Delete Telegram messages: for both sides or automatically.

In a private chat you can delete any message, yours or the other person's, for both sides. There is no time limit, so old messages can be removed too.

1. Delete one message for both sides

1. Press and hold the message, or right-click it on a computer.
2. Tap Delete. To remove several, select them first.
3. Tick the box to also delete it for the other person.
4. Confirm. The message disappears from both phones.

Since Telegram 5.5 in 2019 this works for any message in a private chat, with no time limit. Telegram does not tell the other person that something was deleted.

2. Delete a whole chat

• Press and hold the chat in the chat list and tap Delete.
• Tick the box to delete it for the other person too, or leave it to delete only your copy.
• Clear History removes the messages but keeps the chat in your list.
• For a few seconds the app shows an Undo button. After that the chat is gone.

3. Delete messages automatically

• In a chat, open the menu and choose Auto-Delete, then pick a time such as 1 day, 1 week or 1 month.
• New messages in that chat are deleted for everyone when the time runs out. Older messages stay.
• To use a timer for every new chat, open Settings, Privacy and Security, Auto-Delete Messages.

4. Deleting in groups and channels

• In groups you can delete your own messages for everyone.
• Admins with the right to delete messages can remove anyone's messages.
• In a channel only admins can post and delete posts.

See which rights an admin can have in our guide to Telegram admin permissions.

5. Can deleted messages be recovered?

No. Telegram says deleted messages leave no trace on its servers, and support cannot bring them back. Apps and bots that promise recovery cannot reach Telegram's cloud, and many of them ask for your login code. Keep anything important in an export, as explained in our Telegram backup guide.

Frequently asked questions