Deleting messages on Messenger seems easy — until it isn’t. Whether you’re cleaning up old chats or trying to make an awkward message disappear, you’ll quickly notice the limits Meta has in place. If you’re hoping to make a text vanish for both people involved, there’s a narrow window where that’s possible.
Messenger gives you two main options: remove a chat just for yourself or use “Delete for Everyone” — the one that clears it from both inboxes. Learning how to delete messages on Messenger permanently through the usual methods is fairly easy, and we will show that below.
Some users also say that “Delete for Everyone” isn’t always available, especially in older conversations or with blocked contacts. And while there are extensions online promising to clean your history completely, they don’t work on the recipient’s side. Meta hasn’t made that possible.
Deleting Entire Conversations
Need to clear a whole thread from your inbox? Messenger gives you the option to delete the full conversation, but only for yourself. The other person still keeps everything on their end unless they choose to do the same.
On mobile:
- Open the app and scroll to the chat you want to get rid of.
- Press and hold it, then select Delete — not “Archive,” which just hides it.
On desktop:
- Hover over the conversation in the sidebar.
- Click the three dots and choose Delete chat.
This clears your copy, but doesn’t remove anything for the other user. Think of it like tossing out a printout — their version still exists.
How to Delete Messages on Messenger For Everyone
Want to delete a message from both inboxes? Use the “Delete for Everyone” option.
Here’s how:
- On mobile: Tap and hold the item you sent.
- On desktop: Hover over it and click the three dots.
- Choose Delete, then select “Delete for Everyone”.
You can use this option at any time — whether the message is a few minutes or a few years old.
When something gets removed this way, Messenger drops a system note in the chat:
“[Your Name] deleted a message.”
They won’t see what was removed, but they’ll know something’s missing. That line stays unless they manually remove it.
What If You Are Blocked?
- If they blocked you after you sent the message, you won’t be able to clear it from both sides.
- If you blocked them, the feature may stop working too, so you need to unblock them first.
- If they blocked you before you even hit send, nothing goes through — so there’s nothing to worry about.
To avoid trouble, it’s best to act before either person blocks the other.
Remove Messenger Messages Just For Yourself
If you want to figure out how to delete a message on Messenger just for yourself, we’ve got you. The method is just as easy, and you completely remove the message from your chat. Just know that once you do, it’s gone from your view — and you won’t be able to use “Delete for Everyone” afterward.
To clear a single entry:
Mobile: Tap and hold → Choose Delete → Pick Delete for you
Desktop: Hover → Click the three-dot menu → Select Unsend for you
This clears your side, but the other person still has their full copy. If you’re trying to fully retract something, use “Delete for Everyone” first — then clear your view separately.
Do People Get Notified When You Delete a Message?
This is a common concern, and the answer depends on what you’re doing.
In most situations, Messenger won’t send a push alert when you delete something. But if you use “Delete for Everyone”, the chat will show a line that says:
“[Your Name] deleted a message.”
So no, they won’t know what you erased — but they’ll know you deleted something.
A few iPhone users have claimed they saw alerts after something was unsent, but these cases are rare and likely tied to old versions of the app.
If you want to be sure, test it with a friend or another account to see how your version behaves.
Tips and Solving Issues
Here are a few extra things worth knowing if things don’t go as expected:
- Can’t find “Delete for Everyone”? Double-check if either of you is blocked. That often disables the option.
- Using encrypted chats? Recent Messenger updates support removals even in private chats, but only within the time limit.
- Closing your account doesn’t erase your history. Even if you deactivate or delete your profile, your messages remain in other people’s chats.
If entire chats or texts are missing and you didn’t remove them yourself, you might be wondering why your Messenger messages disappeared — we have solutions just for that too.
Conclusion
You can remove content from both sides on Messenger — but only by using “Delete for Everyone”, and ideally before the other person blocks you. After that, anything you remove will only disappear from your own inbox.
Tools and browser tricks won’t help wipe someone else’s copy. If what you sent is sensitive, timing matters. Take action early, or ask the recipient to clear it on their end if needed. Our best advice? Try not to enter these predicaments in the first place.
