The basic steps differ by phone type and app
Deleting messages on your phone works differently depending on whether you use an iPhone or Android device, and which messaging app you use. The most common apps — Apple Messages, Google Messages, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger — each have their own deletion process. On both iPhone and Android, you can delete individual messages, entire conversations, or use settings to automatically delete old messages after a set time.
The fastest way is usually to find the conversation and hold your finger on it until a menu appears. But the exact steps and what options show up depend on your phone and app. This guide walks you through the main messaging apps so you can find the right steps for what you use.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone Messages, swipe left on a conversation to delete it, or tap Edit and select multiple conversations at once.
- On Android with Google Messages, long-press a conversation and tap the trash icon, or swipe left to delete.
- WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger both require you to long-press a conversation, then select delete from the menu that appears.
- You can set most messaging apps to automatically delete messages older than 30 days or one year, which happens without you doing anything.
- Deleting a conversation removes it from your phone, but the other person still has their copy of the messages unless they delete it too.
Deleting messages on iPhone
On an iPhone, open the Messages app and find the conversation you want to delete. Swipe your finger from right to left across the conversation name. A red trash icon appears on the right side. Tap it to delete that conversation immediately.
If you want to delete multiple conversations at once, tap Edit in the top left corner of the Messages list. Tap the circle next to each conversation you want to remove — a checkmark appears in the circle. Then tap Delete in the bottom right corner. This deletes all the conversations you selected.
To delete individual messages within a conversation instead of the whole conversation, open the conversation, then tap Edit in the top left. Tap the circle next to each message you want to delete, then tap Delete. This removes only those messages, not the entire conversation.
Deleting messages on Android with Google Messages
On Android, the steps depend on which messaging app you use. If you use Google Messages (the default on most newer Android phones), open the app and find the conversation. Press and hold your finger on the conversation name until it highlights. A trash icon appears at the top of the screen. Tap it to delete that conversation.
You can also swipe left on a conversation to delete it in one motion. Some Android phones show a trash icon when you swipe; others delete immediately. If you swipe by accident, you usually have a few seconds to tap Undo before the conversation is gone.
To delete individual messages, open the conversation, then press and hold the message you want to remove. A menu appears with options including Delete. Tap Delete to remove just that message.
Deleting messages in WhatsApp
In WhatsApp, open the Chats tab and find the conversation. Press and hold the conversation name until it highlights in green. A trash icon appears at the top of the screen. Tap it to delete the conversation.
To delete individual messages, open the conversation, then press and hold the message. A menu appears with a trash icon. Tap it to delete that message. You can also select multiple messages by holding one, then tapping others while the first is still selected, then tap the trash icon.
WhatsApp also lets you delete messages for everyone in a group chat, but only within a certain time window — usually a few minutes after you send the message. Open the message, press and hold it, and look for an option like "Delete for Everyone." This removes the message from everyone's phone, though they may have already seen it.
Deleting messages in Facebook Messenger
In Facebook Messenger, find the conversation in your chat list. Press and hold the conversation name until a menu appears. Tap Delete to remove the entire conversation from your phone.
To delete individual messages, open the conversation and press and hold the message. A menu appears. Tap Remove or Delete (the exact wording varies by phone). This removes the message from your view, though the other person still sees it on their end.
Facebook Messenger also has an option to unsend messages, which removes them from both your phone and the other person's phone. This only works for messages sent within the last 10 minutes. Press and hold the message and look for Unsend or Remove for Everyone.
Setting messages to delete automatically
Most messaging apps can delete old messages on their own without you doing anything. This is useful if you want to keep your phone storage clear or delete sensitive messages after a certain time.
On iPhone Messages, go to Settings, scroll down to Messages, and tap Keep Messages. Choose 30 Days, 1 Year, or Forever. Messages older than your chosen time are deleted automatically.
On Android with Google Messages, open the app, tap your profile picture in the top right, then Settings, then Advanced, then Delete old messages. Turn on the toggle and choose how long to keep messages — usually 30 days or 1 year.
WhatsApp has a similar setting. Open WhatsApp, tap the three dots menu, go to Settings, then Chats, then Chat Backup. You can set messages to delete after 30 days, 90 days, or 1 year. Facebook Messenger does not have a built-in auto-delete feature, but you can manually delete conversations regularly.
What happens when you delete a message
When you delete a message or conversation from your phone, it is removed from your device only. The other person still has the message in their conversation unless they delete it themselves. Deleting a message does not notify the other person that you deleted it — they simply see that the message is no longer in your conversation on your end.
If you delete an entire conversation, you lose the message history on your phone. Some messaging apps let you recover deleted conversations for a short time if you tap Undo immediately after deleting, but once that window closes, the messages are gone from your phone permanently.
The exception is unsend features in apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, which remove the message from both phones. But these only work within a short time window after you send the message, usually a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a message after I delete it?
If you delete a message by accident, tap Undo immediately — most apps show this option for a few seconds after deletion. Once that window closes, the message is gone from your phone. Some phones back up messages to cloud storage like iCloud or Google Drive, so you might recover them from a backup, but this requires restoring your entire phone to an earlier date.
Does the other person know when I delete a message?
No, deleting a message from your phone does not notify the other person. They still see the message in their conversation. The only exception is unsend features in WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, which remove the message from both phones, but the other person may have already seen it before you unsend it.
How do I delete messages without deleting the whole conversation?
Open the conversation, then press and hold individual messages or tap Edit mode to select multiple messages. A delete option appears. This removes only those messages, leaving the rest of the conversation intact. The other person still has their copy of the messages.
What is the difference between delete and unsend?
Delete removes a message from your phone only. Unsend removes it from both your phone and the other person's phone, but only works within a few minutes of sending. Not all messaging apps have unsend — WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger do, but standard iPhone Messages and Google Messages do not.
Will deleting messages free up storage space on my phone?
Yes, deleting messages frees up a small amount of storage, especially if the messages contain photos or videos. If your phone is running low on storage, deleting old conversations with media files can help. Setting messages to auto-delete after 30 days or 1 year is an easy way to keep storage clear without manually deleting conversations.