In today’s digital age, messaging apps have become an essential part of our daily lives. Facebook Messenger is one of the most widely used messaging apps, with over a billion active users. While it’s a great way to stay connected with friends and family, there may be times when you want to delete a message or conversation permanently. In this article, we’ll explore how to permanently delete Messenger messages on both sides.
Understanding How Messenger Works
Before we dive into the process of deleting messages, it’s essential to understand how Messenger works. When you send a message on Messenger, it’s stored on Facebook’s servers. This means that even if you delete a message from your device, it may still be stored on Facebook’s servers. To permanently delete a message, you need to delete it from both your device and Facebook’s servers.
Types of Messages on Messenger
There are two types of messages on Messenger: sent messages and received messages. Sent messages are the messages you send to others, while received messages are the messages you receive from others. When you delete a sent message, it will be deleted from your device and Facebook’s servers. However, when you delete a received message, it will only be deleted from your device, and the sender will still have a copy of the message.
Deleting Messages on Messenger
Deleting messages on Messenger is a straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:
Deleting a Single Message
To delete a single message on Messenger, follow these steps:
- Open Messenger and navigate to the conversation containing the message you want to delete.
- Long press on the message you want to delete until a menu appears.
- Tap on “Remove” or “Delete” from the menu.
- Confirm that you want to delete the message by tapping on “Delete” or “Remove” again.
Deleting a Conversation
To delete an entire conversation on Messenger, follow these steps:
- Open Messenger and navigate to the conversation you want to delete.
- Long press on the conversation until a menu appears.
- Tap on “Delete Conversation” or “Remove Conversation” from the menu.
- Confirm that you want to delete the conversation by tapping on “Delete” or “Remove” again.
Permanently Deleting Messages on Both Sides
As mentioned earlier, deleting a message on Messenger only deletes it from your device and Facebook’s servers. However, the recipient may still have a copy of the message. To permanently delete a message on both sides, you need to use the “Unsend” feature.
Using the Unsend Feature
The Unsend feature allows you to delete a message from both your device and the recipient’s device. Here’s how to use it:
- Open Messenger and navigate to the conversation containing the message you want to delete.
- Long press on the message you want to delete until a menu appears.
- Tap on “Unsend” from the menu.
- Confirm that you want to unsend the message by tapping on “Unsend” again.
Note that the Unsend feature only works for messages sent within the last 10 minutes. If you try to unsend a message sent more than 10 minutes ago, you’ll receive an error message.
Deleting Messages from Facebook’s Servers
Even if you delete a message from your device and the recipient’s device, it may still be stored on Facebook’s servers. To permanently delete a message from Facebook’s servers, you need to use the “Delete for Everyone” feature.
Using the Delete for Everyone Feature
The Delete for Everyone feature allows you to delete a message from Facebook’s servers, ensuring that it’s permanently deleted. Here’s how to use it:
- Open Messenger and navigate to the conversation containing the message you want to delete.
- Long press on the message you want to delete until a menu appears.
- Tap on “Delete for Everyone” from the menu.
- Confirm that you want to delete the message by tapping on “Delete” again.
Note that the Delete for Everyone feature only works for messages sent within the last 10 minutes. If you try to delete a message sent more than 10 minutes ago, you’ll receive an error message.
Preventing Messages from Being Stored on Facebook’s Servers
If you’re concerned about messages being stored on Facebook’s servers, you can use the “Secret Conversations” feature. Secret Conversations allows you to have end-to-end encrypted conversations, ensuring that messages are not stored on Facebook’s servers.
Using Secret Conversations
To use Secret Conversations, follow these steps:
- Open Messenger and navigate to the conversation you want to have a secret conversation with.
- Tap on the “i” icon in the top right corner of the screen.
- Tap on “Go to Secret Conversation” from the menu.
- Confirm that you want to start a secret conversation by tapping on “Turn On” again.
Note that Secret Conversations only work if both parties have the feature enabled.
Conclusion
Permanently deleting Messenger messages on both sides requires a combination of deleting messages from your device, the recipient’s device, and Facebook’s servers. By using the Unsend feature, Delete for Everyone feature, and Secret Conversations, you can ensure that your messages are permanently deleted and not stored on Facebook’s servers. Remember to always be cautious when sending messages, as they can be stored on Facebook’s servers even after you delete them.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Unsend | Deletes a message from both your device and the recipient’s device. |
| Delete for Everyone | Deletes a message from Facebook’s servers, ensuring it’s permanently deleted. |
| Secret Conversations | Allows you to have end-to-end encrypted conversations, ensuring messages are not stored on Facebook’s servers. |
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can permanently delete Messenger messages on both sides and ensure that your conversations remain private.
What is the difference between deleting and unsend-ing a message on Messenger?
Deleting a message on Messenger only removes it from your chat history, but the recipient can still see the message in their chat history. On the other hand, unsend-ing a message removes it from both your chat history and the recipient’s chat history. However, the recipient will receive a notification that you have unsend the message.
It’s worth noting that you can only unsend a message within 10 minutes of sending it. After that, the option to unsend is no longer available, and you can only delete the message from your chat history. If you want to permanently delete a message on both sides, you will need to follow the steps outlined in this guide.
Can I permanently delete a message on both sides if I’m not friends with the recipient on Facebook?
Yes, you can still permanently delete a message on both sides even if you’re not friends with the recipient on Facebook. The process is the same regardless of whether you’re friends with the recipient or not. However, keep in mind that the recipient may still have a copy of the message in their chat history or may have taken a screenshot of the message before you deleted it.
It’s also worth noting that if you’re not friends with the recipient on Facebook, you may not be able to see the message in your chat history. In this case, you will need to use the “Message Requests” or “Filtered Messages” folder to find the message and delete it.
Will the recipient know if I permanently delete a message on both sides?
When you permanently delete a message on both sides, the recipient will not receive a notification that you have deleted the message. However, if the recipient has already seen the message or has taken a screenshot of it, they will still have a copy of the message.
It’s also worth noting that if you delete a message from a group chat, all participants in the group chat will still be able to see the message in their chat history. In this case, you will need to ask the group chat administrator to delete the message from the group chat history.
Can I permanently delete a message on both sides from the Messenger app?
Yes, you can permanently delete a message on both sides from the Messenger app. To do this, open the Messenger app and navigate to the conversation where you want to delete the message. Long press on the message you want to delete and select “Remove” from the menu. Then, select “Unsend” to permanently delete the message on both sides.
Keep in mind that you can only unsend a message within 10 minutes of sending it. After that, the option to unsend is no longer available, and you can only delete the message from your chat history.
How long does it take to permanently delete a message on both sides?
Permanently deleting a message on both sides is a quick process that only takes a few seconds. Once you select the “Unsend” option, the message will be immediately removed from both your chat history and the recipient’s chat history.
However, it’s worth noting that it may take a few minutes for the message to be completely removed from Facebook’s servers. During this time, the recipient may still be able to see the message in their chat history.
Can I permanently delete multiple messages at once on both sides?
Yes, you can permanently delete multiple messages at once on both sides. To do this, open the Messenger app and navigate to the conversation where you want to delete the messages. Long press on one of the messages you want to delete and select “Remove” from the menu. Then, select “Unsend” to permanently delete the message on both sides.
You can also select multiple messages at once by tapping on the “Edit” button in the top right corner of the screen. Then, select the messages you want to delete and tap on the “Delete” button.
Is it possible to recover a permanently deleted message on Messenger?
No, it is not possible to recover a permanently deleted message on Messenger. Once you delete a message, it is removed from Facebook’s servers and cannot be recovered.
However, it’s worth noting that the recipient may still have a copy of the message in their chat history or may have taken a screenshot of the message before you deleted it. In this case, the recipient may still be able to access the message even after you have permanently deleted it.