This is a common question many users have when using messaging apps and services. The short answer is – it depends on the app. On most apps, when you delete a message it will delete it from your view but the message will still be visible on the recipient’s end unless they also delete it. However, some apps like Snapchat are designed so that messages disappear or “self-destruct” after they are viewed. Let’s take a deeper look at how message deletion works on some popular messaging platforms.
Facebook Messenger
On Facebook Messenger, when you delete a message you have sent, it will disappear from your view but remain visible in your recipient’s chat window. The message will indicate it was removed on your end but the content will still be there on their end. So deleting a Facebook message does not delete it for the other person. The only way the message will be deleted for both parties is if both you and the recipient delete it from your respective chat windows.
Some key things to know about deleting Facebook messages:
- You can only delete messages you have sent, not ones you have received.
- You have up to 10 minutes after sending a message to delete it by tapping on it and selecting “Remove for Everyone”
- After 10 minutes you can still delete the message but it will only disappear from your view
- Recipients can see that a message was deleted by you but not the content
- Deleted Facebook messages can be recovered if you have previously synced your chats to an email platform
So in summary, on Messenger you can only delete your own outgoing messages, not those you receive. And deleting only removes the message from your view unless done within 10 minutes using “Remove for Everyone.”
WhatsApp has similar message deletion behavior to Facebook Messenger. When you delete a message you have sent, it will disappear from your chat window but remain visible to the recipient.
Some key points about WhatsApp message deletion:
- You can delete messages up to one hour after sending them
- After an hour, you can still delete messages but only from your view
- Recipients will see “This message was deleted” but can still read the content
- You can delete messages for both parties if done quickly using “Delete for everyone”
- Messages deleted by either party will still remain on WhatsApp servers
So like Messenger, deleting WhatsApp messages typically only removes them from your own chat window unless you act within the 1 hour delete for everyone window. The message content remains visible for the recipient.
Snapchat
Snapchat takes a different approach to message deletion. The premise of Snapchat is that messages, photos, and videos sent via the app will automatically disappear or “self-destruct” after they are viewed.
Users can choose how long their Snaps are viewable for – from 1 to 10 seconds. Once opened by the recipient, the Snap will automatically delete itself from the chat after the chosen duration. This makes Snapchat feel more ephemeral as nothing is permanently retained in the chat history.
Some things to know about Snapchat message deletion:
- Snaps disappear automatically after being viewed
- Recipients can screenshot or record Snaps before they disappear
- You will be notified if a recipient screenshots your Snap
- Deleting a Snap from the chat will remove it for both you and the recipient
So Snapchat provides deletion more or less by default for standard messages. However, users can choose to preserve Snaps before they vanish if they are quick to screenshot or record.
Twitter Direct Messages
On Twitter, deleting a direct message you have sent will remove it from both your chat thread and the recipient’s. This makes Twitter different than other platforms.
Key things to know about deleting Twitter DMs:
- You can delete DMs you have sent at any time
- When deleted, the DM will disappear for both you and the recipient
- There is no time limit – DMs can be deleted at any point after sending
- Deleted DMs cannot be recovered
So Twitter gives users the ability to essentially take back a message by deleting it even after it has already been seen. This removes all trace of the message from the chat history for both parties.
iMessage
iMessage on iOS devices works similar to Messenger and WhatsApp when it comes to deleting messages. When you delete a message you sent, it disappears from your chat but remains visible on your recipient’s iPhone.
Key iMessage deletion rules:
- You can only delete iMessages you have sent
- Deleting removes the message only from your side of the chat
- You have 2 minutes to “Undo” a deletion and recover the message
- Recipients can still view the content of deleted iMessages
So the intended behavior is that iMessage deletion only applies to your view of the chat, not the recipient’s. However, there is a workaround where if you quickly delete a message and force quit the app before it has synced, the message will be deleted for both parties. But this is not the default behavior – merely an unintended loophole.
Google Hangouts
Hangouts by Google handles message deletion in a unique way. When you delete a message, it is removed from the chat on both your end and the recipient’s end.
Key details on deleting Hangouts messages:
- You can delete Hangouts messages up to 8 minutes after sending
- After 8 minutes, you can still delete but only from your view
- Recipients will see “This message was deleted” in the chat
- If deleted within 8 minutes, the message disappears for both parties
So for a brief window after sending, Hangouts gives users the ability to essentially retract a message by deleting it before the recipient has seen it. This provides some protection against messaging mishaps.
Skype
On Skype, when you delete a sent message it is removed from both your view and the recipient’s view of the chat. This makes Skype work more like Twitter DMs.
Key points on Skype message deletion:
- You can delete any outgoing message at any time
- The message will be deleted for both you and the recipient
- Deleted Skype messages cannot be recovered by either party
So Skype provides robust deletion capabilities by removing messages universally once deleted. This gives users significant power to remove regretted messages.
Slack
Slack takes an approach similar to Twitter and Skype when it comes to deleting messages. When you delete a Slack message you sent, it disappears from the chat for both you and the recipient.
Key notes on deleting Slack messages:
- You can delete any messages you send at any time
- Deleted Slack messages disappear from both your view and the recipient’s view
- Editing and deleting Slack messages requires a paid plan
So Slack essentially allows “undoing” a message by letting users delete it after the fact and remove it entirely from the conversation. This can be useful for removing unneeded or unintended messages in work conversations.
Discord
On Discord, deleting a sent message will remove it from the chat window for both you and the recipient.
Here is how message deletion works on Discord:
- You can delete messages you send at any time after posting them
- The message will disappear from the chat for everyone
- Deleted Discord messages cannot be recovered
- Server admins can choose to retain deleted messages in a special channel
So Discord gives users the ability to fully revoke messages. This prevents unwanted content from remaining in chat histories. However, server administrators have the power to override deletes.
Telegram
Telegram takes a nuanced approach to message deletion. When you delete a message you sent, behavior differs depending on whether it’s a standard chat or group:
- In standard chats, deleting removes the message for both parties
- In group chats, deleting only removes the message from your view
- You can “unsend” messages up to 48 hours after sending them
- Unsending in standard chats deletes for both parties
So Telegram provides more flexibility for removing messages but depends on the chat type. Unsending messages is a helpful feature to walk back poorly conceived messages.
Viber
On Viber, deleting a message will remove it from the chat history for both you and the recipient.
Key points about Viber message deletion:
- You can only delete messages you have sent
- Deleted messages disappear from both parties’ chat windows
- Messages can be deleted for up to 48 hours after sending
- Deleted Viber messages cannot be recovered
So Viber allows users to remove regretted or unintended messages fully as long as they act relatively quickly after sending. This helps clean up chat histories.
WeChat works similar to Telegram – message deletion behavior depends on if it is a 1-on-1 or group chat.
Details on WeChat message deletion:
- In 1-on-1 chats, deleting removes the message for both parties
- In group chats, it only removes the message from your own view
- You can recall messages within 2 minutes to delete for everyone
- After 2 minutes you can only delete messages from your view
So WeChat allows users to retract messages immediately after sending, but only in private conversations. Group messages cannot be universally deleted.
Kik
With Kik, deleting a sent message will remove it from the chat history for both yourself and your recipient.
Key Kik message deletion functionality:
- You can only delete messages you have sent
- Deleted messages are removed for both parties
- Deletion can be done at any time after sending the message
- Deleted Kik messages cannot be retrieved
So similar to other platforms, Kik enables users to essentially revoke messages and retroactively remove them from the conversation.
Line
Line provides users with the ability to recall messages after sending in order to delete them. When a message is recalled, it is deleted from the chat for both parties.
Details on Line message deletion:
- Messages can be recalled up to 24 hours after sending
- Recalled messages are deleted for both sender and recipient
- In group chats, only the sender’s message is recalled
So Line allows users to remove potentially problematic messages universally, with the catch being group chat messages can only be recalled by the sender.
Conclusion
In summary, message deletion functionality varies across different messaging platforms. In some cases like Snapchat, messages are inherently temporary and designed to delete automatically.
On platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, and iMessage, deletion typically only applies to your view of the conversation rather than removing the message universally.
Meanwhile, apps like Twitter, Skype, Slack, and Discord enable users to delete a message and fully revoke it from the chat history for all participants.
So depending on your platform of choice, message deletion can provide a handy way to fix messaging mistakes by retroactively removing unwanted content from the conversation. But the specific behavior can differ so it’s important to understand exactly how your chat app handles deletion before relying on it.