Deleting photos from Messages in iCloud is a helpful way to manage your storage and keep your messages clutter-free. Here are the steps you can follow to delete photos from Messages in iCloud on your iOS device running iOS 16:
1. Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone/iPad.
2. Scroll down and tap on your Apple ID banner at the top.
3. Tap on "iCloud" and then select "Manage Storage."
4. Under "iCloud Storage," locate and tap on "Messages."
5. Tap on "Conversations" to view the list of your message threads.
6. Locate the conversation that contains the photos you want to delete and tap on it.
7. Scroll through the conversation to find the specific photo you wish to remove.
Now, to delete the photo:
8. Tap and hold on the photo until a popup menu appears.
9. From the menu options, select "More."
10. Now you can select multiple photos by tapping on each one.
11. Once you have selected the photos you want to delete, tap on the trash can icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
12. A confirmation message will appear. Tap on "Delete (number) Photos" to confirm the deletion.
That’s it! The selected photos will be deleted from the conversation in Messages in iCloud. This ensures that your photos no longer take up additional storage space and helps you better manage your device’s storage. Remember that this action will only delete the photos from your Messages in iCloud and not from other devices signed in with the same Apple ID.
Please note that the steps mentioned here are based on the assumption that you are using the latest version of iOS (iOS 16) and Apple’s latest iPhone models (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus).
Video Tutorial:Does deleting photos from messages delete from iCloud?
How do I delete photos stored in messages?
To delete photos stored in messages, follow these steps:
1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone 14 (or any other iPhone model running iOS 16).
2. Find the conversation containing the photos you want to delete.
3. Tap on the conversation to open it.
4. Scroll through the conversation until you find the specific photo or photos you wish to delete.
5. If you want to delete multiple photos at once, tap on the "Photos" button located above the keyboard. This will display all the photos shared in that conversation.
6. Tap and hold on a photo until a menu appears.
7. Select the "More" option from the menu. This allows you to select multiple photos.
8. Tap on the photos you want to delete. A blue checkmark will appear on each selected photo.
9. Once you’ve selected all the photos you want to delete, tap on the trash bin icon or "Delete All" button to remove them from the conversation.
10. If prompted, confirm your action by tapping on "Delete Message" or "Delete Photos".
By following these steps, you can easily delete photos stored in messages on your iPhone 14 running iOS 16.
How do I clear iCloud storage from messages?
To clear iCloud storage from messages, follow these steps:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on your Apple ID banner at the top, then select "iCloud" from the menu.
3. Scroll down and tap on "Manage Storage."
4. Under "Recommendations," you will find a list of apps that are using iCloud storage. Tap on "Messages."
5. Here, you will see details about your messages and attachments taking up the iCloud storage space. Tap on "Review Large Attachments."
6. This will show you a list of attachments in your messages, sorted by size. You can scroll through, and if you find any attachments that you no longer need, tap on them to select them. A checkmark should appear next to each selected attachment.
7. Once you have selected the attachments you want to remove, tap on the trash bin icon at the bottom right to delete them. Note that deleting attachments will not delete the actual text messages.
8. After deleting the attachments, you can also consider deleting old messages by going back to the previous screen and tapping on "Review Messages." This will allow you to delete individual conversations or all messages from a specific contact to free up even more iCloud storage space.
By following these steps, you can effectively clear iCloud storage taken up by messages and attachments without losing any important conversations.
Do deleted iPhone Messages stay on iCloud?
Deleted iPhone Messages do not stay on iCloud indefinitely. Here are the steps and reasons explaining why:
1. iCloud Backup: By default, iPhones are set to back up data, including messages, to iCloud. However, when you delete a message on your iPhone, it is not immediately removed from your iCloud backup. The backup keeps a snapshot of your device’s data at a specific time, and usually, it’s overwritten during subsequent backups.
2. Limited retention period: Apple retains iCloud backups for a limited period, typically 180 days, during which you can restore your device to an earlier backup. After this time, older backups are automatically deleted from iCloud.
3. End-to-end encryption: Apple utilizes end-to-end encryption for iMessage and FaceTime, meaning that messages sent between two Apple devices are securely encrypted and can only be decrypted by the intended recipients. This encryption helps protect your messages from unauthorized access, including Apple and iCloud.
4. Deletion synchronization: When you delete a message from your iPhone, it synchronizes the deletion across all connected devices using the same Apple ID. So, if you delete a message on one device, it should also be removed from your other devices, including iCloud.
5. Error margin: While it is highly unlikely, there is a small possibility that remnants of deleted messages may still exist in iCloud backups until they are overwritten. However, these remnants are not directly accessible and require forensic tools and expertise to recover, posing a significant challenge for anyone attempting to retrieve them.
To summarize, deleted iPhone Messages do not stay on iCloud forever. They may be temporarily retained in iCloud backups for a limited duration before being overwritten. Apple’s end-to-end encryption and synchronization mechanisms help ensure the privacy and security of your messages.
Why isn t my iCloud storage going down when I delete Messages?
When you delete messages from your iPhone, they are generally removed from your device, but that does not necessarily result in a reduction of your iCloud storage usage. Here’s why:
1. Messages in iCloud: If you have enabled the "Messages in iCloud" feature, your messages are stored in iCloud and synced across all your Apple devices. When you delete a message on one device, it is deleted from all connected devices. However, the space occupied by those messages may not immediately be freed up in your iCloud storage.
2. Deleted messages retention: iCloud retains deleted messages for a certain period of time, typically 30 days, to provide a recovery option in case you accidentally delete important information. During this retention period, even though the messages are not visible in your inbox, they continue to consume storage space.
3. Other iCloud data: Your iCloud storage is not solely dedicated to your messages. It is shared among various apps and data, such as device backups, photos, videos, documents, and app data. So, even if you delete messages, it’s possible that other data is using up the available storage, keeping the overall usage constant.
4. Time delay in reflecting changes: Sometimes, changes made on your device may not immediately reflect on the iCloud storage usage. This delay can happen due to syncing processes and server updates.
To resolve the issue and free up iCloud storage:
1. Disable "Messages in iCloud": If you no longer want messages to be stored in iCloud, you can disable the "Messages in iCloud" feature. This will remove messages from storage and reduce your iCloud usage.
2. Check other data: Check if other data like photos, videos, documents, or app backups are using a significant amount of storage. Review and delete unnecessary files to make more space.
3. Give it time: If you recently deleted messages, it may take some time for iCloud to reflect the changes. Allow sufficient time for the changes to sync and storage usage to update.
4. Monitor storage usage: Regularly monitor your iCloud storage usage to identify which apps or data are consuming the most space. This will help you manage your storage more effectively.
Remember, these steps can help address the issue, but it’s essential to note that iCloud storage management can be complex, and individual circumstances may vary.
Why can’t I delete photos from iPhone messages?
When it comes to deleting photos from iPhone messages, there could be a few reasons why you might encounter difficulties. Here are a few possible explanations:
1. Photo synchronization: iPhones often have the option to sync messages across multiple devices using iCloud. If your iPhone is connected to other Apple devices, such as a Mac or iPad, the photos you’re trying to delete might be stored on those devices as well. To completely remove the photos, you may need to delete them from all synchronized devices.
2. Storage optimization: iPhones often include a feature called "Optimize iPhone Storage" under the iCloud settings. If enabled, this feature may optimize your device’s storage by storing lower-resolution or thumbnail versions of photos in messages. In such cases, you might be unable to delete the original full-resolution photos directly from the Messages app. To remove them, you may need to manage your device’s storage or disable the storage optimization feature.
3. iOS version: Sometimes, software updates can introduce new features or changes that affect certain functionalities. If you’re using an older version of iOS, it’s possible that the ability to delete photos from iPhone messages might be limited or not available. Updating to the latest version of iOS, like iOS 16 in this case, might resolve this issue.
To summarize, you might not be able to delete photos from iPhone messages due to synchronization with other devices, storage optimization settings, or iOS version limitations. Checking and managing these aspects should help you address the issue.
How do I stop photos from saving in messages?
To stop photos from saving in messages on your iPhone (in this case, referring to the latest iPhone models like iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Plus running on iOS 16), you can follow these steps:
1. Open the Settings app: Locate and tap on the "Settings" app on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Scroll down and find the "Messages" option: Look for the "Messages" option from the list of available settings.
3. Access the Messages settings: Tap on "Messages" to enter the Messages settings menu.
4. Disable the automatic photo saving: Within the Messages settings, you should find an option called "Auto-Saver Original Photos." By default, this setting is turned on. Tap on the switch next to it to disable it.
5. Verify the changes: Once you’ve disabled the auto-save feature, your iPhone will no longer save incoming photos automatically from the Messages app.
By following these steps, you can prevent photos sent to you in messages from being automatically saved to your device’s Photos app.