You can delete messages you sent, but not messages from other people

Slack lets you remove messages you wrote yourself. You cannot delete messages sent by coworkers or other members — only the person who sent a message can delete it, or a workspace admin can delete any message. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are on desktop, mobile, or web, but the core process is the same: find the message, open its menu, and select delete.

Once you delete a message, it disappears from the conversation thread and from search results. Other people will see a note that says "[This message was deleted]" if they had already read it, but the message text itself is gone. Deleted messages cannot be recovered, so double-check before you confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • You can only delete messages you sent yourself; workspace admins can delete any message, but regular members cannot delete other people's messages.
  • On desktop and web, hover over your message and click the three-dot menu, then select "Delete message" from the dropdown.
  • On mobile, long-press your message to open the action menu, then tap the trash icon or delete option.
  • Deleted messages show as "[This message was deleted]" to people who saw them before removal, but the text is permanently gone.
  • You have unlimited time to delete a message — Slack does not impose a time limit like some other chat apps do.

Delete a message on desktop or web Slack

Open Slack in your browser or desktop app and navigate to the channel or direct message where your message is. Find the message you want to remove and move your mouse over it. A row of icons will appear to the right of the message — you are looking for the three dots (called the "more actions" menu).

Click the three dots. A dropdown menu will open with several options. Look for "Delete message" near the bottom of the menu and click it. Slack will ask you to confirm — click "Delete" again in the confirmation box. The message is now gone.

If the three-dot menu does not appear when you hover, make sure your mouse is directly over the message itself, not the space around it. Sometimes the menu takes a moment to show up, so wait a second after hovering before looking for it.

Delete a message on mobile (iPhone or Android)

Open the Slack app on your phone and find the message you sent. Press and hold your finger on the message for about one second — do not tap quickly, hold it down. A menu of actions will pop up above or below the message.

Look for a trash icon or the word "Delete" in this menu. Tap it. Slack will ask you to confirm the deletion. Tap "Delete" or "Yes" in the confirmation prompt. The message disappears from the chat.

If nothing happens when you hold down the message, try holding for a full second or two. Some phones require a longer press. If you are still not seeing the menu, make sure you are pressing on the message text itself, not on the sender's name or avatar.

What happens after you delete a message

When you delete a message, people who have not yet seen it will never see it at all — it simply will not appear in their view of the conversation. People who already read the message before you deleted it will see a placeholder that says "[This message was deleted]" in place of the original text. They will not see what the message said.

The deleted message also disappears from Slack's search results. If someone searches for a word that was in your deleted message, that message will not show up in the results. Workspace admins can see a log of deleted messages in some cases, depending on the workspace's retention and audit settings, but the message is gone from the normal conversation view for everyone.

Deleting messages in threads and replies

Messages inside a thread (a reply to another message) work the same way. Hover over or long-press the message you want to delete and select the delete option. The message disappears from the thread, and other people see "[This message was deleted]" in its place.

If you delete the original message that started a thread, the entire thread collapses, but replies that other people sent are usually preserved. Check your workspace's settings or ask your admin if you are unsure how your Slack handles this, because behavior can vary.

If you need a message deleted but did not send it

You cannot delete messages sent by other people. Only the person who sent the message can remove it. If a message contains something inappropriate, offensive, or sensitive, ask the person who sent it to delete it themselves, or contact your workspace admin.

Workspace admins have the power to delete any message in any channel or direct message. If you are an admin and need to remove a message, look for the same three-dot menu on the message and select "Delete message" — you will see this option even if you did not send the message. If you are not an admin and need a message removed, reach out to someone who is.

Common mistakes when deleting messages

The most common mistake is trying to delete a message you did not send. Remember: only the sender or an admin can delete a message. If you hover over someone else's message and do not see the three-dot menu, that is why.

Another mistake is thinking the message is truly private after deletion. It is gone from the conversation, but workspace admins may be able to see it in audit logs depending on your Slack plan and settings. Do not delete a message expecting it to be invisible to admins — if you need something truly private, do not send it in a shared workspace channel.

A third mistake is deleting a message by accident and then panicking. Slack does not have an undo button for deletions, so the message is permanently gone. Take a moment to read the message one more time before you click the final "Delete" confirmation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a message after several hours or days?

Yes. Slack does not have a time limit on message deletion. You can delete a message you sent five minutes ago or five months ago — the option will always be available to you. Some other chat apps limit how long you can delete a message, but Slack does not.

Will the person I messaged know I deleted something?

They will see that a message was deleted (it shows as "[This message was deleted]"), but they will not know what the message said unless they had already read it before you deleted it. If they read it before deletion, they will remember what it said, but the text itself is gone from Slack.

Can I edit a message instead of deleting it?

Yes, and editing is often better if you just made a typo or want to correct something. Hover over your message and click the three dots, then select "Edit message." The original message stays in the conversation with a small "(edited)" label next to it. People can see that you changed it, but they can still read the corrected version.

What if I delete a message by mistake?

Slack does not have an undo feature for deleted messages. Once you confirm the deletion, the message is gone permanently. If you deleted something important, you may be able to ask a workspace admin whether they can recover it from backups, but this is not may provide and depends on your workspace's settings.

Can I delete messages in a direct message conversation?

Yes, the process is exactly the same. Find your message in the direct message thread, hover over it (or long-press on mobile), click the three dots, and select "Delete message." The message disappears from the conversation for both you and the other person.