How to delete a channel in Slack

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Over time, your Slack workspace inevitably fills up with redundant channels dedicated to completed projects. With Slack, your workflow is more efficient when your workspace is in order.

With this in mind, you may be wondering how to delete channels you don’t need. However, to do this, you must be the owner or administrator of the workspace.

In this guide, we will share instructions on how to delete a Slack channel. We’ll also explain how to leave or archive a channel that you don’t want to permanently delete. Finally, we will explain how to back up data before deleting a channel.

How to delete a channel in Slack from a PC

Before deleting a Slack channel, keep in mind that this is permanent and irreversible. You must also be the owner or administrator of the workspace to do this. Follow the steps below to delete an active channel:

1. Launch the desktop version of Slack and sign in to your workspace.
   
2. Select the channel you want to remove from the left sidebar.
   
3. Click on the channel name located at the top of the conversation.
   
4. Click “Settings,” then select “Delete Channel.”
   
5. Confirm by clicking “Delete this channel”.
6. Confirm once again by clicking “Yes, permanently delete channel” and “Delete channel” one last time.
   

Alternatively, follow the instructions below to delete an archived channel:

1. Launch Slack in your browser and sign in to your workspace.
2. Click the hash and magnifying glass icon at the top of the left sidebar. You may first have to click the three dots icon in the sidebar to find it.
3. Find the archived channel you want to delete. Optionally, use a filter: Click the filter icon and then click “Archived Channels” in the drop-down menu.
4. Click on the channel name located at the top of the conversation.
5. Select “Settings” and then click “Delete this channel.”
6. Confirm by clicking “Yes, permanently delete channel” and then “Delete channel.”

How to delete a channel in Slack from the iPhone app

There is no way to permanently delete a Slack channel through the mobile app. However, you can leave a channel or archive it. Please note that you must be the workspace owner or administrator to archive a channel. Follow the steps below to leave a Slack channel on an iPhone:

1. Launch the Slack app and sign in to your workspace.
2. Scroll down the channel list and tap the channel you want to leave.
   
3. Tap the information icon located in the upper right corner of your screen.
   
4. Select “Exit” from the menu.
   

Alternatively, archive a channel by following the steps below:

1. Launch the Slack app and sign in to your workspace.
2. Select a channel from your channel list. Then, tap the channel name at the top of the conversation.
   
3. Tap “Additional Options” at the bottom of the channel settings page.
   
4. Select “Archive this channel.”
   

How to delete a channel in Slack from the Android app

Like the iPhone app, the Slack Android app doesn’t allow users to permanently delete a channel. However, you can leave it by following the steps below:

1. Launch the Slack app and sign in to your workspace.
   
2. Scroll down the list and select the channel you want to leave.
   
3. In the upper right corner of your screen, tap the information icon.
   
4. Select “Exit” from the menu.
   

If you are the workspace owner or administrator, archive a channel by following the instructions below:

1. Launch the Slack app and sign in to your workspace.
   
2. From the channel list, choose the channel you want to archive.
   
3. Tap the down arrow next to the channel name at the top.
   
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select “Archive.”
   

How to delete the general channel

The General channel in Slack is different from the others. It’s a place where every member who joins the workspace is automatically added. Unlike other channels, no one can leave the General channel. This is important to ensure that no one misses the ads. The only way to delete the General channel in Slack is to permanently delete the Workspace. Naturally, to do this, you must be the owner of the workspace. Follow the steps below:

1. Visit Slack from your browser and sign in to your workspace.
   
2. Click on the name of your workspace located in the upper left corner of your screen.
   
3. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings and administration.”
   
4. Click “Workspace Settings.”
   
5. Scroll down and select “Delete Workspace,” then confirm by clicking “Delete Workspace” again.
   
6. Enter your Slack password and confirm it again by clicking “Yes, delete my workspace.”
   

Note: Before deleting your workspace, consider exporting your data first. The action is irreversible.

Frequent questions

In this section, we will answer more questions related to deleting a channel in Slack.

What is the difference between leaving, archiving, and deleting a Slack channel?

You can’t delete a channel from the Slack mobile app, only archive or leave it. So what is the difference? When you leave a channel, you lose access to it, but this action does not affect other members. They won’t be able to contact you on the channel, but they’ll still be able to do everything else.

When you archive a channel, all members lose access to it and the channel name disappears from the channel list. But the conversation data is stored in the Archived Channels section and can be accessed by administrators whenever needed.

Finally, when you delete a channel, you and other members permanently and irreversibly lose access to all of its data.

How do I back up my Slack workspace data before deleting the channel?

Since you won’t be able to access your data after deleting a channel, it’s worth making a backup first. Follow the steps below if you have a free or Pro plan:

1. Launch Slack in the browser and click your workspace name in the top left corner of your screen. This cannot be done in the mobile app.

2. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings and administration”, then “Workspace settings”.

3. Click “Import/Export Data” located in the upper right corner.

4. Navigate to the “Export” tab.

5. Expand the drop-down menu in the “Export Data Range” section.

6. Click “Start Export”.

7. You will receive an email once the export is complete. Click “Visit your workspace export page.”

8. Click “Ready to Download” to download the backup zip file.

With the Free and Pro plans, you can only download data from public channels. But if you have a Business+ plan, you can also access private channels and DM data. Here’s how to do it:

1. Launch Slack in the browser and click your workspace name in the top left corner of your screen. This cannot be done in the mobile app.

2. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings and administration”, then “Workspace settings”.

3. Click “Import/Export Data” located in the upper right corner.

4. Navigate to the “Export” tab.

5. Expand the drop-down menu in the “Export Data Range” section.

6. Click “Start Export”.

7. You will receive an email once the export is complete. Click “Visit your workspace export page.”

8. Click “Ready to Download” to download the backup zip file.

Think carefully before deleting

Deleting a channel in Slack is a serious decision as the data will be permanently deleted. Fortunately, doing it accidentally is difficult since you have to confirm the action several times. Hopefully, our guide has taught you how to remove redundant channels or find a better alternative option, such as archiving.

Would you like to be able to remove Slack channels from the mobile app? Because? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.