Q: Saved messages problem in iOS 7

Firstly you DO NOT have to do a factory reset / wipe device, it is simply not required to get the space back!!

Mine had 3GB and I just got rid of it all, here is how:

METHOD ONE:

1. Make a backup in iTunes
2. open iBackupBot (Google it)
3. Go to the relevant backup
4. Click on Multimedia File Manager and click on the other Multimedia files tab
5. Sort by filename by clicking the Filename tab
6. Find MediaDomain/Library/SMS/Attachments and highlight all of them, then press delete.  You can also click to export to a folder of your choice, if you want to save them that is. 
7. Then go to System Files>MediaDomain>Library>SMS>Attachments
8. They will be all listed here, highlight them all and press delete
9. Then just restore that backup using iTunes! 

  Tadaa! Space recovered, your messages are still there but without the attachments!  METHOD TWO:

1. Backup your device in iTunes and then to iCloud
2. Go to Settings>iCloud and toggle Documents & Data to OFF
3. Then do a 2nd backup to iTunes and iCloud
4. Then restore the device from iCloud and the message attachments should be gone, turn Documents & Data back on again in the settings

PLEASE NOTE: Method two is a much longer process but some users may feel more comfortable with this method.

P.S You may want to make two backups in case you get any of the above steps wrong, but it is simple to follow the above and not do anything wrong!

P.P.S You could also just go through every single conversation and delete the attachments one by one, but if you have hundreds or thousands of attachments, this will take a VERY LONG TIME!!!

SOLUTION: Hello, I am an IT tech...not for Apple. The problem can be resolved by going into settings>general>spotlight search. After you tap "Spotlight Search", uncheck "Messages". Go back to general>usage and you will see that your space is back. I hope this helps!

Didn't work for my girlfriend.  The iBackupBot worked on my iPhone 5S and iPad 2.  In the process of doing it on my girlfriend's iPhone 5S and iPad 2.

The iBackupBot only takes about 10 minutes and its fairly simple.

Sorry-this doesn't work-mine was already unchecked and does nothing. 

I am so fed up 3.5 GB of space. The restore makes me nervous and seems like a big deal-and I am mad.  I shouldn't have to restore my phone to delete this. I bought a 32GB to have more space...and this is a smack in the face.

Robin, do what Nick says works.  I did the ibackupbot and wiped the saved messages out. It is sad that you need to download a third party program to do this, but it does free up space.

Are you backing it up from ibackup bot or from iTunes ?  If you back it up from iTunes how are you using the Ibackupbot after you have modified it?

BAcking up in itunes, then opening ibackup, opening that back up, and deleting the attachments, going back to itunes and restoring that back up in phone.

Well I am about done.  Only a true Apple lover would put up with as much nonesense as I have trying to get rid of these messages.  Today I have:

1.  Tried to do a backup and restore using IBackupbot on my PC and ITUNES freezes and won't open.  I have been reseraching this problem and see that it exists but everything I have done can't fix it. 

2. The one or two times Itunes has worked-I did a back up, used Ibackupbot to clean out the files-when I went to restore-there wasn't a back up to restore from. 

3. So I moved to my older MAC-and tried to backup my phone...but even with 65GB of open space, the machine says -can't back up not enough space. I researched this to find-this too seems to be a problem as there is a page deditcated to it on the support forums.  So I tried their solutions and nothing. 

4. I have come back to my PC and am trying once more to open ITUNES and fighting all the freezes after trying many different fixes from killing processes to repairing ITUNES and Quicktime but nothing. 

I have come to the conclusion these are clearly signs from the APPLE GODS not to mess with the 3.5GB of saved messages on my phone.  SO now instead of owning a 32 GB phone I have resided to dealing with the ownership of a 28.5 GB phone. 

#SOFRUSTRATED...

I think you are getting yourself a little worked up.

I'm not sure if you are doing it in this order but just incase try it like this:

Open iTunes, back up your device.

Close iTunes, open up iBackUpBot (Phone can be plugged in if you want, doesn't matter)

Edit the backup file.

Close iBackupBot (it should take a couple minutes because it has to save the new backup file)

Open iTunes

Go to Device menu -> Right click the device and click restore from backup.  Click the backup file.  Will only take 5 minutes to rewrite the info on your device.

You have to be patient because you are making the file in one program, editing it another and then reusing it in the original program.  It is possible that you need to "retrust" your PC when you reopen iTunes, so leave your phone unlocked and on when doing so.

Goodluck

Yes I am worked up, and I have done all of the things you mentioned...I have backed up, I have edited the file, I have tried to restore....but the freezing itunes issue doesn't let me. I keep getting messages about sync services not working, or it just won't open on my pc.  On my mac it doesn't have enough space messages keep appearing even though I have 52 GB.  Both of these appear to be known problems.  I appreciate you reviewing those steps.  It is just so frustrating to hit roadblock after roadblock. I am trying again this morning. 

When I finally tried to backup the phone using ITunes from my computer it says there isn't enough memory to do a restore on my phone.  Well that is the **** problem!  There isn't enough memory to do anything cause now my messages have grown to over 5.5 gigs of data.  I created a backup went to ibackupbot deleted the messages went back to iTunes and then tried to restore.  It simply says not enough memory on your iphone to do a restore.

Is you message inbox completely clear? If thats the case then there is something wrong with iOS on your device. If not, clear it out and it will go back down to only the attachment amount.  After than clear our your camera roll, delete some music, movies, apps and what not, complete the restore and readd those items back on. 

Yes it's completely clear.  I pretty much have it as apart of my daily routine that I wipe all my messages, browsing history, cookies and anything else that can free up space.  I literally have only 19 apps on my phone and approx. 4 gigs of photos, that's it.  Even my iCloud says it I have 8.9 gigs of data of backup from my iphone.  When I showed the apple store that the only thing that is selected to be backed up is 2.9 gigs of photo data and 230kb of notes he was clueless.  He also told me if I upgrade to a new phone the problem will simply carry on.  He told me that the only solution would be to wipe my phone clean and start off new.  I told him if I am forces to do that why stay with apple and might as well go to android where I can control my phone.

But thank you for help!  

Well your iCloud Backup is 2.9GB of photo data and 5.5GB of message data.  Thats the problem with your backup file.  The only thing you can do instead of erasing and starting over is deleteing as much stuff as possible from your phone, creating a new backup and start the process again with editing it.  If you trasnfer all your photo data to your computer, and delete it off the phone, that will give you 2.9GB back on your phone to work with.  After you restore from backup, you can just sync the photos back on.