How to Clear Recent Searches on Facebook Messenger

This How.com.vn teaches you how to clear the list of "Recent Searches" items in the Facebook Messenger app. The only way to do this is by forcing Facebook Messenger to sign you out, which can be done from both the Facebook mobile app and the Facebook website.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

On Mobile

1
Open Facebook. Tap the Facebook app icon, which resembles a white "f" on a blue background. This will open your News Feed if you're logged in.
- If you aren't logged in, enter your email address (or phone number) and password to log in.
It's either in the bottom-right corner of the screen (iPhone) or at the top of the screen (Android). A menu will appear.
3
Scroll down and tap Settings. It's near the bottom of the menu.
- Skip this step on Android.
4
Tap Account Settings. This is in the pop-up menu. Doing so opens the Settings menu.
- On Android, you'll first scroll down to this option.
It's near the top of the screen.
This section should be in the middle of the page, though you may have to scroll down to see it.
7
Find your "Messenger" login. In the "Where You're Logged In" section, find the phone or tablet on which you're logged into Messenger, then look for the word "Messenger" below the phone's/tablet's name. If you can't find the phone or tablet in question, tap See More to show more login instances.
- On Android, you must tap See More in order to log out of a location.
- If you see the word "Facebook" below the phone or tablet name, it pertains to the Facebook app, not the Facebook Messenger app.
It's on the right side of the page, directly across from the Messenger phone or tablet login. A menu will appear next to this icon.
Doing so will immediately log out your profile from the Messenger app on the phone or tablet in question.
10
Log back into Messenger. Using your iPhone, Android, or tablet, open Messenger, then log back in using your Facebook email address (or phone number) and password. Once you're logged back in, you can tap the search bar at the top of the screen to review the "Recent Searches" section; there won't be anything here.
- You may need to wait for a few seconds before Messenger will recognize that your account has been logged out.
- When logging back into Messenger, you may be prompted to re-synchronize your contacts with Messenger.
- If for some reason the "Recent Searches" section is still populated when you log back in, you can try deleting the Facebook Messenger app and then re-installing it.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

On Desktop

1
Open Facebook. Go to https://www.facebook.com/ in your browser. This will open your Facebook News Feed if you're logged in.
- If you aren't logged in, first enter your email address and password, then click Log In in the upper-right side of the page.
It's the triangle-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the Facebook page. A drop-down menu will appear.
This option is near the bottom of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Settings page.
It's in the upper-left side of the page.
This section should be in the middle of the page, though you may have to scroll down to see it.
6
Find your "Messenger" login. In the "Where You're Logged In" section, find the phone or tablet on which you're logged into Messenger, then look for the word "Messenger" below the phone's/tablet's name. If you can't find the phone or tablet in question, click See More to show more login instances.
- If you see the word "Facebook" below the phone or tablet name, it pertains to the Facebook app, not the Facebook Messenger app.
It's on the right side of the page, directly across from the Messenger phone or tablet login. A menu will appear next to this icon.
This option is in the menu that appears. Doing so will immediately log out your profile from the Messenger app on the phone or tablet in question.
9
Log back into Messenger. Using your iPhone, Android, or tablet, open Messenger, then log back in using your Facebook email address (or phone number) and password. Once you're logged back in, you can tap the search bar at the top of the screen to review the "Recent Searches" section; there won't be anything here.
- You may need to wait for a few seconds before Messenger will recognize that your account has been logged out.
- When logging back into Messenger, you may be prompted to re-synchronize your contacts with Messenger.
- If for some reason the "Recent Searches" section is still populated when you log back in, you can try deleting the Facebook Messenger app and then re-installing it.
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Community Q&A

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Question
Will it delete all my messages if I log out?
Community Answer
It won't delete your messages; your messages re-sync when you login/open Messenger again.
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Question
Do I have to clear my recent searches or will they disappear eventually?
Community Answer
As far as I know, they don't disappear for a very long time, if ever. Old searches will be replaced by any newer searches though.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
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Tips

The "Where You're Logged In" menu can be used to make sure that your Facebook account isn't logged in on any computer, phone, or tablet on which you don't want it logged in.
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