How to permanently delete all messages on Messenger from both sides?

Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular messaging platforms, allowing users to easily communicate with friends and family. However, over time your Messenger inbox can fill up with old messages that you may want to delete for privacy reasons. Deleting messages on Messenger only removes them from your inbox, while the sender can still see their copy of the conversation. If you want to permanently erase messages from both sides of the conversation, it requires a few extra steps.

Why You May Want to Permanently Delete Messenger Messages

Here are some common reasons why someone may want to permanently erase Messenger conversations:

• Privacy – You don’t want old messages accessible to anyone if they gain access to your account.
• Save space – Large attachments and media files can take up storage space over time.
• Reduce clutter – It’s easy for Messenger to become cluttered with unimportant conversations.
• Prevent misunderstandings – Permanently erasing sensitive conversations prevents them from being taken out of context later on.

While Messenger only shows you messages from recent history by default, any old messages are still saved on Facebook’s servers. The only way to fully remove them is by permanently deleting the messages from both sides of the conversation.

Permanently Deleting Messenger Messages from Your Account

If you simply want to remove messages from your own Messenger account, here are the steps:

1. Open the Messenger app on your mobile device or navigate to messenger.com on your computer.
2. Open the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
3. Tap on your profile picture or the conversation name at the top.
4. Scroll down and tap “Delete Conversation”.
5. Confirm that you want to delete the entire conversation.

This will completely remove the conversation from your message inbox. However, it will still be visible on the other person’s account.

Requesting the Sender to Delete the Messages

To permanently erase the messages from both sides, you need to ask the sender to also delete them from their Messenger account by following these steps:

1. Open the conversation you want to delete.
2. Tap on the name or profile picture of the sender at the top.
3. Tap “Message [name]”
4. Type a message asking them to delete the entire conversation on their account.
5. They will need to open Messenger, find the conversation, delete it using the steps above.

This ensures neither party will still have access to the messages. However, this relies on the other person agreeing to delete the conversation from their account as well.

How to Permanently Delete Messenger Messages for Both Parties

If you need to guarantee that a Messenger conversation is erased from both accounts, the only surefire way is to delete the messages while logged into both accounts.

Here is the process:

1. Open the conversation on your account and use your phone to take screenshots of the entire discussion.
2. Save the screenshot images to your phone’s storage or cloud drive.
3. Log out of your Messenger account on the mobile app or messenger.com.
4. Log into the other person’s Messenger account using their login credentials.
5. Navigate to the conversation you want to delete.
6. Delete the conversation following the steps outlined earlier.
7. Log out of their account.
8. Log back into your own Messenger account.
9. Delete the conversation again from your account.

This ensures that both sides of the discussion are completely erased. The main requirement is having access to the other person’s Messenger login to delete the messages as them. The screenshots provide you with a backup copy if needed.

Other Ways to Permanently Delete Facebook Messages

If you are unable to access the recipient’s account, here are some other options to try to permanently delete Messenger messages:

• Report the conversation – You can report a conversation to Facebook for containing sensitive content or harassment. Facebook may then delete the messages.
• Delete your Facebook account – Completely deleting your Facebook account will remove all messages associated with it. But this should only be done if you want to leave Facebook entirely.
• Ask Facebook support – You can try explaining your situation to Facebook’s customer support and request they permanently erase the conversation from both sides.

However, there is no guarantee these methods will fully remove the messages from their server. The only surefire way is to delete it directly from both accounts.

Does Deleting Facebook Messages Really Erase Them?

With Facebook’s servers storing vast amounts of data, some may wonder if deleted messages are really gone forever. Here is some insight on what happens when you delete Messenger conversations:

• When you delete a Messenger conversation, it is removed from your message inbox immediately.
• It will still exist in the sender’s conversation history until they also delete it.
• Facebook’s servers retain deleted conversations for an unspecified amount of time before erasing.
• If the messages are still on their servers, a subpoena could legally compel Facebook to recover them.
• Facebook claims they allow users to permanently delete data but it’s unclear how quickly this happens.

So while deleted Messenger conversations eventually should be erased from Facebook’s database, the exact timeframe is uncertain. For true peace of mind, both parties have to promptly delete the conversation after sending.

How to Delete Facebook Messages Across Multiple Platforms

Since Facebook owns multiple messaging platforms, you may need to delete conversations from Messenger as well as:

• Facebook inbox
• Instagram direct messages
• WhatsApp

The process for deleting full conversations is similar across these platforms:

1. Open the conversation you want to delete.
2. Look for the username/profile picture in the top corner.
3. Select the option to delete or clear chat history.
4. Confirm that you want to delete the entire conversation.

Repeat this on both sides of the conversation for each platform used. Keep in mind the same risks apply – while deleted, they could still exist in backups or server storage temporarily.

Can You Recover Deleted Facebook Messages?

If you regret deleting a Messenger conversation, is it possible to retrieve the messages? Here are some options:

• Undo delete – Messenger has an option to “Undo” and restore recently deleted conversations.
• Logged screenshots – If you logged your conversation before deleting, you have a record saved.
• Other party’s account – The messages may still exist in the sender’s message history.
• Facebook data request – You can request a copy of your Facebook data, which may contain deleted messages.

However, this only allows you to recover messages that were deleted very recently. Facebook does not provide users with access to permanently erased conversations.

Third-Party Apps to Delete Facebook Messages

Some third-party apps claim they can help bulk delete Facebook messages and conversations across multiple platforms. Here are some examples:

• FB Delete Messages – Browser extension to schedule mass message deletion.
• Social Book Post Manager – Manage and delete posts and messages in bulk.
• CleanMyApp – Delete messages across social media apps.

However, be very cautious using third-party software for deleting Facebook messages. They may violate Facebook’s terms by scraping your data. It’s much safer to manually delete conversations within each app.

Best Practices When Deleting Facebook Messages

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Act promptly – Delete conversations soon after sending to limit the time they are stored.
• Delete from all devices – Make sure to delete the messages from desktop and mobile.
• Log key details – Take screenshots or notes of vital information before deleting.
• Disable backup – Turn off chat backups to third-party services like Google Drive or iCloud.
• Confirm both sides – Request the other party to also delete the conversation.

Conclusion

While Messenger only allows you to delete conversations from your own inbox, permanently erasing Facebook messages requires removing them from both sender and recipient accounts. The only surefire way is to login and delete the messages from both sides of the conversation directly through the app or website. However, due to server backups, the data may continue existing for some unspecified time after deleting. To guarantee permanent deletion, it’s best to act quickly and avoid relying on third-party software that claims to bulk erase messages across platforms.