Oct 23 2017 02:41 PM
Oct 23 2017 02:41 PM
I shared a word doc with one of my colleagues by uploading it to the Files tab in our chat. I later made an update to the file, but was working off of the local version of my file rather than the one already saved in the Teams chat. I uploaded the updated local file and fully expected to see a dialog informing me that a file with that name already existed and asking if I wanted to overwrite it.
But instead, the Files tab in our chat now has two files with the same file name. Weird, but I figured I'd delete the older file. Yet for some reason, there seems to be no way to delete a file from a Chat in the same way that you can with files saved as part of a channel.
Anybody have any insight into this strangeness?
Oct 23 2017 02:48 PM
Oct 23 2017 02:48 PM
SolutionOct 23 2017 02:50 PM
Oct 23 2017 02:50 PM
If you have access you can delete the chat with the post, it's the .... above the file ... option. Have to hover over to see it.
Jun 28 2018 09:21 AM
Hmmm. Not shooting the messenger(s) here, but that doesn't really help me. It's confusing having a bunch of same-named files that were created for various reasons, so I wanted to delete some to avoid working from the wrong document. But, I don't want to delete the chat record. I still need to refer back to some things that were said in it, that included the file attachment. Guess I'll just have to choose the lesser of two evils, and live with a bunch of files with the same name, or delete a chat. Chalk this one up as a feature request.
Sep 20 2018 09:10 AM
Thanks for sharing! This helped me figure out how to delete a file from a group chat.
Jan 10 2019 07:30 AM - edited Jan 10 2019 11:49 AM
Those files are stored in your OneDrive in the 'Microsoft Teams chat files' folder.
I agree that this mechanism should be improved.
Feb 07 2019 02:26 AM
Feb 07 2019 10:10 AM
Hmmm. I followed your instructions, exactly, and yet the files still exist in the chat files folder. Thanks, though. They really need to clean up this process.
Jul 11 2019 03:22 AM
Thank you for sharing this one. I was running into the exact same problem and never expected deleting a shared file to work this way.
PLEASE allow deleting files right in the "files"-tab. The corresponding message could then be optionally deleted or left with a disabled link instead.
Aug 08 2019 01:16 PM
2 years after the first post and it is exactly the same. Teams could be so good if only....
Sep 24 2019 10:57 AM
If you delete the message where you posted the file, it seems to remove the file.
Sep 24 2019 11:03 AM
@LoopanatorYes I saw that. However it doesn't help a whole lot when I have to scroll for 2 miles and hundreds of messages looking for a specific post with the upload on it.
Oct 10 2019 12:43 PM
You can only delete the files that you share. If someone shares something with you, you cannot delete the file from the chat.
You can perform a file delete by going to the message showing the file shared, click on the ellipsis beside the reaction emojis and delete.
Makes sense but annoying.
Oct 11 2019 11:12 AM
Note: The owner of the conversation has to be the one to delete it
Mar 30 2020 02:36 PM - edited Mar 30 2020 02:42 PM
To quickly find the messages you sent with attachment and avoid scrolling for miles, go to the search bar at the top and type in 'From: (your name)'... to the left will show all your messages you sent in the chat... you can also use 'More filters' and click the box for 'with attachment'... from there you can easily go through and delete... still can't delete other's files, but send those instructions out to everyone on the chat to clean up your files tab...
May 07 2020 06:18 AM
I clicked on the elipsis in both the files and the actual chat where I shared the files. A "delete" option is not there. Any other ideas?
May 12 2020 03:31 PM
@Teri_Moneymaker You have to hover over the message and click the message context menu + ellipses. Hovering over the file will show file context menu which has very similar options and ellipses... but does not have option to delete.
SUPER UNINTUITIVE and not discoverable.
Jul 07 2020 07:51 AM - edited Jul 07 2020 07:52 AM
@Loopanatorit works just fine and straightforward
Aug 21 2020 01:25 AM
The file will still be in OneDrive whether or not it is deleted from Teams chat, I deleted the message from chat, went to OneDrive in the Teams left hand bar and the file is still there, easy click on the dots and the delete option appears.