How to delete chat history of a particular user/contact in Skype [Solved]

Skype, one of the most used VOIP client software for communication inside organizations. One problem with this software is that: by default you can’t remove chat history for a specific contact. To delete chat history of a particular user/contact in your Skype, you have to use a DB browser software( sqlitebrowser ) to read the local DB files and make the changes. Follow the steps below to remove any history for a specific user from your system.

Note:
This removes the history form your local system; not from the other side of the Skype contact. So, he/she can see those from his/her computer.

Caution:
Take backup of main.db file before implementing anything from these steps.

Steps:

  • Download the DB Browser( SQLite Browser ). Its free and open source.
    You can get it from here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sqlitebrowser/
  • Signout and Quit your Skype.
  • Go to the directory below and take a backup of the file main.db file. Just copy the directory itself or the file and keep it somewhere else for safety.
    C:\Users\'windows_username'\AppData\Roaming\Skype\'skype_username'\
    Example:  C:\Users\subharanjanm\AppData\Roaming\Skype\mfsi_subharanjanm\main.db

    Replace ‘skype_username’ with your skype user name in the above path.

  • Extract and run the sqlitebrowser software and open the Skype DB file(main.db) located here:
    C:Users’windows_username’AppDataRoamingSkype’skype_username’main.db
    Replace ‘skype_username’ with your skype user name in the above path.
  • — Click on the browse data tab. Here you can have all the tables that are being used to store history data in Skype.
    — Search the records by the particular user and delete those records. Mainly the chat related records reside inside ‘Chats’, ‘Messages. table.
    — Go to Browse data tab -> select table Messages -> click on find icon ->
    select author -> contains -> skype profile name of user you are searching for ->
    click on one of the last results in the list and you will see the row.
    — Select the records and click on ‘Delete Record’ button.
  • At last don’t forget to click on the save changes icon.

Open Skype and see the changes… Enjoy ๐Ÿ™‚

sqlitebrowser[ Download sqlitebrowser: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sqlitebrowser/ ]

main_db_path

Update: There is one free & open source software available for achieving all of the above manual trick. Skyperious: Skyperious is a Skype database viewer and merger, written in Python. You can open local Skype SQLite databases and look at their contents:

  • search across all messages and contacts
  • browse chat history and export as HTML, see chat statistics
  • import contacts from a CSV file to your Skype contacts
  • view any database table and and export their data
  • change, add or delete data in any table
  • execute direct SQL queries

Comments

29 responses to “How to delete chat history of a particular user/contact in Skype [Solved]”

  1. Shravan Kumar Avatar
    Shravan Kumar

    Hi, This is Shravan. I want to delete a group in the contacts as well as its conversations for privacy. Could you please help me out in this scenario. I have gone thrown the above procedure but i am facing the login problem after following above procedure. Could you please update it

    1. Subharanjan Mantri Avatar

      I am not sure about deleting group. Deleting a particular user’s conversation works though. !!

      1. Gayatri Dixit Avatar
        Gayatri Dixit

        Hello.. Can u tell me how i can delete all conversation of any particular user’s. i cant undrstand above way. if u have tried it so plz tell me how it works through step by step.

        1. Benji Avatar
          Benji

          I can do it for you if you send me your database. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. will Avatar
    will

    thank you: great help at the workplace, no snooping by the boss again

  3. Karkim Avatar
    Karkim

    It works but deleting line by line tacks ages for some one who has been on chat for long..is there a way to delete all chat lines for one particular user .

    1. Subharanjan Mantri Avatar

      Are you on Windows system ? Select one and press Shift and PgDn to select all at once. Then delete.

  4. Vladi Avatar
    Vladi

    SQLLite is a buggy tool.

    Delete records doesn’t work, executing SQL query to delete rows also doesn’t work.

    SQLLite doesn’t return any input where there was a problem in the execution or success. Simply a blank screen, no idea how to debug it or to find the problem. Point is it doesn’t delete the selected rows.

    Any ideas?

  5. Vladi Avatar
    Vladi

    It worked suddenly. Now doesn’t work again.
    Constantly crashing also. SQLLite is a total piece of garbage.

    Anyway, you can use this query to delete all messages at once:

    delete from messages
    where dialog_partner = ‘USERNAME_TO_DELETE’

    1. Subharanjan Avatar

      Thanks Vladi for the query !!

  6. Anon Avatar
    Anon

    i need your help!
    i did everything you said, saved the changes after and history still appears (FULLY!).. what went wrong??

  7. rabia Avatar
    rabia

    where i can find db files, in user its showing DC folder not db plzzzzzzzzzz help me out

  8. Rahul Avatar
    Rahul

    I try to your code as well as with SQL lite but no any changes occur in my data base. Please inform me how I delete complete chat history of single contact

  9. Manex Avatar
    Manex

    Anon – You need to close the DB after Delete and Save. Then restart SkyPe. it will work.

  10. Uddhav Avatar
    Uddhav

    After deleting, I do not see the save button instead there is button called write change and revert change? I clicked on write change and closed the browser. It did not delete the message.

    1. Erik Avatar
      Erik

      It seems that they updated the way the database works in Skype and this tut no longer works

    2. Noah Avatar
      Noah

      Thanks Subharanjan for a tip. Find it particularly useful at my office!!! (free perfect tool)

      Honestly, I can’t stand it that my history is still visible on the other side computer. I can share with you guys a new app called — Delete Skype History network edition — that removes any sent message from a chat partner’s pc. Unlike SQLite Database this app is NOT free but i’m all for it.

  11. Jimbo Avatar
    Jimbo

    Use Skyperious, it worked first time and fast and clever ๐Ÿ™‚ http://suurjaak.github.io/Skyperious/

  12. Deepa Avatar
    Deepa

    Thanks Subharanjan. It worked.. ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. Meeme Avatar
    Meeme

    As far as I’ve seen, this deletes the history from the local computer.
    I’m on Linux and I’ve deleted main.db, main.db-journal, msn.db and msn.db-journal. This deleted all the history from my local computer, my photo and my status text, and after a few minutes the old conversations haven’t sync back.
    But when I go to my Android phone, all the conversations are on the phone.

    This means I can delete the history from my local computer but that does not sync with the Skype servers.

    Where are my privacy and my right to forget things?
    I’m starting to avoid sensible conversations by text on Skype…

    Is there any way of deleting my history permanently from the Skype servers?

    Thanks!

  14. rich Avatar
    rich

    hi where is the file path located on my computer to get to the skype directory main.db? i click open database and i see win xp? i am using win xp sp3 and thanks – rich

  15. nightshiftriders Avatar

    hi, i delete the history on one of my skype contacts, but when open my skype to another computer, the message is still there. what should i do to delete conversation in every computer? Thanks.

    -Cheers!

    1. Subharanjan Avatar

      Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to remove history from other computers.

    2. Christina Avatar
      Christina

      Hi, there. You can delete your sent messages from all your devices (not to delete conversation in every computer or tablet or phone) with Delete Skype History Network Edition program.

      It also deletes your messages from chat partners’ side.

  16. jatin Avatar

    HEY,

    I deleted skype chat,message & conversions by using your suggested way . but when i opened the skype ,all chat were there as it was. I saved changes at last . but i dont know why all chat there . Can you help me !!

    And also tell me that its deleting one side chat or both side ?

    Thanks
    Jatin

  17. Reason Avatar
    Reason

    on skype home: TOOLs, OPTIONS, IM & SMS, IM Settings, CLEAR HISTORY —- this clears/deletes all the chat history. You cannot clear on individual contacts. Thanks.

  18. payal Avatar
    payal

    i deleted history for particular id but when after few days when i again tried to delete new messages all deleted messages come back for that id

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *