How to remove someone from a Slack channel [All Devices]

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The professional business world wouldn’t be the same without crucial collaboration and communication apps like Slack. It is a virtual office that echoes many of the functions of a real one. And like in a real-life environment, sometimes it is necessary to remove someone from the workspace environment. So naturally, you can easily remove people from a Slack channel.

In this article, you’ll learn how to remove someone from a channel in Slack or your entire workspace.

How to Remove Someone from a Slack Channel on Web/Mac/Windows

Slack allows its users to easily remove members from a workspace using a web browser or the Mac and Windows desktop apps. However, only users who are assigned administrative privileges can delete other team members. If you are a workspace administrator or creator, follow these steps to remove a member from your desktop:

1. Open the Slack web/desktop app and tap the channel where you want to remove the user.
   
2. In the upper right corner of the chat box, tap the Members icon.
   
3. Hover over the name and click Eliminate.
   
4. Confirm by clicking Eliminate again.
   

Another way to remove someone is to write the following command in the channel in question: “/eliminate @[insert member name].” Then click “Get into” or click on the paper airplane icon.

How to remove someone from a Slack channel on iOS/Android

Unfortunately, the Slack mobile app does not offer the “remove member” feature in the channel member list. So the only way to remove someone from a Slack channel on iOS or Android devices is to use the command method explained above.

Note: Unlike the desktop version, the mobile version will not ask you to confirm the deletion, so make sure you select the correct user.

Remember:

1. Go to the channel in question.
   
2. Write “/eliminate @[user name]” either /kick @username.
   
3. Hit “Get into”/tap the paper airplane icon.

If you are on the move, using /Delete @username either / Kick @Username will force a member to leave their workgroup.

How to deactivate an account in a workspace

Following the guidelines above will help you remove someone from a particular channel in a workspace. However, they will still be in the workspace in question. When you end a professional relationship with an employee, you’ll want to remove them from their old workspace. This can be done by deactivating the account.

The option to deactivate an account does not exist in the mobile, tablet or desktop applications. If you try to use the Slack desktop app to accomplish this, you will be redirected to your default browser, where you can deactivate the member’s account. The only way to deactivate a Slack account from a mobile device or tablet is to access it in desktop mode. Before proceeding with account deactivation, let’s see how you can access desktop browser mode on your mobile/tablet device.

iOS

For the default iOS Safari browser, all you need to do is:

1. Go to Slack.com.
   
2. Tap the double A button in the top left corner.
   
3. Tap “Request desktop website.”
   

Android

For Android smartphones and tablets, things are just as simple:

1. Launch the default Chrome browser.
   
2. Go to Slack.com.
   
3. Tap the three dots icon.
   
4. Check the box next to “Desktop site.”
   

Now that we’re on the desktop version of Slack, we can deactivate an account. The whole process is very simple.

1. Navigate to the workspace in question (go to Slack.com or open the desktop app). Then, tap the workspace name, located in the upper left corner.
   
2. Click on Configuration and administration.
   
3. From the pop-up menu, select Manage members.
   
4. A new window will open. Find the member whose account you want to deactivate and press the three dots icon next to their entry.
   
5. Gonna “Deactivate account.”
   
6. Confirm.
   

The deactivated member can no longer log in or access the workspace unless you choose to invite them back. You will still be able to access the member’s files and messages that remain in your workspace.

How to delete a Slack workspace

Workspaces are running out. Sometimes workspaces are only needed temporarily. Other times, you can create a new workspace and delete the old one. Whatever the reason, this section will teach you how to delete the entire workspace.

Keep in mind that deleting a workspace is not something you can undo. Once you have deleted the workspace, all sent messages and files will be permanently deleted. So before you decide to delete an entire workspace from Slack, consider exporting the relevant messages and file data to a computer.

Please understand that only messages and files that were sent in public channels will be exported. Private channel, direct messages, and edit/delete logs are not included. Before proceeding with the workspace deletion process, back up your data.

1. Open your workspace using the web or desktop app.
2. Navigate to “Configuration and administration” like you did before.
   
3. Select “Workspace configuration.
   
4. Scroll all the way to the “Delete workspace” section. But don’t delete your workspace just yet.
   
5. Click “Export your data.”
   
6. Select the desired “Export date range”.
   
7. Click on “Start Export”.
   

When the export is complete (or if you’ve decided not to take a backup), go ahead and delete that workspace that you no longer need.

1. Under the “Delete workspace” section, click “Delete workspace”.
   
2. Check the box to confirm that you understand what deleting the workspace entails.
   
3. Enter your Slack password.
   
4. Click on “Yes, delete my workspace.”
   
5. Confirm again that you are 100 percent sure you want to delete it.
   

Your workspace should be deleted successfully.

Additional FAQs

Slack is a great tool for working with other people. If you have more questions about the platform, read on.

Will the person be notified that they have been removed?

No. Slack will not send any notification about user removal. But the person will surely know that you’ve kicked them when they try to navigate to the workspace.

The user will also not receive a notification if you deactivate their account in the workspace. They simply will no longer have access to it.

How do you delete someone else’s message in Slack?

If you have permission to do so, you can delete or edit your own messages in Slack. To do this, click on the three dots icon, select the delete message option and confirm. The same goes for editing the message: tap and hold to get the delete message option on tablets/smartphones, then select the edit option. That said, you can’t delete someone else’s messages in Slack.

Can you recover deleted messages in Slack?

Once you delete a message, it disappears completely. It is not recoverable. Even if you are the administrator/owner of the entire workspace, you will not be able to access or retrieve the message. However, administrators and owners can disable the delete/edit options.

Does deleting a message in Slack delete it for everyone?

If the settings created by a workspace administrator or owner allow users to delete messages, doing so will delete a message for everyone. Not even the admin, owner, or primary owner will be able to access it once it is gone.

Remove someone from a channel

As long as you have administrative privileges within a workspace, you can remove people from Slack channels and even deactivate them at the workspace level. However, before doing so, we suggest that you notify the person first to avoid any awkward situations.

Have you managed to remove a user from a channel? What about deactivating your account within a workspace? Do you have any additional questions? If so, head to the comments section below and fire away. And don’t refrain from adding some tips of your own either.