How to Delete Messages on Airbnb: A Step-by-Step Guide (2023)

Last Updated on June 16, 2023 by Rental Recon

Airbnb’s internal messaging is a powerful tool that allows hosts and renters to connect, but those messages add up fast. You will miss important messages if you don’t know how to manage this system.

How To Delete Messages On Airbnb

Can you Delete Messages on Airbnb?

No, you cannot delete messages on Airbnb. There are a few reasons for this, but the chief among them is to protect evidence should there be a conflict between a host and a guest that needs resolution. However, Airbnb does offer a solution to help keep your inbox tidy or remove unscrupulous messages.

Occasionally you may find Airbnb is not allowing you to send messages. If that’s the case for you, check out this great article to fix this issue.

How to Keep your Airbnb Inbox Organized

A messy inbox gives the same feeling that a stack of dirty dishes or a pile of unfolded clothes does. It’s one of the chores you put off until you can’t take it anymore. However, Airbnb recognizes that a well-kept inbox can increase efficiency with client correspondence and offers the Archive feature as a solution.

What is the Archive Feature?

Archive allows hosts to move a message thread from their inbox, where they may want to keep active messages, to a separate archive folder. This folder will enable you to control the contents of your message without adding clutter to your inbox.

This feature is especially handy if you have reoccurring customers. A message will automatically move from the Archive folder to your inbox as soon as a customer sends a new message. So you never have to worry about missing out on important messages from your favorite guests.

Likewise, guests can use the archive feature to save message threads with hosts they have used in the past. For example, maybe you had a five-star stay, and you want to do more than write an excellent review. Archive your thread with that host to quickly access all the vital information they sent you during your previous stay.

It is important to keep in mind that the Archive feature is only available via a computer, either through the website or the desktop app. Airbnb has found mobile users may mistakenly archive message threads and have trouble finding them when they need to.

How to Archive a Message on Airbnb:

Login To Airbnb

1. Open a web browser and type Airbnb.com into the search bar.

Login To Airbnb

2. Click the white and gray profile button in the top right corner.

White and gray profile button

3. Click the “Log in” option.

4. Type your phone number in the requested bar, or click the preferred “continue with” option, depending on your favorite method.

Continue with

5. If you enter your phone number, Airbnb will send you a six-digit code to verify your identity. Type in the code from your phone into the requisite space. Once you have typed in the correct code, you will automatically log in.

Six-digit code

6. If you choose a “continue with” option, you may automatically log in, or you may be asked to provide the password of the service you are logging in with.

Example: If you chose the “login with Facebook” option Airbnb may ask you to verify your identity by typing in your Facebook password.

Congrats! You are now logged into your Airbnb account.

Access your Airbnb Host Account and Inbox

7. Click on the profile button in the top right corner. Now that you are logged in, this button may have the account photo you chose displayed.

Profile button

8. Once you click on the profile button, a drop-down menu will appear. Click on the option titled “Manage Listing,” which will bring you to your Airbnb Host Dashboard. This is the workspace for your Airbnb host account.

Manage listing

9. At the very top of the screen, you will see a white bar with the Airbnb logo in the left corner. In the center of that bar are five options. Click the second option titled “Inbox.” This will take you to your Airbnb inbox.

Inbox

The inbox breaks down into three windows. The window to the right, titled “Messages,” is a quick reference to manage all your correspondence. This window is displayed as a list of all the message threads in your inbox. You can click on one of these threads to select it.

Messages

The title of the center window is the name of the selected message thread from the messages window. So, for example, if you have a message from “John Doe,” their name will appear at the top of the center window. Use this window to read and interact with your message threads.

Center Window Tile

The window to the left is titled “Details .”This window displays critical information about the selected reservation. This information includes client details, pre-approval status, and the number of nights of the stay.

Details

Archive a Message and Access it Later

10. Click on the message you wish to archive in the Messages window to display in the center window.

Archive

11. Once the message is displayed, look for three icons in the top right corner of the center window.

12. Click the one that looks like a box with a downward-facing arrow. Once you click this image, the message thread will be sent to your archive folder and will no longer populate in your inbox.

Downward Facing Arrow

13. To access your archive folder, click on the menu button on the left side of the screen, underneath the Airbnb logo. The menu is depicted as three horizontal lines.

Menu button

14. Once clicked, it will display a new window that has three options, “all messages,” “Airbnb support,” and “archive .”The same box icon from before will also be displayed next to it.

Three options

15. Clicking on the “archive” option brings you to your archive folder. Once you have found your archive folder, you can move a message thread back to your primary inbox by clicking the archive box again.

Also, Airbnb expedites communication by allowing you to make scheduled and automatic messages from this panel. Click this link for a guide on some of the best messaging templates to use.


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The Good and Bad of the Airbnb Archive Folder

The archive feature can easily prevent you from keeping your client waiting for important information, but it does have some issues. The most glaring is there is no “bulk” option. As of right now, you need to go message thread by message thread and move them into your archive folder individually.

Additionally, Airbnb may think hosts will have a tough time archiving on their mobile platforms, but investments in design could easily solve that problem. Finally, Airbnb needs to implement a way for its hosts to keep organized, even on the go.

Even with those shortcomings, the archive is extremely simple to use. It is a simple click of a button. It is also fantastic that the message thread will automatically move back into your inbox when you receive a new message on an archived thread.

Getting ahead of our inbox feels like a titanic task with the digital age running full force. However, Airbnb helps make that task a little easier with the archive feature on its messaging interface. Use this feature to remove unnecessary messages from your inbox to respond to guests sooner and continue making your professional mark.

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