Delete files shared in chat
Files shared in Chat are stored to OneDrive, but there is no way to delete file from within Teams. When file is deleted from OneDrive, it is (of course) no longer available and the individual gets a "Sorry, we couldn't find you file" error.
I would like to remove the shared file entry from the Teams chat.

245 comments
-
Anonymous commented
Seriously? Someone on my team had posted a picture of their darn cat like 10 months ago, What I am supposed to pick a day to scroll back through the chat thread? Which will take literally hours upon hours to do. Why is this not more simple?
-
tim commented
need this option, please!
-
Rach N commented
I can't believe this isn't an option already. This issue has been up for 'discussion' since 2020.There is obviously a need for it. Make delete file an option in Teams rather than having to go to OneDrive.
-
francesc commented
It's nonsense to have old files stored forever. PLease allow users to delete files from chats
-
Marcus commented
Group chats become quickly a mess when dealing with files. Many files are one-view-only files like "look here how it looks in my vacation" or maybe a screenshot or something. Sometimes there are also files that were uploaded by mistake ("Oops, this should be the management profit report, not my baby photos. "). Thinking in years there may be hundred of files, some very useful work files, some simply digital garbage.
I just took the time testing the workflow from Rena here:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_o365admin-mso_teams-mso_o365b/how-to-delete-shared-file-in-ms-teams-chat/bba159cf-6d44-4216-9a1d-71523f3e9374I just deleted the file from my OneDrive, where it was stored after uploading it in Teams, emptied the trash, went to the group chat again, had a look from when the file was and copied the link to the file in the clipboard, searched the file/message in the chat (which was 5 months ago... took over 20 minutes of pure scrolling!!), deleted the message and voila... the file can still be accesses over the link in the clipboard! o.O
I'm shocked. Seems like it gets stored forever. That's so unbelievable creepy.
Lisas Idea is from end of 2018. Can it really be that something simple like deleting a file becomes now a premium feature for a Teams version far far in the future?!?
-
Amy Ward commented
Team chat should allow people to delete files from the group messages, the person who uploaded should at the very least be able to delete them. when group messages are long ongoing over months, there are a lot of image files and other unnecessary files that take up the files list making it difficult to find correct or relevant files. maybe having the option to organize into folders if deleting is not an option??
-
Anonymous commented
Team chat should allow people to delete files, at lease the uploader should have such authority. It became a mess when someone upload a file by mistake. Really bad for the working enviroment.
-
Craig commented
Don't understand why we can't delete it. It's just a link to the file. We can delete chat comments, but not links even if they're dead? Ridiculous.
-
Lara CEC commented
Need to be able to delete files from a team chat. It leaves too many files out there.
-
MarcoL commented
Please do it before releasing the final Teams app ;-)
-
Anonymous commented
please do it
-
Nat commented
need the ability to delete files from a chat - becoming very disorderly
-
TDC commented
PLEASE allow complete control over the share screen tray - users should be able to populate it as they wish by deleting old files and turning off PowerPoint, etc.
-
Jamie commented
with out the ability to delete files in a specific chat the files tab becomes a mess. Need the ability to delete to stay organized.
-
JP commented
mandatory in a business environment!!!
-
Danielle Stellrecht commented
SOLUTION: Rather than going to the file section, go to the chat section where it says "[you] shared a file." Right click on the box so the emojis come up. Click the ellipses in the emoji box, there you get a "delete" option. Delete the comment of you sharing the file. Then when you go look at the file section for that conversation, it should be deleted.
-
Anonymous commented
Super annoying, we have conflicting copies and it's causing SO much rework. UGH.
-
Anonymous commented
@Microsoft please implement this suggestion ASAP!!!!
-
Steve Maritz commented
Absolutely a needed feature. The workaround, while it works, it still doesn't get rid of the original filename unless you delete the entire chat which is NOT an option in most cases.
-
Anonymous commented
so frustrating- we no longer needs files and we're having to shift through old ones to find the documents we want