How to Unsend Messages on Facebook Messenger

To unsend a message on Facebook Messenger, open the conversation, press and hold the message you sent, choose Delete, and select Delete for everyone. This removes the message from the conversation for everyone in the chat. If you only want to hide it from your own inbox, choose Delete for you instead.

Messenger previously called these options “Unsend for everyone” and “Unsend for you.” The names may differ on older app versions, but the distinction is the same. Here is how to use the current controls on iPhone, Android, and a computer.

How to unsend a Messenger message on iPhone or Android

The steps are essentially the same on both mobile platforms. You can remove an individual message without deleting the entire conversation.

1. Open the chat and find the message

Launch the Messenger app, open the one-on-one or group conversation, and scroll to the message you sent. Make sure you select the correct message, especially when several were sent in a row.

2. Press and hold the message

Touch and hold your message until its actions appear. You may see reactions along with commands such as Reply, Copy, Forward, More, or Delete. Tap Delete; on some layouts you may need to tap More first.

3. Choose Delete for everyone

When Messenger asks who should lose access to the message, select Delete for everyone, not Delete for you. Confirm the action if prompted. This is the step that retracts the message from the other participants’ chat view.

4. Check the conversation

Return to the thread and check that the original message is no longer displayed. Messenger may show a deleted-message notice in its place. A visible notice does not mean that the deleted text is still available to other participants.

How to delete a sent message for everyone on a computer

1. Open Facebook in your browser and open the conversation in Messages or Messenger.
2. Move your pointer over the message you sent, then click its three-dot or More menu.
3. Select Delete or Remove, choose Delete for everyone (or Unsend for everyone on an older interface), and confirm.

Desktop menu labels and placement can vary with the Facebook interface. The important part is selecting the option that applies to everyone rather than only your account.

Delete for everyone vs. Delete for you

You cannot use Delete for everyone to retract something another person sent. In a group chat, choosing it for your own message affects the group conversation, not just one recipient.

Is there a time limit for unsending Messenger messages?

Older tutorials mention a 10-minute window. That was a limit from Messenger's original unsend rollout, not the rule to assume today. Meta's current instructions describe Delete for everyone without that old 10-minute deadline. Separately, Messenger lets you edit a sent message for up to 15 minutes, and Meta says you can still delete it after that editing window closes.

If you need to fix a minor typo rather than retract the message, use Edit when it is available. See Meta's guide to editing Messenger messages for the current limit.

Can someone still see a message after you unsend it?

Yes, they may have seen it before it was deleted. Someone could have opened the chat, read a notification preview, taken a screenshot, or copied the text. Deleting for everyone cannot undo any of those actions. Participants may also see that a message was removed, even if the content itself is no longer visible.

Do not treat unsending as a guarantee of confidentiality. If you shared sensitive information with the wrong person, consider contacting them directly and taking any other appropriate steps to protect that information.

What if Delete for everyone is missing?

• Check whose message it is: the everyone option is for messages you sent, not someone else's incoming message.
• Open the full message menu: try More or the three-dot menu if Delete is not immediately shown.
• Update Messenger: install the current app version and reopen the chat.
• Check the connection: if deletion fails or stays pending, reconnect and try again rather than assuming it succeeded.
• Check the chosen option: deleting for you only hides your local copy and does not remove what the recipient sees.

For the official wording and device-specific instructions, refer to Meta's Messenger help page on deleting messages and chats. Messenger interfaces can change, but the difference between deleting for everyone and deleting only for yourself remains the key decision.