Delete or turn off your message history

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

Important: If you use Google Chat and not classic Hangouts, visit turn history on or off in Google Chat.

Delete your message history

Important: If you use Google Chat and not classic Hangouts, visit turn history on or off in Google Chat.

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 .
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 find 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 .
4. Click Archive conversation.

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

Find 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 Settings.
   • On Gmail: At the top of your Hangouts list, click the 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 .
6. Click Unarchive conversation.

Turn Hangout history on or off

Important: If you use Google Chat and not classic Hangouts, visit turn history on or off in Google Chat.

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 .
4. Check or uncheck "Conversation history."
   • Checked: History is turned on. Messages can be found in the Hangouts on all your devices and in Gmail.
   • Unchecked: History is turned off. Messages can only be found for a short time on your devices. Then, the messages are not saved and will be deleted.
5. Click OK.

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.
• If you use Google through your work or school, your domain administrator can set and change this setting.
• If you turn off conversation history, contacts in that conversation won't appear at the top of Hangouts and Gmail search results.

Find & search Hangouts messages in Gmail

Find your Hangouts messages in Gmail

If you turn off Hangouts history, you won’t find 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 Chats.
3. Click to open a Hangout.

Search for past Hangouts messages

Important: This won't include Google Chat messages created after classic Hangouts deprecation. 

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 .
4. In the search results, Hangouts messages display a Hangouts icon .

If you delete Hangouts archived messages in Gmail

If you delete your classic Hangouts message history in Gmail, messages may be removed in Hangouts but not in Google Chat.

• Messages are removed in Hangouts after they're deleted forever in Gmail. Learn more about deleting items in Gmail.