The iMessage feature on the iPhone is an excellent texting platform that allows you to send and receive messages with many cool features. However, there might come a moment when you are concerned with deleting a message rather than sending one.
There can be several reasons to delete messages on your iPhone. Deleting texts from your own iPhone requires minimal effort. However, deleting messages from the recipient’s phone might require more time and effort. To delete messages on iPhone from both sides, you will need access to both iMessage accounts: yours and the recipients.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to delete messages on iPhones from both sides, so read on!
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How To Delete Messages on iPhone
If your inbox is too full or you wish to remove a specific person’s text thread, you can choose to delete the text message chain from your iPhone. To make the process as easy and simple as possible, we’ve listed the steps to help you navigate the process quickly.
There are three simple ways you can delete messages from your iPhone. You have the option of deleting both single and multiple message threads on your iPhone as well as certain specific texts. We describe how each of these methods work in more detail below:
Method #1: Delete Message Threads on your iPhone
Go through the following steps to delete a chat from your iPhone:
- First, open the Messages app on your iPhone. You can usually find it at the bottom right of your screen.
- All your messages will be displayed on the screen. Here you can see your various chats with people, including group chats.
- To delete a specific person’s chat, swipe left on the desired chat. You’ll see two options.
- Click the Trash icon to delete the chat. All the messages from that chat will now be permanently deleted from your iPhone.
Deleting messages frees up storage, so you avoid your iPhone Storage Not Loading. It may also help if your iPhone Doesn’t Receive Verification Texts.
Method #2: Delete specific texts on your iPhone
You can also delete specific texts from a text chain you have with another person.
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Open the chat in which you wish to delete specific texts.
- Hold the message you want to delete. You will not see a bunch of options. Click more.
- A trash icon will appear at the bottom left of the screen. Select the messages you want to delete and click the trash icon.
- The specific chats will now be permanently deleted from your iPhone.
If this is an old message and you would like to make sure you have deleted it, please read our instructions on How to Search Text Messages By Date on iPhone so you can prove to yourself it has been removed.
Method #3: Delete Multiple Message threads from your iPhone
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Click the Edit button on the top left corner of the screen.
- Tap Select Messages.
- Select the messages you want to delete. You can select as many as you want.
- Tap the Delete option at the bottom of the screen.
- This will permanently delete all your selected messages from your iPhone.
How To Delete Messages From The Recipient’s iPhone
Unfortunately, you cannot delete messages from the recipient’s iPhone unless you have access to their device. If the iCloud on the receiver’s phone is also signed into your iPhone, you might be able to delete the texts from both sides, but not otherwise.
To delete texts from the recipient’s iPhone, ensure you have the device with you. Once you have access, follow these steps to delete the texts:
- Open the Messages app on their iPhone.
- Open your chat if you wish to delete your messages from their iPhones.
- Hold the text you want to delete.
- You can select one or more messages, depending on how many you want to delete.
- Click the Trash icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Hit Delete and the texts will be permanently gone!
If you would like to check your history to see if the messages have been removed, we have a guide which explains How to Go Back Further in Call History on your iPhone.
You may also be interested in other iMessage quirks – such as Will iMessage Say Delivered if Blocked? Lets find out!
Can you Keep Messages in your iCloud
You might want to delete a text chain because it takes up too much space, or you may have other reasons. But what if you might need the data later? Can you delete the texts but still have them somewhere for later access?
The iPhone comes with a very handy iCloud storage option which syncs your desired data in the iPhone to an online storage platform. You can also save messages in your iCloud. This way, if you delete some messages on your iPhone, you still have them safely tucked away in the iCloud in case you need them again.
The process is pretty simple too! Here’s how you can do that.
How to delete messages from your iPhone but not from iCloud
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- You’ll see your Apple account information at the top of your screen. Open that.
- Tap the iCloud option on the screen that appears.
- Make sure the toggle button next to Messages is turned on. If not, turn it on and ensure it’s green.
- Your messages will now start syncing to iCloud. Your deleted messages will also be stored in the iCloud for later use, along with your other data.
If you decide to delete the messages completely, we have an article which explains How To Delete Messages From iCloud.
How To Unsend Messages On An iPhone
Have you ever sent a message that you regret? Or make a horrible typo in an important text? At some point in our lives, we have all accidentally sent texts to the wrong people and wish they could be taken back. Luckily, the new iPhone update allows you to unsend messages!
If you have iOS 16 or above, the iMessages you send can be unsent for up to minutes after sending them. The unsend feature allows you to remove texts from your iPhone and the recipient’s iPhone. The recipient will get a notification that you have unsent a message, but they will not be able to see what exactly you have unsent. Sounds pretty cool, right?
Luckily, unsending messages on your iPhone is a simple and easy process. There are only a few short steps, and we’ve explained them here to make it doable for anyone.
Method #1: How to unsend messages on an iPhone
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Open the chat you’ve recently sent and wish to unsend. Remember, it only works if the chat was sent two minutes ago or less!
- Hold the message you want to unsend.
- Tap the Undo Send option.
- The message will now be unsent and gone from the recipient’s device!
This option only works if the recipient also uses iOS 16 or above. If they have an older version of the iOS, the original message will remain in their chat, and they will still be able to see it. The unsend feature is not available for SMS either. You can only do this if it is an iMessage.
Method #2: How to Edit a Message on your iPhone
With this new update, you can edit a recently sent message. This allows you to fix typos or rephrase the text however you please. The only catch is that you can do this only within the first 15 minutes of sending the text.
To edit a specific text, follow the following steps and make your desired changes within seconds.
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Open the chat you wish to edit.
- Tap and hold the message you want to make changes to.
- Tap the Edit option. You will now be allowed to make changes as you please.
- Make the changes you desire, then tap the blue tick to resend the new edited message. To discard the changes, tap X to revert back.
If your recipient uses iOS 16 or above, they will be notified that you have sent an edited message. You both will also be able to see any edits made in the texts. However, these changes will not be reflected for the recipient if they use an older version of the iOS.
We hope you found this article helpful. To keep getting the most out of your iphone, we have another article which explains How To Share your iPhone Battery.
Conclusion
Deleting messages from your iPhone is a simple and short task. However, deleting messages from someone else’s phone will require some effort. Having access to their device or iMessage account is the only way to delete messages from their phone and your phone.
An easy way to remove texts from the recipient’s iPhone is to unsend your messages. This will only work if the message has been sent recently, though. To delete older messages in the conversation, having access to the recipient’s iPhone is necessary.