Android: Delete a Single Message from a Conversation

Google Messages does not offer a swipe gesture for single texts. Instead, deleting one message out of a conversation relies on a long-press action that opens a small toolbar above the message.

To remove just one text: Tap on Messages ➔ Choose a Conversation ➔ Tap and hold a Message ➔ Tap on Delete ➔ Tap on Delete to confirm.

The long-press step is easy to miss if you tap too briefly, which usually just opens the message or highlights text instead of showing the delete option. Holding for about a second is enough to trigger the toolbar.

This action only removes the message from your own device. It does not notify the other person and does not delete the text from their phone.

If you want to remove an entire chat instead of one message, use the conversation list options rather than opening the thread itself. That is a separate action from deleting a single text inside a conversation.