How to Delete a Slack Message (or Unsend It in 15 Seconds)

Everyone sends a Slack message they regret: the typo in the client channel, the reply meant for a different thread, the file that wasn't ready. Slack gives you three ways out: delete, edit or the lesser-known unsend. Which one to use depends on how quickly you notice. Here's each, plus what owners can see and do.

Delete a message on desktop

1. Hover over the message you want to delete.
2. Click the three dots icon.
3. Click Delete message.
4. Select Delete to confirm.

Delete a message on your phone

1. Tap and hold the message.
2. Tap Delete Message.
3. Tap Delete Message again to confirm.

Slack is blunt about this: deleting a message is permanent. There's no undo and no bin to restore it from, so make sure it's the right message before you confirm.

The 15-second unsend trick

Spotted a mistake straight after hitting Enter? Slack's unsend feature pulls the message back into your message box, files and all, so you can fix it and send it again. On desktop, press Cmd+Z on a Mac or Ctrl+Z on Windows, then select Unsend. It only works when:

• It's within 15 seconds of sending.
• You haven't left the conversation.
• Your message box is empty.

Unsend is desktop-only for now; on mobile, edit or delete instead. It's my favourite of the three, because the message vanishes before most people have even seen it.

Edit instead of deleting

If the message is mostly right, editing keeps the conversation flowing and any replies make sense. Hover over the message, click the three dots icon, choose Edit message, make your change and select Save Changes. On mobile, tap and hold and choose Edit Message. Android users can double-tap a message to edit it quickly.

Which to choose

Situation	Best option
Typo noticed within seconds	Unsend (desktop) and resend
Small mistake, people have replied	Edit the message
Wrong channel or sensitive content	Delete the message
Lots of old messages to clear	Ask an owner about deleting the channel or a retention policy

Why you can't delete a message

By default, any member can delete their own messages, but Slack says owners can restrict that permission. If the delete option is missing, your workspace has probably turned it off, so ask an owner or admin. The same applies to unsend, because it's controlled by the same permission.

Deleting a message someone has replied to

If your message has started a thread, think before deleting it. Replies can lose their meaning without the message they answered, and people coming to the conversation later won't understand what happened. In most cases, editing the original to correct it, or adding a short reply saying 'ignore the above, the correct date is in the doc', is clearer than deleting. Delete when the content itself is the problem, such as private information, not when it's simply wrong. A quick correction shows you're on top of things; a mysterious gap in a thread just makes people wonder.

Files, not just messages

If the mistake was a file, deleting the message isn't always the end of it. Unsend returns files to your message box along with the text, which is the cleanest fix if you catch it in time. Otherwise, check whether the file is still reachable elsewhere in the conversation, and if the file was sensitive, ask an admin to confirm it's gone.

Can owners delete other people's messages?

Yes. Slack says owners and admins can delete members' messages in public channels, private channels and group direct messages they're part of. That's useful when someone posts something that needs to come down quickly, such as a password or a customer's personal details.

No bulk delete

You can't select a batch of messages and delete them together. Slack's only routes for removing lots of messages are for owners and admins: deleting the whole channel, or, on plans other than the free one, setting a retention policy that automatically deletes messages after a set period. If you want a cleaner history going forward, talk to your workspace owner about retention rather than deleting messages one by one.

If you posted something sensitive

• Delete it straight away, then tell the people who might have seen it.
• If it was a password or access key, change it, because someone may have read or copied it already.
• If it was a client's personal information, follow your business's data procedures.
• Ask an admin to check it's gone if you shared it in several places.

For bigger clean-ups, archiving a channel keeps its history out of the way, and if you're comparing tools, my guide to forwarding messages on Messenger shows how another app handles messages once they're sent.

My verdict

Unsend within 15 seconds on desktop with Cmd+Z or Ctrl+Z. After that, edit if replies depend on the message, or delete from the three dots icon if it shouldn't exist. Deleting is permanent, and if the option's missing, your owner has restricted it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete a message in Slack?

Hover over the message, click the three dots icon, choose Delete message and confirm. On mobile, tap and hold, then tap Delete Message twice.

Can I unsend a Slack message?

Yes, on desktop, within 15 seconds: press Cmd+Z on a Mac or Ctrl+Z on Windows and select Unsend.

Can deleted Slack messages be recovered?

No. Slack says deleting a message is permanent.

Why can't I delete my Slack messages?

Owners can restrict who can delete messages. Ask an owner or admin if the option is missing.

Can I delete multiple Slack messages at once?

No. Slack says bulk deleting isn't possible. Owners can delete a channel or set a retention policy instead.