How to Edit or Delete a Message in Slack
Fix a typo or remove a message you sent in Slack from the More actions menu or with the Up arrow shortcut, and learn what others can still see afterward.
Applies to: current Slack desktop app; phone app differences noted. Checked September 2026.
You sent something with a mistake in it, or something you should not have sent at all. You can edit or delete your own messages at any time; you cannot touch anyone else's.
Hover over the message
Move the pointer over the message you sent. A small toolbar appears at its top-right corner.
Click More actions
Click the three-dot More actions icon at the right end of the toolbar. A menu opens.
Choose Edit message
Click Edit message. The text becomes editable in place. Make your changes and press Enter to save, or click Save. Press Esc to cancel without saving. The message now carries a small (edited) label that everyone can see, though nobody can view the earlier version.
Or choose Delete message
From the same More actions menu, click Delete message. A confirmation box appears; click Delete. The message disappears for everyone in the channel or conversation. If the message started a thread, the replies remain and Slack leaves a placeholder saying the original was deleted.
Use the Up arrow for your last message
To fix the message you just sent, click in the empty message box and press the Up arrow key. Your most recent message in that conversation opens for editing. Press Enter to save. This works in threads too, as long as the box is empty first.
Admins control the rules, and deleting is not a full erase. Workspace owners can turn off editing or deleting, or set a time window after which messages lock; if the options are missing from the menu, that is why. A deleted message vanishes from Slack for everyone, but any export an admin already made still contains it, and anyone who got a notification may have seen the original text in the alert.
On a phone. Long-press the message and tap Edit message or Delete message.