Deleting messages on your iPhone is a common task, but what if you want to remove them from both your device and the recipient’s device? In this blog article, we will provide you with a detailed and comprehensive guide on how to delete messages on iPhone from both sides. Whether you want to erase embarrassing or sensitive conversations, or simply declutter your messaging app, this article will help you achieve your goal.
Before we proceed, it’s important to understand the difference between deleting messages for yourself and deleting them for both parties involved. When you delete a message for yourself, it only disappears from your device, while the recipient can still see it. To completely remove a message from both devices, you need to use the “Delete for Everyone” feature.
Understanding the Basics
When you send a message on your iPhone, it gets stored on your device and the recipient’s device. Each device keeps a copy of the message, allowing both parties to access and view it. If you want to delete a message permanently, removing it from both devices is necessary.
Deleting messages from both sides is particularly useful in situations where you want to ensure privacy, such as sensitive conversations or personal information exchanges. It also helps to declutter your messaging app and free up storage space on your device.
Enabling the “Delete for Everyone” Feature
To enable the “Delete for Everyone” feature on your iPhone, follow these steps:
- Go to your device’s Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on “Messages”.
- Toggle on the “Delete Messages” option.
Enabling this feature ensures that any message you delete from your device will also be removed from the recipient’s device. Keep in mind that both devices need to have an active internet connection for this feature to work.
Deleting Individual Messages
If you want to delete specific messages from a conversation, follow these steps:
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Long-press on the message you wish to remove.
- Tap on “More” when the options appear.
- Tick the checkbox next to the message(s) you want to delete.
- Tap on the trash bin icon at the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete Message”.
By following these steps, you can delete individual messages from both sides of the conversation. This method allows you to selectively remove specific messages while keeping the rest of the conversation intact.
Deleting Entire Conversations
If you want to delete an entire conversation from both devices, follow these steps:
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Swipe left on the conversation you wish to remove.
- Tap on the “Delete” button that appears on the right.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete Conversation”.
This will remove the entire conversation, including all messages, from both your device and the recipient’s device. It’s an efficient way to declutter your messaging app and remove unwanted conversations.
Deleting Messages from iCloud
If your messages are backed up to iCloud, deleting them from your device might not remove them from iCloud. To ensure complete deletion, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
- Select “iCloud” from the list of options.
- Scroll down and toggle off the “Messages” option.
- Choose to “Delete from My iPhone” when prompted.
This will delete all messages from iCloud, ensuring they are removed from both your device and other synced devices. It’s an important step to take if you want to completely erase messages from all platforms.
Deleting Messages from Other Apps
Aside from the default Messages app, you may also use other messaging apps on your iPhone. To delete messages from these apps, the process may vary. However, most messaging apps have a similar method of selecting and deleting messages individually or in conversations. Here are some popular messaging apps and how to delete messages from them:
WhatsApp:
To delete messages on WhatsApp from both sides, follow these steps:
- Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Swipe left on the message you wish to remove.
- Tap on the trash bin icon that appears on the right.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete”.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from WhatsApp and ensure they are removed from both your device and the recipient’s device.
Facebook Messenger:
To delete messages on Facebook Messenger from both sides, follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook Messenger app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Tap on the person’s name at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap on “Delete Messages”.
- Select the messages you wish to delete by ticking the checkboxes.
- Tap on “Delete” at the bottom of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete” again.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from Facebook Messenger and ensure they are removed from both your device and the recipient’s device.
Telegram:
To delete messages on Telegram from both sides, follow these steps:
- Open the Telegram app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Long-press on the message you wish to remove.
- Tap on “Delete” when the options appear.
- Select the messages you wish to delete by ticking the checkboxes.
- Tap on the trash bin icon at the top of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete” again.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from Telegram and ensure they are removed from both your device and the recipient’s device.
Deleting Messages from Group Chats
If you want to delete messages from a group chat, follow these steps:
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Select the group chat containing the messages you want to delete.
- Long-press on any message within the group chat.
- Tap on “More” when the options appear.
- Select the messages you wish to delete by ticking the checkboxes.
- Tap on the trash bin icon at the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete Message”.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from group chats on both your device and the devices of other participants. It’s a convenient way to remove unwanted messages and keep your group chats organized.
Deleting Messages with Attachments
If you want to delete messages that include attachments such as photos, videos, or audio files, follow these steps:
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages with attachments.
- Long-press on the message that includes the attachment.
- Tap on “More” when the options appear.
- Select the messages with attachments you wish to delete by ticking the checkboxes.
- Tap on the trash bin icon at the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete Message”.
By following these steps, you can delete messages with attachments from both sides of the conversation. This method ensures that not only the text messages but also the associated media files are removed.
Deleting Messages on iMessage and SMS
The process of deleting messages on iMessage and SMS is the same. Whether you’re using iMessage or traditional SMS, you can follow the steps mentioned earlier to delete messages from both sides. Remember to enable the “Delete for Everyone” feature to ensure the messages are removed from the recipient’s device as well.
Deleting Messages from Third-Party Apps
If you use third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram, the process of deleting messages may differ from the default Messages app. Here are a few popular third-party messaging apps and how to delete messages from them:
Viber:
To delete messages on Viber from both sides, follow these steps:
- Open the Viber app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Long-press on the message you wish to remove.
- Tap on “Delete” when the options appear.
- Select the messages you wish to delete by ticking the checkboxes.
- Tap on the trash bin icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete” again.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from Viber and ensure they are removed from both your device and the recipient’s device.
WeChat:
To delete messages on WeChat from both sides, follow these steps:
- Open the WeChat app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Swipe left on the message you wish to remove.
- Tap on the trash bin icon that appears on the right.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete”.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from WeChat and ensure they are removed from both your device and the recipient’s device.
Line:
To delete messages on Line from both sides, follow these steps:
- Open the Line app on your iPhone.
- Select the conversation containing the messages you want to delete.
- Swipe left on the message you wish to remove.
- Tap on the trash bin icon that appears on the right.
- Confirm the deletion by tapping on “Delete”.
By following these steps, you can delete messages from Line and ensure they are removed from both your device and the recipient’s device.
Q: Can I delete messages on iPhone without the recipient knowing?
A: Unfortunately, when you delete a message using the “Delete for Everyone” feature, the recipient will know that a message has been deleted. They will see a notification stating that a message has been removed. This feature promotes transparency and lets recipients know when a message has been deleted.
Q: Can I retrieve deleted messages on iPhone?
A: If you have recently deleted messages, you may be able to recover them from the “Recently Deleted” folder within the Messages app. This folder acts as a temporary storage for deleted messages, allowing you to retrieve them within a certain time frame. However, if you have permanently deleted them or cleared the folder, it may not be possible to retrieve the messages.
Q: Will deleting messages on iPhone free up storage space?
A: Yes, deleting messages on your iPhone will free up storage space on your device. Messages, especially those with attachments, can take up a significant amount of space, so removing them can help optimize your device’s storage. If you have limited storage capacity or want to improve device performance, regularly deleting messages can be beneficial.
Q: Can I delete messages on iPhone but keep them on iCloud?
A: Yes, you have the option to delete messages from your device but keep them stored on iCloud. This can be done by disabling the “Messages” option in your iCloud settings. However, note that deleting messages from iCloud will also remove them from other synced devices. If you want to keep messages on iCloud but remove them from your device, it’s essential to back up your messages separately before deleting them.
Q: Can I delete messages on iPhone from my computer?
A: Yes, if you have enabled iCloud sync for messages, you can delete messages from your iPhone using the Messages app on your computer. Any changes made on your computer will reflect on your iPhone and vice versa. This synchronization allows you to manage your messages across devices conveniently. Whether you delete messages from your computer or iPhone, the changes will apply to both platforms.
Q: Can I delete messages on iPhone from a specific date range?
A: As of now, the iOS operating system does not offer a built-in feature to delete messages from a specific date range. However, you can manually select and delete messages individually or delete entire conversations to remove messages within a certain time frame. If youhave a large number of messages to delete from a specific date range, it may be more efficient to delete entire conversations or use third-party apps that offer advanced message management features.
Q: Will deleting messages on iPhone delete them from my iCloud backups?
A: No, deleting messages from your iPhone will not automatically delete them from your iCloud backups. The backups in iCloud are separate from the messages stored on your device. When you perform a backup, it creates a snapshot of your device’s data at that specific time, including messages. If you want to remove the messages from your backups as well, you will need to delete them from iCloud separately.
Q: Can I delete messages on iPhone permanently?
A: Yes, by following the steps mentioned in this guide, you can delete messages on iPhone from both sides permanently. Once deleted, the messages cannot be recovered unless you have a backup. It’s important to consider the consequences before permanently deleting messages, as they may contain valuable information or sentimental value.
Deleting messages on iPhone from both sides can be a useful feature when you want to ensure complete privacy or remove clutter from your messaging app. By following the steps provided in this comprehensive guide, you can easily delete messages, individual or in conversations, from both your device and the recipient’s device. Remember to enable the “Delete for Everyone” feature to ensure the messages are removed from both sides. Keep your messages organized and enjoy a cleaner messaging experience on your iPhone.