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			106 lines
		
	
	
		
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			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
			
		
		
	
	
			106 lines
		
	
	
		
			3.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
# Delete a message
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Zulip lets you delete the content of your messages or delete messages completely
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if these actions are allowed in your organization. Only server administrators
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can restore deleted messages.
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Organization administrators can
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[configure](/help/restrict-message-editing-and-deletion) who can edit and delete
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messages, and set time limits for these actions. Administrators can delete other
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users' messages completely, but cannot edit a message to delete its content.
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## Delete message content
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Editing a message to delete its content will cause the message to be displayed
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as **(deleted)**.  The original sender and timestamp of the message will still
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be displayed, and the original content of the message is still accessible via
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Zulip's [edit history](/help/view-a-messages-edit-history) feature.  This can be
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the best option for avoiding confusion if other users have already responded to
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your message.
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{start_tabs}
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{tab|desktop-web}
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{!message-actions.md!}
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1. Click the **pencil** (<i class="fa fa-pencil"></i>) icon. If you do not see
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   the **pencil** (<i class="fa fa-pencil"></i>) icon, you do not have
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   permission to delete the content of this message.
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1. Delete the content of the message.
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1. Click **Save**.
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{tab|mobile}
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{!message-long-press-menu.md!}
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1. Tap **Delete message** to delete the content of the message.  If you do not
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   see the **Delete message** option, you do not have permission to delete the
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   content of this message.
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{end_tabs}
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## Delete a message completely
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In some cases, such as when a message accidentally shares secret information, or
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contains spam or abuse, it makes sense to delete a message completely. Deleted
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messages will immediately disappear from the UI in all official Zulip clients.
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Any uploaded files referenced only by deleted messages will be immediately
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inaccessible. Note that an uploaded file shared in multiple messages will be
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deleted only when *all* of those messages are deleted.
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It's important to understand that anyone who received the message
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before you deleted it could have made a copy of its content. Even if
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no one is online when you send the message, users may have received
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the message via email or mobile notifications. So if you
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accidentally shared secret information that you can change, like a
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password, you may want to change that password regardless of whether
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you also delete the message.
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{start_tabs}
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{tab|desktop-web}
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{!message-actions-menu.md!}
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1. Select **Delete message**. If you do not see the **Delete message** option,
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   you do not have permission to delete this message completely.
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2. Approve by clicking **Confirm**.
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{end_tabs}
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!!! tip ""
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    You can delete messages sent by [bots that you
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    own](/help/view-your-bots) just like messages you sent yourself.
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## Restoring deleted messages
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For protection against accidental or immediately regretted
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deletions, messages deleted directly or via a [message retention
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policy](/help/message-retention-policy) are archived for 30 days in a
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format that can be restored by a server administrator.  After that
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time, they are permanently and irrecoverably deleted from the Zulip
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server.  Server administrators can adjust the archival time using
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the `ARCHIVED_DATA_VACUUMING_DELAY_DAYS` setting.
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## Message notifications
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If you delete a message soon after sending it, any [pending email
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notifications](/help/email-notifications#delay-before-sending-emails)
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for that message will be canceled, and
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[visual desktop notifications](/help/desktop-notifications) will be removed,
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including [mentions and alerts](/help/dm-mention-alert-notifications).
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## Related articles
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* [Delete a topic](/help/delete-a-topic)
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* [Archive a stream](/help/archive-a-stream)
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* [Message retention policy](/help/message-retention-policy)
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* [Edit a message](/help/edit-a-message)
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* [Restrict message editing and deletion](/help/restrict-message-editing-and-deletion)
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