Delete or turn off your message history

When you delete your message history, this is deleted from Gmail and Hangouts on all your devices. Other people in the Hangout can still see the history.

Delete your message history

Delete history with one person

  1. On your computer, go to Hangouts at hangouts.google.com or in Gmail.
  2. Select a conversation.
  3. At the top of the conversation window, click Settings Settings.
  4. Select Delete conversation.
  5. If you’re sure you want to delete your conversation, click Delete.

Delete history for a group

You cannot delete the history for a group, but you can leave the conversation. Learn how to leave the conversation.

If someone adds you back to the group conversation, you’ll see the history again.

Hide a conversation

You can remove a conversation from the top of your conversation list without deleting the history.

Hide a conversation

  1. On your computer, go to Hangouts at hangouts.google.com or in Gmail.
  2. Open a conversation.
  3. At the top-right of the Hangout window, click Settings Settings.
  4. Click Archive conversation.

If you send or get a new message, the conversation reappears on your conversation list.

See a conversation again

  1. On your computer, go to Hangouts at hangouts.google.com or in Gmail.
  2. Open settings:
    • On hangouts.google.com: Click Menu and then Settings.
    • On Gmail: At the top of your Hangouts list, click the Down arrow Down Arrow.
  3. Click Archived Hangouts.
  4. Click the conversation you want to bring back.
  5. At the top-right of the Hangout window, click Settings Settings.
  6. Click Unarchive conversation.

Turn Hangout history on or off

When you turn your history on or off, it changes for everyone in the conversation. A notification appears in the Hangout window.

  1. On your computer, go to Hangouts at hangouts.google.com or in Gmail.
  2. Open a conversation.
  3. At the top, click Settings Settings.
  4. Check or uncheck "Conversation history."
    • Checked: History is turned on. Messages can be seen in the Hangouts on all your devices and in Gmail.
    • Unchecked: History is turned off. Messages can only be seen for a short time on your devices. Then, the messages are not saved and will be deleted.
  5. Click OK.

If you use Google through your work or school, your domain administrator can set and change this setting.

Notes:

  • If you talk to someone who uses a different chat app, their app may keep a separate copy of the conversation's history.
  • When a "History off" message expires, it won't disappear until after you refresh the app or browser. 
  • Expired "History off" messages are not archived in Gmail or other Google systems or servers. 

See and search Hangouts messages in Gmail

See your Hangouts messages in Gmail

If you turn off Hangouts history, you won’t see your message history in Gmail.

  1. On your computer, open Gmail with the same account you use for Hangouts.
  2. On the left, click More and then Chats.
  3. Click to open a Hangout. 

Search for past Hangouts messages

  1. On your computer, open Gmail with the same account you use for Hangouts.
  2. In the search box, enter in:chats, followed by a word or phrase that could help you find the message you’re looking for.
  3. Click Search Search.
  4. In the search results, Hangouts messages display a Hangouts icon .

If you delete Hangouts archived messages in Gmail

If you delete your Hangouts message history in Gmail, the messages may also be removed in Hangouts.

  • Messages are removed in Hangouts after they're deleted forever in Gmail. Learn more about deleting items in Gmail.
  • Two-way deletions don't apply to messages sent directly to or from Hangouts Chat, our enterprise offering.

If you delete Hangouts history in Hangouts

If you delete your message history in Hangouts, you'll also delete all email threads associated with that Hangout in Gmail.

Deleted messages in Hangouts are not stored in Trash.

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