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 🙂
[ Download sqlitebrowser: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sqlitebrowser/ ]
- 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
thank you!
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
I am not sure about deleting group. Deleting a particular user’s conversation works though. !!
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.
I can do it for you if you send me your database. 🙂
thank you: great help at the workplace, no snooping by the boss again
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 .
Are you on Windows system ? Select one and press Shift and PgDn to select all at once. Then delete.
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?
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’
Thanks Vladi for the query !!
i need your help!
i did everything you said, saved the changes after and history still appears (FULLY!).. what went wrong??
where i can find db files, in user its showing DC folder not db plzzzzzzzzzz help me out
Here you go: http://subharanjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/main_db_path.png
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
Anon – You need to close the DB after Delete and Save. Then restart SkyPe. it will work.
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.
It seems that they updated the way the database works in Skype and this tut no longer works
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.
Use Skyperious, it worked first time and fast and clever 🙂 http://suurjaak.github.io/Skyperious/
Thanks Subharanjan. It worked.. 🙂
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!
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
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!
Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to remove history from other computers.
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.
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
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.
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