Delete a message before the other person reads it

Facebook lets you remove a message you sent within a short window — usually up to 10 minutes after you send it. The other person won't see the message disappear; it simply vanishes from both your chat and theirs. After that window closes, you can still remove it from your own inbox, but the recipient will still see it on their end.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a phone or computer, but the process is straightforward in both cases. The key is acting quickly if you want the other person not to see it at all.

Key Takeaways

  • You have roughly 10 minutes to delete a message so the other person won't see it; after that, only you can remove it from your view.
  • On your phone, press and hold the message, then tap "Remove" — Facebook calls this "unsend" in some versions of the app.
  • On a computer, hover over the message, click the three dots that appear, and select "Remove".
  • Deleting a message from your inbox does not delete it from the other person's inbox unless you act within the time window.
  • If you delete a message after the window closes, the other person can still see and read it in their chat history.

Delete a message on your phone

Open Facebook Messenger and find the conversation with the message you want to delete. Locate the specific message in the chat thread.

Press and hold your finger on the message for about two seconds. A menu will pop up with several options. Look for "Remove" or "Unsend" — the exact wording depends on your phone's operating system and which version of Messenger you have installed. Tap that option, and the message will disappear from both inboxes if you're within the 10-minute window.

If the menu doesn't appear, make sure you're pressing and holding directly on the message text itself, not on the name or timestamp. Some phones require a slightly longer press.

Delete a message on a computer

Go to Facebook Messenger in your web browser or open the Messenger desktop app. Find the conversation containing the message you want to remove.

Hover your mouse directly over the message. Three dots will appear on the right side of the message bubble. Click those dots to open a small menu. Select "Remove" from the options shown. The message will be deleted immediately.

If the three dots don't appear when you hover, try moving your mouse slightly or refreshing the page. Some browsers require the cursor to be positioned precisely over the message for the menu to show.

What happens after the 10-minute window closes

Once you're past the 10-minute mark, you can still remove the message from your own chat history, but the other person will continue to see it. Removing it at this point only cleans up your side of the conversation.

If you've sent something you regret after the window has closed, your only real option is to send a follow-up message explaining or apologizing. The original message will remain visible to the recipient no matter what you do.

Deleting entire conversations

If you want to remove an entire conversation rather than a single message, the process is different. On your phone, press and hold the conversation name in your message list, then select "Delete." On a computer, right-click the conversation and choose "Delete."

Deleting a conversation removes it from your inbox only. The other person still has the full chat history unless they delete it separately. This is useful for cleaning up your message list but doesn't affect what the other person can see.

Common mistakes that prevent deletion

The most common reason deletion doesn't work is waiting too long. If more than 10 minutes have passed, the "Remove" option may still appear, but it will only delete the message from your view. Check the timestamp on the message before you try — if it was sent more than 10 minutes ago, the other person will still see it no matter what you do.

Another mistake is tapping the wrong part of the message. Make sure you're pressing directly on the message text, not on the sender's name, profile picture, or the time stamp. On a computer, the three-dot menu only appears when you hover over the message itself.

If you're using an older version of the Messenger app, the feature might work differently or not be available at all. Updating your app from your phone's app store usually fixes this problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the other person see that I deleted a message?

If you delete within 10 minutes, the message simply vanishes and they won't know you sent anything. If you delete after 10 minutes, they can still see the message — deletion only removes it from your inbox. There's no notification that says "Marcus deleted a message" either way.

What if I delete a message but the other person already took a screenshot?

Deleting the message from Facebook won't remove a screenshot they've already taken. The deletion only affects what appears in the Messenger app itself. If you're concerned about something sensitive, assume it could be screenshotted before you send it.

Does deleting a message also delete it from group chats?

Yes, the same 10-minute window applies to group messages. If you delete within that time, everyone in the group won't see it. After 10 minutes, it stays visible to all group members even after you remove it from your view.

Why does the delete option sometimes not appear?

The most common reason is that more than 10 minutes have passed. Less often, you may be using an outdated version of Messenger — update your app and try again. On a computer, make sure you're hovering directly over the message, not near it.

Can I delete messages I received from someone else?

You can remove received messages from your own inbox, but the sender will still see them on their end. You cannot delete messages that someone else sent from their device — only they can do that within their 10-minute window.