How to Delete Snapchat Messages & Clear Chats
Have you sent an embarrassing Snap by accident?
Or perhaps you changed your mind about something and now you want to revert what you just sent?
Luckily, when it comes to privacy, the Snapchat app offers more control than other apps.
Snapchat has a feature that lets you delete Snapchat messages, even after they have been read by the recipient.
Today, I will show you:
- How to delete Snapchat messages;
- How to clear saved messages
- How to clear all your conversations & chats on Snapchat
How to Delete Snapchat Messages
Deleting messages in Snapchat is quite easy.
For starters, make sure you are not running an old version of the program and that you don’t have a bad Internet connection, as that can create issues with the process.
To do so, follow these steps:
Step 1: Tap the Chat Icon
The iconic chat icon is located on the bottom left corner of your camera screen.
If you can’t find the chat, try using the Snapchat search bar, just like when you want to find someone on Snapchat, to look for the user.
Step 2: Select the Contact or Conversation From Which You Will Delete the Message
Scroll along until you reach the conversation that has the message you want to delete.
Step 3: Press the Message for a Couple of Seconds
After the long press, a pop-up menu will appear with the following options:
- Save in Chat
- Copy
- Snap Reply
- Delete
Tap on the delete option.
Step 4: Tap Delete and Confirm
Another pop-up window will appear.
It will warn you that friends will see that you deleted the Snapchat message.
Go forwards and confirm it if you want to delete the message.
You can delete a message before the other person has even opened Snapchat.
How to Delete Saved Messages on Snapchat
Snapchat is famous for its fleeting messages. However, saved messages are a way to, well… save messages!
They last forever and are usually used when you want to remember certain conversations.
Saved Snap messages appear with a grey background for both persons in a Snapchat conversation.
It is possible to delete saved messages, here’s how you do it:
Step 1: Open Snapchat and Scroll Through Your Snapchat Conversations
Do so until you find the message you’ll be deleting.
Step 2: Unsave the Message
You can do so just by long-pressing the message. A pop-up settings menu will appear, then just click on the unsave message option.
If you simply delete it, it will still appear on chat, since the other user will have it as “saved.”
Step 3: Delete the Message
Once you tap delete, the message will no longer appear for any of the users on that conversation.
How to Clear Conversations on Snapchat Entirely
It is possible to clear entire conversations in a couple of clicks.
Clearing a Single Conversation
To do just click on the contact/account you want to clear a conversation with.
- Step 1: Long press the chat, then scroll down on the following pop-menu until you read “More.”
- Step 2: Click on the “Clear Conversation” option.
- Step 3: Another pop-up menu will appear, click on “Clear.”
- Step 4: However, as you’ve read on the pop-up menu, it won’t clear chats for other users, so if they have any saved messages, the messages will still appear for them.
How to Clear All Conversations on Snapchat
Snapchat makes it easy to clear messages you’ve sent to other users.
However, when you follow this process, Snapchat messages the other person saved will not be deleted.
- Step 1: Go to the main screen, then on the top left corner click on your profile menu icon.
- Step 2: Tap on settings, it’s on the top right corner.
- Step 3: In settings, tap clear conversations.
- Step 4: On the following screen, you’ll need to individually click on the X button beside each account.
- Step 5: The next step is to simply confirm it.
Setting Up the Snaps to Automatically Delete All Conversations
You can set up your Snaps and conversations to automatically clear after the recipient opens it or after 24 hours.
This is useful if you rather have short talks with someone, that way the other person won’t be able to save anything you’ve sent her/him.
To do so, you’ll need to search for the account on the app and then:
- Step 1: Long press the chat on your friends’ list
- Step 2: You’ll be taken into settings
- Step 3: Click on “Delete Chats…”
- Step 4: Select either “After Viewing or 24 hours After Viewing”
That’s all to set up the app to delete your snaps almost automatically.
Conclusion
Snapchat is a great app when it comes down to protecting your privacy.
While there are some workarounds, most methods do make people really go out of their way to achieve them.
So the next time you send a snap on Snapchat, you can feel really comfortable doing so.
Don’t forget to check our site to read more guides about all your favorite apps out there.
We post daily articles for you to check out. If you have any other questions or suggestions, feel free to contact us.
How To Delete Snapchat Messages FAQ
Can You Delete a Sent Snapchat message?
Yes, you can clear a Snapchat message or video. Click on it and hold for a while, then click the option to clear that snap. After you’ve deleted it, it will appear for no one anymore.
Does Deleting a Snapchat Message Delete It For the Other Person?
Yes, as long as the other person hasn’t saved chat messages. You can see if it’s saved if it appears with a gray background. But you can unsave it with a single click. No need to clear an entire conversation for it.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter at Hypegrowth. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.