How to Clear Messages on iPhone – Delete Text Individually/Multiple/All

September 14, 2023Louisa White

Old conversations are keeping your message list longer. You wonder how to delete messages on your iPhone to organize the Messages app to keep prying eyes from seeing important information. On the contrary, though erasing conversations does not free up more storage, it is ideal to clean your device from junk and piled-up messages you no longer need. Without further ado, let's see the different ways for message deletions.

Delete Messages on iPhone

Part 1. How to Delete Messages on iPhone in the Messages App

When texting someone, you will not mind if the conversation gets longer, and you will not bother to remove the texts afterward. The messages easily pile up, but erasing them is easy. What’s more, there are more routes for deleting messages, such as deleting a single message, a whole conversation, or bulk. But before using these methods, ensure you have already backed up the texts with iCloud or iTunes to make sure you can still recover the deleted iPhone messages even when you make a mistake. Unless you don’t want to keep any message, here’s how to clear messages on your iPhone:

Delete a Single Text Message

If one text has a private message and shouldn’t stay on the conversation, then you can delete it easily on your iPhone. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1:
Tap the Messages app from the home screen. Or swipe to the left and use the search bar to find the app.
Step 2:
Tap a contact name to open the conversation. Then, press and hold a text bubble to reveal options.
Delete One Text on iPhone
Step 3:
When you choose the More option, blank circles will appear on the side of the text. Highlight the circle of the message you want to delete.
Step 4:
Once done, tap the Trash Bin button at the lower left part of the screen. Confirm by pressing the Delete Message button.

How to Delete One Conversation on iPhone

With this method, you will learn how to delete the whole conversation of one contact name. It is also ideal to remove promotional texts or spam messages.

Step 1:
Open the Messages app and locate the contact name on the list.
Step 2:
Tap the name and swipe left. It will reveal the mute and delete options. Tap the Delete button.
Delete One Conversation on iPhone
Step 3:
Once the prompt appears below the screen, press the Delete button to confirm the message deletion.

How to Delete Different Conversations at Once

If you wish to shorten or empty the Messages app, you can simultaneously remove conversations from multiple contact names. It only requires a few steps to do so and make sure you also empty the trash bin to prevent any possible recovery of the deleted messages after deleting them:

Step 1:
From the main UI of the Messages app, tap the More button from the top right corner. Choose the Select Messages option from the submenu.
Step 2:
When black circles appear on the left side of the conversations, tick to highlight the names you want to erase.
iOS Delete Multiple Conversation
Step 3:
Once done choosing, tap Delete from the lower right corner of the screen. Tap Delete to confirm.

Part 2. How to Delete Messages on iPhone with a Computer

Do you want to erase all message data from your iPhone with just one click? Aiseesoft MobieSync is an excellent tool to manage and transfer data from iOS to computer. It is designed to quickly connect a smartphone to a computer via the same WiFi network, USB cable, or QR code. Meanwhile, it scans the phone data and shows complete information for messages, which you can delete individually and select all. Furthermore, it allows you to manage other files like videos, photos, contacts, and music and clean duplicates to free up more space. Click Download and experience easier iPhone message deletion.

MobieSync

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MobieSync

  • A multifunctional tool to organize and transfer data on iOS, Android, etc.
  • Quickly back up and restore files from a smartphone to a PC, and vice versa.
  • Provide built-in HEIC Converter and Ringtone Maker as additional features.
  • Enable to export contacts to PC as vCard files and transfer to other devices.
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Step 1:
Download MobieSync from the official website and follow the prompts for installation. While downloading the software on your computer, download and install the app version on your iPhone. You can find it on the App Store and Google Play. Alternatively, use a USB cable to connect the iPhone to the computer.
Aiseesoft MobieSync Connect
Step 2:
After connecting, the software will show the mobile information. Proceed to the Message tab at the left panel of the interface. Tick the checkboxes of the conversations you want to delete or choose the Select All option from the top menu.
Aiseesoft MobieSync Message
Step 3:
Once done, click the Delete Item(s) button, and MobieSync will automatically clear messages on your iPhone. Check categories like videos, photos, and music, and manage or transfer them to the PC.
Aiseesoft MobieSync Check Delete
Step 4:
Visit the Toolbox menu where other features are available. Try Contact Restore, Contact Backup, HEIC Converter, or Ringtone Maker. For other settings, click the Menu button from the top right corner and open Preferences. Change the general and optional settings to your preferences.
Aiseesoft MobieSync Toolbox Preferences

Part 3. Bonus: Tips for Messages on iPhone

The good thing about the iPhone is it allows you to edit a message, even after sending it to the recipient. However, the Edit feature for texts is only available if the receiver is also an iPhone user. You can detect that when the Send button is blue, and the sent message is the same color. This means both the sender and receiver are using Apple devices to text. In this part, you will learn the best tips for message editing on iOS.

How to Edit Messages on iPhone:

Have you misinterpreted a message and want to remove it before the receiver sees it? Or do you want to undo the text because you sent it to the wrong person? Well, you can easily edit the text by following the instructions below:

Step 1:
Launch the Messages app and open the conversation you have to edit.
Step 2:
Tap and hold the text bubble to open the Options menu. Choose the Edit button from the list.
Step 3:
Enter or rewrite the text as needed. Tap the Check button to send or press the X option to cancel the edit.
iPhone Edit Messages

If the sender and receiver use iOS 17 and/or above, the message has the mark ‘Edited,’ and both users can see the previous unedited text. On the other hand, users with iOS 15.6 and/or older will only get new messages with the updated edit.

How to Back Up Messages Before Deleting on iPhone

This method is ideal for intentional message deletion on iPhone, but having another copy that you can view on iCloud. The good thing is you can see the messages once you log in on iCloud.com, even after deleting the texts from your device. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1:
Open settings and tap your name. Before proceeding, make sure you are connected to a stable WiFi network.
Step 2:
From the iCloud Backup menu, turn on the iCloud Backup setting by toggling on the switch.
iPhone iCloud Backup Message
Step 3:
Press the Back Up Now button and wait until the process is done. Then, log in to the iCloud website and open the Messages menu. Once you confirm, delete the messages from your iPhone.

How to Recover Deleted Messages: Use Aiseesoft iPhone Data Recovery

What if you have forgotten to back up the texts before backing up them on iCloud? One solution that can help you is Aiseesoft iPhone Data Recovery. It is a desktop tool that supports a wide range of iOS versions for data recovery. Its intuitive interface makes the process easier with 100% safe and fast speed, while the user only needs to connect the devices with a compatible USB cable. Aside from its scanning algorithm, the tool can also back up the recovered data by logging in to the iCloud account. Make it simpler to recover the deleted SMS on your iPhone.

iPhone Data Recovery

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iPhone Data Recovery

  • Recover deleted data, such as texts, video clips, photos, etc.
  • Enable to extract data from iTunes backup files.
  • Support iPhone 7/8/X/XS/11/12/13/14, iPad, and Mac.
  • Does not require passwords or backups to recover data.
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Step 1:
Download and install Aiseesoft iPhone Data Recovery on your computer. Launch it afterward. Plug a USB cable to connect the iOS device. Then, tap the Trust button from your phone screen once prompted.
Aiseesoft Download Install Connect Device
Step 2:
Once the app is connected to the smartphone, select Recover from iOS Device, and then click the Start Scan button to begin the process. The scanned files will be listed in their respective categories (camera roll, messages, audio, etc.)
Aiseesoft Start Scan Recover
Step 3:
Tick the checkboxes of the files you want to keep. Click the Recover button to export the selected files to the computer. In case you need to extract data from your iCloud backup, choose the Recover from iCloud option from Aiseesoft iPhone Data Recovery.
Aiseesoft Recovery from iCloud

Part 4. FAQs about Deleting Messages on iPhone

When you delete messages on your iPhone, does it delete for the other person?

No. Deleting a text or a whole conversation makes them disappear on your device only. Unfortunately, the recipients or receivers still have the messages unless they delete them on their iPhones.

How do I bulk delete messages on my iPhone?

From the Messages app, open the desired conversation. Long-press one message bubble until a menu appears. Tap the More option, and circles will be revealed from the left side. Highlight as many message bubbles as needed, then tap the Delete button.

How long does an iPhone hold deleted messages for?

Deleted texts are stored in the Recently folder for 30 days. You can still recover the messages from the Messages app within the given time range.

Will the iPhone notify someone when I delete a text in the conversation?

No. The receiver or the iPhone user will not get a notification when you delete messages. This is also the same when you unsend and edit a text.

How to recover deleted SMS on iPhone?

Open the Messages app and tap the Edit button at the top right corner. Choose the Recently Deleted option. Use the Filters option and select Recently Deleted. Recover the messages by tapping the arrow pointing to the left.

Conclusion

This article showed the detailed steps on how to delete messages on iPhone. It helps to keep private messages away from prying eyes or minimize the long list of conversations. Use Aiseesoft MobieSync to one-click delete all messages on your phone and Aiseesoft iPhone Data Recovery to recover the deleted files. Try these amazing tools from the official website.

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