You can delete a single message, an entire conversation, or multiple messages at once on iPhone
The method depends on what you want to remove. If you want to delete one message from a conversation, you swipe left on it and tap Delete. If you want to remove an entire conversation thread, you swipe left on the conversation name in your Messages list and tap Delete. You can also select multiple conversations at once and delete them together. All three methods work the same way whether you're using iMessage, SMS text messages, or group chats.
Deleted messages disappear from your iPhone immediately, but they may still exist on the other person's phone or in your iCloud backup if you have backups turned on. Deleting a message does not notify the other person that you removed it.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe left on a single message within a conversation to delete just that one message, then tap the red Delete button.
- Swipe left on a conversation name in your Messages list to delete an entire thread with all its messages at once.
- Tap Edit in the upper left of your Messages list, then tap the red minus sign next to multiple conversations to delete several at once.
- Deleted messages are gone from your iPhone but may still appear in iCloud backups or on the other person's device.
How to delete a single message from a conversation
Open the Messages app and find the conversation containing the message you want to remove. Tap into the conversation to see all the messages. Find the specific message and swipe left on it with your finger. A red Delete button will appear on the right side of the message.
Tap the red Delete button. The message disappears from the conversation immediately. The rest of the conversation remains intact — only that one message is removed. This works for messages you sent, messages you received, photos, videos, and links.
How to delete an entire conversation
Open the Messages app and look at your list of conversations. Find the conversation you want to remove and swipe left on it. A red Delete button appears on the right side of the conversation name.
Tap Delete. The entire conversation thread disappears, including all messages, photos, and other content in that chat. If the person messages you again later, a new conversation thread will start. You can also long-press on a conversation name and tap Delete from the menu that appears — this does the same thing.
How to delete multiple conversations at once
If you want to remove several conversations, you can select them all together instead of swiping one at a time. Open the Messages app and tap Edit in the upper left corner of your screen. The conversation list changes to show selection circles next to each conversation name.
Tap the circle next to each conversation you want to delete. The circles fill in with a checkmark as you select them. Once you've chosen all the conversations you want to remove, tap Delete in the lower right corner. All selected conversations disappear at once.
What happens to deleted messages
When you delete a message or conversation on your iPhone, it is removed from your device immediately. However, the message still exists on the other person's phone — deleting it from your side does not erase it from theirs. They will still see the message in their conversation with you unless they delete it themselves.
If you have iCloud backups turned on, deleted messages may be stored in your backup files. This means if you restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup, deleted messages could reappear. To prevent this, you can turn off iCloud backups before deleting messages, or you can delete your existing iCloud backup and create a new one after removing the messages.
Recovering a deleted message
If you delete a message by accident, you cannot undo the deletion directly through the Messages app. However, if you have an iCloud backup from before you deleted the message, you can restore your entire iPhone from that backup to get the message back. This will also restore all other data to that earlier point in time.
To check if you have a backup, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, tap iCloud, then tap Manage Storage. You'll see a list of backups and when they were created. If you want to restore from a backup, go to Settings, tap General, tap Transfer or Reset, then tap Erase All Content and Settings. During setup, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and select the backup date you want.
Clearing your entire Messages app
If you want to delete all conversations at once rather than one by one, you can use the Edit button. Open Messages, tap Edit, then tap Select All in the upper left (if available on your iOS version). This selects every conversation. Then tap Delete to remove them all.
Alternatively, you can delete the Messages app itself and reinstall it from the App Store, though this is more drastic and will remove all your message history. For most people, using the Edit and Select All method is simpler and faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the other person see that I deleted a message?
No. When you delete a message from your iPhone, the other person does not receive any notification. The message remains on their phone in the conversation. They will only know you deleted it if they notice the message is missing from your phone when looking at it in person.
What's the difference between deleting a message and unsending it?
Deleting removes a message from your view only. Unsending (available in some messaging apps like iMessage on newer iOS versions) removes the message from both your phone and the recipient's phone. On standard iPhone Messages, you delete messages; unsend is a separate feature in some third-party apps.
If I delete a conversation, can I get the messages back?
Only if you restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup that was created before you deleted the conversation. Otherwise, the messages are permanently removed from your device. The other person will still have their copy of the conversation on their phone.
Does deleting a message free up storage space on my iPhone?
Deleting individual messages frees up a small amount of space, but the effect is usually minimal unless you delete many conversations with large photos or videos. If you need more storage, deleting old conversations with lots of media is more effective than deleting individual text messages.
Can I delete messages from a group chat?
Yes. You can delete individual messages from a group chat the same way you delete them from a one-on-one conversation — swipe left and tap Delete. You can also delete the entire group conversation. However, you cannot remove other people's messages from a group chat, only your own.