How to Fix Messenger Story Not Deleting "This can‘t be undone"

Have you ever encountered the frustrating error "This can‘t be undone" when trying to remove a story from Messenger? As a frequent Messenger user myself, I‘ve dealt with this annoying glitch more times than I can count.

Not being able to delete your stories as expected is incredibly irritating. But don‘t worry – in this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, I‘ll walk you through several simple solutions to finally bypass the error and regain control over your Messenger stories.

Why You Can‘t Delete Messenger Stories

Before jumping into fixes, let‘s briefly look at why this error happens in the first place:

Messenger App Bug

The most common reason you‘ll see the "This can‘t be undone" message is due to a bug or glitch in the Messenger app‘s coding. Bugs commonly disrupt apps from functioning normally.

With billions of users, Messenger‘s developers have a tough time squashing every bug. This deletion error stems from a known bug they are still working on fixing.

Server Outage

Temporary server-side outages or maintenance could also be blocking your story deletion request. Messenger‘s servers going down prevents normal functioning.

According to Downdetector, Messenger outages impacting the app spike around once per month. If deletion fails during an outage, this error appears.

Outdated App Version

Using an old, outdated version of Messenger that still contains unpatched bugs can lead to deletion issues. Make sure you‘re always running the latest version of the app.

Account Glitch

In rarer cases, a problem specific to your account could be causing trouble deleting stories. Trying a full log out and log back in can reset your account.

Facebook Testing

Facebook is known to run A/B tests on Messenger features, so you could be part of a test group where story deletion is disabled. Contacting support can fix this.

Now that we know why you might encounter this pesky error, let‘s go over the top solutions to bypass it.

Delete Messenger Story via Facebook App

Fortunately, the easiest and most reliable way to delete your Messenger story and avoid the error is simply to remove it directly from the Facebook mobile app instead.

Since Messenger stories also appear in the main Facebook app, deleting it from there removes the content from both places in one step.

Here‘s how to quickly delete a Messenger story via the Facebook app:

Open up the Facebook app on your mobile device.
Navigate to your story on your home timeline or profile.
Tap the three-dot menu button in the top right corner of the story.
Select "Delete Story" from the menu.
Confirm the deletion when prompted.

And that‘s it! The story will be removed instantly from both Facebook and Messenger without any "This can‘t be undone" errors.

I highly recommend utilizing this workaround whenever possible to avoid issues deleting stories from Messenger itself.

Install an Older Version of Messenger

If deleting the story directly on the Facebook app doesn‘t do the trick, another handy workaround is installing an older version of the Messenger app on your device.

Older versions prior to when the deletion bug appeared should allow you to remove stories problem-free.

For Android users:

Uninstall the current Messenger app from your device first.
Go to https://facebook-messenger.en.uptodown.com/android and tap "Older Versions."
Select an older Messenger APK version from at least 3-6 months ago. The older, the better chance of avoiding this bug.
Download and install the older APK.
Log into your account on this older Messenger version.
Navigate to your story that‘s stuck and delete it – it should work now!

Unfortunately, iOS users can‘t install older app versions due to Apple‘s tighter restrictions. But this remains a great workaround for Android owners dealing with this pesky issue.

Update Messenger to the Latest Version

On the flip side, if your Messenger app is itself outdated, updating to the newest version could potentially fix the deletion error.

The developers may have already released an update addressing the bug behind this "This can‘t be undone" message.

Here‘s how to quickly update Messenger:

On Android:

Open the Google Play Store
Go to the Messenger app page
If an ‘Update‘ option shows, tap it to download the latest version

On iOS:

Open the App Store
Go to your Account > Available Updates
Install any Messenger update listed

Updating only takes a minute and can instantly resolve bugs causing problems deleting stories or posts. I recommend always running the latest version of Messenger to enjoy the newest features and fixes.

Clear Messenger‘s Cache and Data

Another option is clearing out the app cache and data for Messenger on your device. This essentially refreshes the app fully, removing any corrupt files or glitches that could be contributing to the deletion error.

Here are the steps to wipe Messenger‘s cache and data:

Access your device‘s Settings and go to Apps.
Select Messenger from the list.
Tap Storage/Data Usage.
Tap to clear both the Cache and Data for Messenger.
Restart Messenger – your cache and data will be wiped. Now try deleting the story again.

Clearing app data forces you to re-login each time, but often resolves persistent issues like this deletion bug. It‘s worth trying to refresh Messenger fully.

Log Out Then Log Back Into Messenger

Similarly, fully logging out of Messenger and then logging back in essentially refreshes your account profile within the app. Any glitches attached to your account will be reset, including trouble deleting stories.

To log out of Messenger:

Tap your profile icon in Messenger.
Tap Settings.
Select Log Out at the bottom.

This will log you out of Messenger. Next force close the app fully. When you relaunch Messenger, log back into your account. Then check if you can delete the stuck story.

Contact Messenger Support

If you still can‘t delete your story after trying the above fixes, you can reach out directly to the Messenger team for additional help. They may be able to resolve the issue on their end or troubleshoot your specific account.

Here‘s how to contact Messenger support:

Go to www.facebook.com/help.
Click "Help Center" then "Messenger App."
Select "Contact Us" and choose Messenger followed by "Reporting an Issue."
Explain in detail the "This can‘t be undone" error you‘re seeing and the steps you‘ve tried already.

Hopefully Messenger support can get to the bottom of why deletion is failing and fix your account so you can manage stories normally going forward.

Prevent the Error in the Future

In addition to the fixes above, you can employ some best practices to avoid encountering this pesky issue again down the road:

Always keep Messenger updated to the latest version in the app/play stores. New versions fix bugs.
Limit Messenger stories to 24 hours – delete them promptly once they expire.
Avoid uploading very sensitive content to your story that you‘ll want to instantly delete later.
Delete stories directly on the Facebook app rather than Messenger.
Report the bug in Messenger‘s feedback so they prioritize a fix.
Clear Messenger‘s cache and data periodically to refresh the app.
Use a reliable VPN app to reset your device‘s connection, which can fix account issues.
For busines accounts, try contacting Facebook ads support for troubleshooting.

Following these tips will minimize your chances of running into "This can‘t be undone" when attempting to manage your Messenger story.

Fixing Messenger Story Deletion: A Summary

Although the "This can‘t be undone" error is frustrating, preventing you from removing Messenger stories as expected, several effective solutions exist to bypass the problem:

Delete the story via the Facebook app – This avoids Messenger‘s bug entirely.
Install an older Messenger version – Downgrade to before the bug appeared.
Update Messenger to the newest version – May contain a deletion bug fix.
Clear Messenger‘s cache/data – Refreshes the app fully.
Log out then log back into Messenger – Resets your account.
Contact Messenger support – Can further troubleshoot your issue.

With the right troubleshooting steps, you can overcome this common deletion error and regain control over your Messenger stories. Just stay calm, be patient, and try each solution one by one until you‘re able to delete normally again.

Have you encountered the "This can‘t be undone" problem on Messenger yourself? Let me know in the comments which solution ended up working to finally delete your stuck story!