How to Unsend a Message on Messenger (and What the Other Person Sees)

Does this match what you see?

• You sent a message to the wrong person or chat.
• You want a message gone for everyone, not just you.
• You can’t find the Unsend option.

iPhone & iPadAndroidComputer (browser)

Based on Messenger Help “Delete messages or chats on Messenger” (computer, Android, iPad and iPhone tabs) and Facebook Help “Remove a message that you’ve sent on Facebook” (computer, iPhone, Android and Facebook Lite tabs), supplied by the site owner. Neither page mentions a time limit for unsending.

Why this happens: the possible causes

Your two choices. Our own summary of Meta’s page.

• Sent to the wrong chat or by mistakeCheck this first

  Meta says you can permanently remove a message for everyone in the chat.

• You only want to tidy your own viewPossible

  Meta says if you remove it for you, others in the chat will still see it.

How to fix it, step by step

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.

On Facebook Lite

1. Open Facebook Lite and tap Messenger at the top, then open the conversation.
2. Tap and hold the message and tap Delete.
3. Tap Delete for everyone or Delete for me, then Yes or Delete to confirm.

For everyone vs just for you

• For everyone: Meta says people in the chat won’t be able to see the removed message.
• For you: Meta says other people in the chat will still see the message.
• Already seen? Meta warns the people you sent it to may have already seen it, and can still report the conversation.

Meta says for a message you received, you can only Delete for you.

Our note: Meta’s pages don’t say whether there’s a time limit for unsending, or exactly what notice the other person sees, so we don’t promise either.

On messenger.com (new “Delete” wording)

1. Open the chat and hover over the message.
2. Click the icon that appears next to it, then Delete.
3. Click Delete for you or Delete for everyone (for a message you received, only Delete for you).

Delete a whole chat (or several)

1. Android: in Chats, tap and hold the conversation, then tap Delete > Delete.
2. iPhone or iPad: in Chats, swipe left on the conversation, tap More > Delete, then Delete to confirm.
3. To delete more, tap Delete more on the notice that appears, select the chats, then tap Delete twice.

Meta says deleting a chat also deletes its media, and only removes it from your inbox, not other people’s.

What can still show after you delete

• Download your data: Meta says if you or someone in the chat downloads their Facebook data (external site, opens in a new tab), you’ll both be able to see that messages were deleted, but not what they said.
• Forwarded content: Meta says deleting forwarded content only deletes the forwarded message, not the original.
• Don’t want to delete a whole chat? Meta says you can archive it (external site, opens in a new tab) to hide it without deleting it. Deleting a chat is permanent.
• Channels: admins and moderators can permanently delete any content in a channel.

Someone removed a harmful message they sent you?

Meta says if you think a removed message you received goes against its Community Standards, you can report it (external site, opens in a new tab), for example by tapping and holding a message next to it. Meta says it can only review deleted messages if they’re reported within 14 days of being deleted, or within 6 hours in end-to-end encrypted chats. Our tip: you can also block them.

How to know it worked

• Our check: the message no longer shows for the other person (if you chose for everyone).

Still not working? Your next steps

1. Messages not sending at all? See Messenger not sending messages.

Frequently asked questions