Deleting Twitter DMs (and what the other person still sees)

The most common DM question: “if I delete it, does it disappear for them too?” The answer depends on exactly what you delete.

The short answer

So deleting for both sides is possible only for messages you sent, through “Delete for all”. Deleting an entire conversation only clears your own inbox.

Deleting a message for everyone (XChat)

With X's newer messaging system, XChat, you can unsend:

1. Open the conversation.
2. Press and hold the message you sent.
3. Choose Delete for all.

This only covers your own messages, and it may not appear in older conversations or outdated apps. There is no way to delete the other person's messages from their side.

Deleting a whole conversation

1. Open Messages.
2. Hover the conversation (or long-press on mobile) and open the ⋯ menu.
3. Choose Delete conversation and confirm.

It disappears from your inbox, and the other person gets no notification.

Clearing every conversation at once

1. On a computer, open x.com/messages.
2. Click the X Cleaner icon → Messages tab.
3. Press “Start deleting messages”.

Worth repeating: this clears your inbox. No tool can delete messages from someone else's account.

Fewer unwanted DMs from now on

In your message settings you can limit who is allowed to message you (for example, only people you follow), which cuts down on strangers and spam.

Menu names shift slightly between app versions, but the path stays the same.

Frequently asked questions