Delete messages and attachments on iPhone (2024)

FAQs

Does deleting iMessage attachments delete from camera roll? ›

Deleting messages or entire conversations in the Messages app does indeed remove any attachments they contain. However, if you've saved these attachments elsewhere on your device, like in the Photos app, they won't be deleted from there.

If you have a lot of big files, you see an option to Review Large Attachments, which will give you the fastest way to clear out space. Tap Edit. You can now select any of the images and videos in the list to delete them in bulk. Tap the trash icon when you're ready to delete them.

You can make more space available when you delete texts and attachments—like photos, videos, and files—that you don't need anymore.

A regular clear-out of your inbox will save you from reaching your storage and having to purchase more. And while it's impossible to delete attachments from emails natively in Gmail without having to delete the original message itself, it's worth deleting obsolete messages with large files attached to save some space.

If you want to remove an attachment from an email message you've received from someone else or a message you've sent, you can do this one message at a time. You cannot remove attachments from multiple messages at once.

Delete files on your iPhone or iPad

When you delete files from iCloud Drive or On My [device] in the Files app, they go into your Recently Deleted. After 30 days, your files are permanently deleted. Files deleted from Recently Deleted are deleted immediately and are not recoverable.

In the Mail app , you can attach photos, videos, and documents to an email. You can also scan a paper document and send it as a PDF attachment, or draw directly in an email and send the drawing as an attachment. Depending on the file size, the attachment might appear inline with the text in the email or as.

Is it good to delete messages on iPhone? ›

It's a good idea to delete old messages regularly, but sometimes we have message threads we use constantly, meaning the old messages would require a lot of scrolling and a lot of manual deleting. To help with this, iPhones have a feature that automatically deletes old messages for you.

If you saved the photo to the photos app, it will not remove the photo from your device if you delete it from iMessage attachments.

And don't forget your text messages–All those shared photos, videos, and GIFs can take up space. iPhone users can clear out big text attachments on the iPhone Storage screen. Another tip: Change your settings to save your text messages for a year or 30 days instead of forever.

Note: Deleting messages only affects your iPhone and other Apple devices where you're signed in with the same Apple ID. You can't delete messages, attachments, and conversations for anyone else.

The photo or video you selected will be permanently deleted, but the rest of the conversation will still appear in Messages.

When you delete photos and videos, they go to your Recently Deleted album for 30 days. After 30 days, they'll be permanently deleted. If you use iCloud Photos, and delete photos and videos from one device, the photos and videos will be deleted on your other devices.

Delete one or more messages

Note: When you delete a message, it's moved to the Recently Deleted folder on your device, but not anyone else's. When you want to delete a message for everyone, use Undo Send.