How to Delete Messages on Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger for Business is a simple way to communicate with your customers via your Facebook page. You can send messages and images via Messenger just like you would via other methods of communication, but you get the benefit of Messenger being linked to your Facebook page. This makes it a natural communication method for people who find you on the social media platform.

Sometimes, you may want to delete messages on Facebook Messenger. Here’s how to do it:

1. Using the mobile or desktop Facebook Messenger app, open the conversation.
2. Find the message or messages you want to delete.
3. Hover over the message and select “More” before clicking on “Remove.” If you are on the desktop app, right-click on the message.
4. Select “remove” next to the message and then select “remove for everyone” to delete the message from the recipient’s inbox.

However, you only have up to 10 minutes to remove a message after it is sent.

Messenger Mishaps: Why You May Need to Delete Facebook Messages

There are a few reasons you may want to delete Facebook messages. Maybe these messages are no longer relevant to your business, as they are from old clients that will not possibly convert again. For example, maybe you are a local business, and your former client moved across the country, so they can’t buy from you again.

Keep in mind that once the message sends, the other person can see it.  When you delete a message in Messenger, you only delete it for yourself. The other party can still see it. But you can overcome this by unsending a message.

One and Done: Deleting Individual Messages

If you make a typo or error when talking to clients on Messenger, you can unsend the message. You will note that there are two options: “Unsend for You” and “Unsend for Everyone.” If you select the first option, everyone else can still see the message. 

However, if you choose the second option, the message will disappear for everyone in the chat. So, if you want to delete a message because of a typo or error, always select “Unsend for Everyone.”

Just keep in mind that if the other people in the chat decide to download their Facebook data, it will show that there are unsent messages. However, it will not include the content of the message.

How to Unsend a Message

Unsending a message is a straightforward process.

1. Open the Messenger conversation.
2. Find the message you want to remove. If you are on Messenger.com, hover over the message to remove and select “More” before clicking on “Remove.” If you are on the desktop app, right-click on the message.
3. Select either “Remove for You” or “Remove/Unsend for Everyone.”
4. Select “Remove.”

How to Hide a Message You Received

You can also easily remove a message that you received and don’t want to see. This will not remove it for anyone else in the chat, but it will not appear in your copy of the conversation.

1. Open the Messenger conversation.
2. Select the three dots for the menu.
3. Select “Remove” and then “Remove for you.”

Mess-Termination: Cleaning Out Your Inbox

Keep in mind that you cannot mass-delete messages on Messenger. However, you can clear out your inbox by deleting the conversations one at a time.

Remember that if you delete a Messenger conversation, you will no longer be able to see it, but the other party will. This could leave you at risk of losing valuable conversation history with customer interactions.

How to Delete a Conversation

On the Messenger desktop app:

1. Right-click on the conversation you want to delete.
2. Select “Delete Conversation.”
3. Select “Delete.”

On Messenger.com or the mobile app:

1. Hover over the conversation.
2. Select the three dots to access the menu.
3. Select “Delete” and then “Delete” again. 

A Note on Mass Deleting

As mentioned, Facebook Messenger does not have a way for you to delete messages in bulk. However, many third-party programs do. Just be sure to confirm that your chosen program is reputable before you download it or give it access to your Facebook business account.

What If You Accidentally Delete a Conversation?

The best way to get the content you accidentally deleted is to ask the other person in the conversation for a copy of it. After all, they will still have the conversation in their Messenger inbox.

Tips and Tricks for Facebook Messenger Maintenance

Now that you know how to delete messages on Messenger, there are some other useful tips and tricks to know to effectively manage your Facebook Messenger.

Finding Messages Quickly

As a business, you can easily get dozens or even hundreds of messages a day on Facebook. This can make it hard to find the conversation that you are looking for in the sea of messages. Luckily, Facebook makes it easy to search for a specific chat.

To find a conversation:

1. From the Facebook home page, click on the Messenger icon at the top right.
2. Underneath “Chats,” you will see a search symbol and the words “Search Messenger.” Click on this.
3. You can search for a keyword by selecting “Search Messages for ‘[Keyword].’” Or you can search for a conversation name or contact name.

If you have a lengthy conversation thread on Messenger, you can also search for a specific message within the chat. To do so:

1. Navigate to Messenger from the Facebook home page.
2. Open the conversation to search.
3. Select the “i” in the upper right corner.
4. Select “Search” with the search symbol.
5. Enter the keyword you want to search for.

Archiving Conversations

One alternative to deleting a Messenger conversation is to archive it. This method will also clear your inbox, making it easier to find the messages and information you need. Keep in mind that when you delete a message or conversation, it permanently removes the conversation or message.

By contrast, archiving a conversation will temporarily hide it from your inbox. The conversation will reappear the next time you and the other person chat.

From the desktop app:

1. Right-click on the conversation to archive.
2. Select “Hide Conversation.”

From Messenger.com or the mobile app:

1. Navigate to Chats.
2. Select the three dots for the menu on the conversation to archive.
3. Select “Hide.”

If you need to find an archived conversation in the future, just select the three dots next to chats and select “Archived Chats.” You can also use the steps above to search for a conversation, as the search results will include archived chats.

Avoiding Accidental Deletions

If you accidentally delete a message or conversation, it will be permanently deleted from your Messenger account. However, it will still appear for the other person. The best way to avoid accidental deletions is to be careful. You need to click on “Remove” or “Delete” twice most of the time, with the second one being a confirmation click. This should reduce the risk of accidental deletion.

If you do accidentally delete a conversation, you can ask the other person in the conversation if they have a copy. On Android devices, your app cache may have a copy of the deleted messages. You will be able to access them in your Android file manager.

Say Goodbye to Messenger Messes

Even if you know how to delete conversations on the Facebook Messenger app, it is still not easy to manage your inbox. You need your inbox to be organized, so you can easily find relevant conversations within the Facebook Messenger app. This will help you promptly respond to customers and easily find relevant information.

Need help keeping customer communications organized? Podium lets you manage all of your messages in one spot. Start a free trial today to give it a try.