversation, the other person still has their copy of that conversation in their own inbox. Deleting a conversation only removes it from your side — it does not affect what they see.

Unsend versus delete: the difference

Facebook uses the word "Remove" for messages you delete yourself. Some older versions of Facebook or other messaging apps use the term "Unsend" to mean the same thing. On Facebook, removing and unsending are the same action — the message disappears from both inboxes and the other person sees a removal notice.

The key point is that once you remove a message, you cannot get it back. There is no "undo" button and no way to recover it later. Make sure the message is one you truly want gone before you confirm the deletion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a message after a long time has passed?

Yes. Facebook does not put a time limit on how old a message can be before you delete it. You can remove a message from a conversation that happened months or years ago. The other person will still see the removal notice, no matter when the message was originally sent.

What happens if I delete a message by accident?

There is no way to undo a deletion or recover the message. If you deleted something important, you will need to ask the other person to tell you what the message said, or to send you the information again. Facebook does not restore deleted messages.

Does the other person get a notification when I delete a message?

No, they do not receive a notification. They will only see the removal notice if they look at that conversation again. If they have already closed the conversation, they may not notice the message is gone unless they scroll back up to find it.

Can I delete messages from a group chat?

Yes, you can delete your own messages from a group conversation the same way you delete them from a one-on-one chat. Press and hold the message (on phone) or hover and click the menu (on computer), then select remove. Other people in the group will see that you removed a message.