How to delete individual Facebook messages or entire conversations on your computer or mobile device

• You can delete Facebook messages using the Facebook Messenger smartphone app, or the Facebook website.
• Messages can be deleted one-by-one, or you can erase entire conversations at once.
• If you delete a Facebook message within 10 minutes of sending it, you can choose to remove the message from both your own view and the recipient’s view.
• Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

Facebook’s instant messaging system is a handy way to connect with friends, acquaintances, or anyone else you’re trying to get in touch with on the platform.

In a desktop web browser, messaging happens within the Facebook website, but on your phone, it’s a separate app entirely. Either way, Facebook gives you the tools to delete messages with just a tap or a click.  

But here’s something important to keep in mind: If you want to permanently remove a message so that no one can see it — including the recipients — you must do it in the first 10 minutes after sending it. After that, the clock runs out on unilateral destruction, and you can only remove it from your own phone and computer, but the recipients will still be able to see it.

How to delete a Facebook message on mobile

1. Open the Facebook Messenger app on your mobile device.

2. In the conversation where you want to delete a message, tap and hold the message for a second or two.

3. At the bottom of the window that appears, tap "More..."

4. In the next pop-up, tap "Remove."

5. If you're trying to delete the message within 10 minutes of sending it, you can choose to "Remove for Everyone" or "Remove for You." After 10 minutes, the only option you'll see will be "Remove for You."

How to delete an entire Facebook conversation on mobile

You can also delete the entire conversation at once from your Messenger app. Here's how to do that.

1. Start the Facebook Messenger app and go to the Chats view, in which you can see all of your conversations in one place.

2. Find the conversation that you want to delete and swipe it to the left.

3. Tap the red "Delete" icon, shaped like a trash can. Confirm that this is what you want to do by choosing "Delete Chat."

How to delete a Facebook message on your computer

1. Go to Facebook in your desktop web browser.

2. In the menu bar at the top of the window, click the "Messenger" icon, which looks like a speech bubble. You can also go to your Messenger inbox by scrolling down on the menu on the left side of your homepage and clicking "Messenger."

3. Click on the conversation where you want to delete a message. Within the conversation, hover your mouse over the message you want to delete. Click the three-dot menu that appears either to the left or the right of your message, and then click "Remove."

4. If you are trying to delete the message within 10 minutes of sending it, you can choose to "Remove for Everyone" or "Remove for You." Later, the only option you'll see will be "Remove for You."

How to delete an entire Facebook conversation on your computer

Of course, it's also easy to delete the entire conversation rather than removing messages one at a time.

1. Go to Facebook in your desktop web browser.

2. In the menu bar at the top of the window, click the "Messenger" icon, which looks like a speech bubble. You can also go to your Messenger inbox by scrolling down on the menu on the left side of your homepage and clicking "Messenger."

3. Find the conversation you want to delete, and hover your mouse over it until a three-dot icon appears. Click the three-dot icon and select "Open in Messenger."

4. In the Messenger window, hover your mouse over the conversation you want to delete and click the three-dot icon. 

5. In the pop-up under the three-dot icon, click "Delete."

6. In the next pop-up, click "Delete" to delete the whole conversation. 

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