Ever make a mistake and sent the wrong message in Skype to a client? You can erase pending Skype messages. Here’s how.

January 29th, 2009

Ever have the experience that you send someone the wrong message in Skype or worse yet, you send the right message but to the wrong person?

It happened to me today when I wanted to send one of my staff my client's contact info. Instead I sent him his own contact info.

Embarrassing.

But he was offline at the time. So the message showed as pending.

Is there anyway to cancel a pending Skype message?

It's great when something works the way it should.

Yes, there is a saved by the bell feature in Skype and it works even on the Mac version. If you right click, you can remove the pending message like this:

erase Skype message
How to Erase a Skype Message

Once you've gotten rid of the message, unfortunately, you are not completely off the hook.

When your client (or girlfriend, as the case may be with mistaken messages) comes back online, he or she will see the text "This message has been removed". Still, it's a lot easier to explain an error message than errant information.

skype message removed
Traces of a Skype message removed

If the person is online and you are quick, you can remove the message before he or she sees it, apparently for up to at least one hour.

This is a great Skype feature.

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27 comments on “Ever make a mistake and sent the wrong message in Skype to a client? You can erase pending Skype messages. Here’s how.”

  1. 01

    i am trying to do this i.e. delete a pending skype message before the recipient comes back online, but when i right click (am using mac) i don’t have the option to delete, only to copy, search etc? what can i do?

    thanks

    jenny at February 21st, 2009 around 6:07 pm
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  2. 02

    Hello Jenny,

    I think there’s a time limit for how long the message remains editable or cancellable.

    Cordial regards,

    Alec

    alec at February 25th, 2009 around 4:42 pm
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  3. 03

    How to review the message which has been removed by my partner?
    B/c I think it is important information.
    Thanks

    simpson at April 16th, 2009 around 7:57 pm
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  4. 04

    Hello Simpson,

    As far as I know, once it’s gone, it’s gone.

    You’d do better to ask him.

    Cordial regards.

    alec at April 17th, 2009 around 9:42 am
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  5. 05

    Hello, same thing happened with me, i sent IM to the wrong contact who’s offline, i used to delete and edit messages but this time these two options are not in the menu, just shows copy message, select all and move bookmark here.(i am using windows)

    is there some way to do it even from a application file, skype folder or even unninstalling skype completelly, this IM cannot be delivered, so far i blocked the user to avoid the reception of the IM.

    PLEASE HELP!

    Alex at May 7th, 2009 around 10:24 am
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  6. 06

    Hello Alex,

    Sorry to break the bad news but even if you close your Skype account, the message will be delivered anyway. You would have to get to your correspondent’s computer first, open Skype, and then delete his or her logs. Then you have a chance that the message might not show up anymore. I don’t think Skype stores delivered messages.

    If you mixed your mistress and your girlfriend up, you are either going to get divorced or she might kill you.

    It’s a tough situation. If it’s business, then don’t worry about it. It’s only money.

    alec at May 7th, 2009 around 1:05 pm
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  7. 07

    It would be way better of there was no message left stating the message had been removed!

    Fred at December 28th, 2009 around 3:29 pm
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  8. 08

    thanks for the tip. better seeing a “message removed” than something they shouldn’t.

    lee at July 20th, 2010 around 8:51 pm
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  9. 09

    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this tip. I just sent a X-rated message to a potentially new boss intended for SOMEONE ENTIRELY different. WHOOPS!

    MPC at September 7th, 2010 around 2:16 pm
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  10. 10

    Yes, that would certainly have a been a strange start to a business relationship, MPC.

    Glad this helped you!

    alec at September 7th, 2010 around 2:48 pm
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  11. 11

    You have no clue how much this saved me! Thank you so much!!!

    annie at September 19th, 2010 around 9:24 am
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  12. 12

    Hi Annie,

    Be careful what you type into Skype. In general, never forget there is no privacy on the internet. Best to meet personally for explicit messages. Of course in that case, there’s not much need for text messages.

    Glad this helped (I used it myself again last week actually).

    alec at September 22nd, 2010 around 4:28 am
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  13. 13

    Thank-you!! You just saved me from a lot of misery at work!! xxx

    Ashley at October 18th, 2010 around 2:48 pm
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  14. 14

    Thanks for the tip. But yes, here is a way to completely get off the hook.
    You don’t need to explain an error message than errant information.
    Instead of deleting the message, edit it! Substitute it for any other phrase like “I tried to talk to you, but you were off line …”

    Jorge Pontual (George OnTime) at November 29th, 2010 around 4:38 pm
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  15. 15

    That’s a clever tip Jorge. Thanks!

    alec at November 29th, 2010 around 6:33 pm
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  16. 16

    what a marvelous feature!
    Thank the Lord. Nearly had a heart attack! Thanks for sharing! Muahhhh!!

    anna at June 8th, 2011 around 8:44 am
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  17. 17

    Thanks alottttttttttttttttttttttt. and by the way are you sure this works and the person that it is sent to wont see the old message if you edit the message?

    Anonymous at July 16th, 2011 around 9:36 pm
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  18. 18

    How to review the message which has been removed ??
    Is it possible ??
    Thanks

    Khaoula at July 20th, 2011 around 9:43 am
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  19. 19

    As far as I know, Khaoula, no.

    alec at July 21st, 2011 around 5:05 pm
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  20. 20

    The messages are in main.db.

    darik at August 1st, 2011 around 6:51 am
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  21. 21

    HI, I was switching with communications between my supplier and client, something happened I mistakenly drag my suppliers contact to my client chat bar, and it wrote book mark .

    I tried to remove message but it didn’t go , I clicked on it but there is no icon to remove my suppliers skype which is showing on line on the clients bar chat.

    Please I need help.

    BB at August 19th, 2011 around 12:37 am
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  22. 22

    and i have a question… i accidentally send a contact to my friend.. i want to delete the contact that i send to my friend… but… when i click on the right and there is no option for delete. there is just copy, bookmark, etc…
    PLEASE HELP,, how to delete contact that we send to our other friends…
    thank you :)

    achun at August 25th, 2011 around 1:03 pm
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  23. 23

    I have had the same probs as the people above: I accidentally dragged someone’s contact into the chat box of another of my contact but I don’t want hi to receive the other person’s contact!I right clicked on the message but there’s no delete or edit option???? I have not temporarily deleted the contact that has mistakenly received the message, as the message is still pending…could you please help me on this???
    THANK YOU!

    Tweedy at November 6th, 2011 around 6:10 am
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  24. 24

    As far as I know, there is no way to remove a contact that you posted to another friend. I’ve tried literally everytthing and gotten nothing. I’m pretty intelligent when it comes to things like this. Here are some helpful tips. If you are in a group chat, only the host of the group can remove any message and or edit them. If you aren’t the host you may only edit or remove it yourself. I’ve also found that you cannot bring back a message that has been removed. And as Jorge said, editing is much better than removing if you have said something you wish unsaid. Hope this helps.

    Jacob at November 9th, 2011 around 4:32 pm
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  25. 25

    Thanks for the guide, as for the time limit the message I sent was over 20 hours using mac, saved me from a drunk message thanks!!!

    ashley at January 2nd, 2012 around 4:45 pm
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  26. 26

    I was going to try this feature but just as I went to try it, the contact came online. I had sent the message about like about 25 days before. Anyway, when I checked to see if it had indeed been delivered, there was a ! next to it saying that it failed to be delivered. So, I was wondering did it really fail? If so, will skype continue to try to deliver it we when we are online at the same time? Even though it says it was not delivered, I think it was, because my contact logged off after a couple of minutes. Also, I was on my work computer when this happened and the message was originally sent from my home computer.

    mason at January 20th, 2012 around 6:20 pm
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  27. 27

    brilliant !!!!
    thank you :)

    alisa at January 30th, 2012 around 3:54 pm
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