Delete individual messages or entire conversations
You can remove text messages from your iPhone in two ways: delete single messages one at a time, or delete an entire conversation at once. Both methods permanently remove the messages from your phone, though they work slightly differently depending on whether you're using the Messages app or iCloud.
The fastest way is to delete a whole conversation. Open the Messages app, find the conversation you want to remove, swipe left on it with your finger, and tap the trash icon that appears. The conversation and all its messages disappear immediately. If you want to delete only a few messages within a conversation instead, tap "Edit" in the top left corner of the Messages app, select the individual messages by tapping the circle next to each one, then tap "Delete" in the bottom right.
Both methods remove the messages from your phone's storage right away. However, if you use iCloud to back up your iPhone, those deleted messages may still exist in your iCloud backup until that backup updates or you manually delete the backup itself.
Key Takeaways
- Swiping left on a conversation in the Messages app and tapping the trash icon deletes the entire conversation and all its messages at once.
- To delete only specific messages within a conversation, tap Edit, select the messages you want to remove, and tap Delete.
- Deleted messages are removed from your phone immediately, but may remain in iCloud backups until the backup updates or you delete it manually.
- Turning off iCloud backup for Messages prevents future backups from storing your text messages, though it does not delete messages already backed up.
Stop iCloud from backing up your messages
If you delete messages but want to make sure they do not reappear in a future backup, you can turn off iCloud backup for the Messages app. This prevents new backups from storing your text messages going forward, but does not remove messages that are already in iCloud.
Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, select iCloud, then tap Manage Storage. Find "Backups" and tap it, then select your device name. Scroll down until you see "Messages" and toggle it off. From that point on, your text messages will not be included when your iPhone backs up to iCloud.
Keep in mind that turning off Messages backup means if you restore your iPhone from that backup later, your text messages will not come back with it. Your messages will still be on your phone until you delete them manually, but they will not transfer to a new device if you restore from backup.
Permanently remove messages from iCloud
Deleting messages from your phone does not automatically remove them from iCloud if you have backups enabled. To completely erase messages from iCloud, you need to delete the entire backup that contains them.
Go to Settings, tap your name, select iCloud, then tap Manage Storage. Choose "Backups" and select your device. At the bottom, tap "Delete Backup." This removes the entire backup from iCloud, including all the messages it contains. Your phone will create a new backup the next time it backs up to iCloud, but that new backup will not include any messages you have already deleted from your device.
Deleting your backup is a big step because it removes everything in that backup, not just messages — photos, contacts, app data, and settings are all erased from iCloud. Only do this if you are certain you do not need to restore from that particular backup.
What happens to deleted messages on a shared family plan
If you share an iCloud Family account with other people, deleting messages from your phone only affects your device. Other family members' phones and backups are not touched. Each person's messages are stored separately in iCloud, even on a shared account.
However, if someone else has access to your iPhone or your iCloud password, they could restore a backup containing your deleted messages. To prevent this, change your iCloud password after deleting sensitive messages, or enable two-factor authentication if you have not already.
Recover deleted messages if you change your mind
If you delete messages by accident, you may be able to recover them from an iCloud backup, but only if you have not yet deleted that backup. Recovering messages means restoring your entire phone from the backup, which overwrites everything currently on your device with the backed-up version.
To restore from backup, go to Settings, tap General, select Transfer or Reset, and choose "Erase All Content and Settings." When your phone restarts, you will be asked to set it up again. Choose "Restore from iCloud Backup," sign in with your Apple ID, and select the backup that contains the messages you want to recover. Your phone will restore to the state it was in when that backup was made, including the deleted messages.
This process takes time and erases anything you have added to your phone since that backup was made. Use it only if you absolutely need the deleted messages back and have not yet deleted the backup containing them.
Messages that stay on your phone even after deletion
Some messages may not disappear completely even after you delete them. If you have enabled the "Keep Messages" setting in the Messages app, old messages are automatically deleted after 30 days or one year depending on your choice, but messages you manually delete are gone immediately. This setting does not affect manual deletions.
Filtered messages — those marked as spam or from unknown senders — are stored separately in the Messages app. Deleting a filtered message removes it from that folder, but it does not affect the sender's ability to message you in the future. If you want to block a contact entirely, go to the conversation, tap the contact's name at the top, scroll down, and tap "Block this Caller."
If you use third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook Messenger, deleting messages from the native Messages app does not affect those apps. You must delete messages within each app separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone recover my deleted text messages from my iPhone?
If they have access to your iCloud backup and password, yes — they can restore your phone from a backup made before you deleted the messages. To prevent this, change your iCloud password and enable two-factor authentication. Deleting the backup itself removes the deleted messages permanently.
Do deleted messages take up storage space on my iPhone?
No. Once you delete a message, it no longer uses storage on your phone. However, if the message is still in your iCloud backup, it counts toward your iCloud storage limit until you delete that backup or the backup updates.
What is the difference between deleting a message and archiving it?
Deleting removes the message permanently. Archiving hides the conversation from your main message list but keeps it stored on your phone. You can find archived conversations by scrolling to the top of the Messages app and pulling down, or by searching for the contact's name.
If I delete a conversation, can the other person still see it on their phone?
Yes. Deleting a conversation from your phone only removes it from your device. The other person's copy of the conversation remains on their phone unless they delete it themselves.
Does turning off iCloud backup delete messages I already have on my phone?
No. Turning off iCloud backup for Messages only stops future backups from including your text messages. Messages already on your phone stay there until you manually delete them.