Big Sur - Keyboard shortcut key for deleting messages in the Messages app?

You have to type the command exactly as found in the menu, including the ellipsis if there is one. On a US keyboard, option-; creates an ellipsis. Or, it will take three periods (or it should).

Here is the help page for creating custom shortcuts: Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac - Apple Support

After selecting App Shortcuts, click the Add button ( + ) to create a new shortcut.

Choose the app it applies to (Messages) and type in the name of the command as it appears in the menu.

Click in the Shortcut field and type the command you want to use to invoke the menu item.

Instructions, here: Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac - Apple Support

They must have dropped that functionality on that dialog box in Big Sur.

I've used it on other dialogs in other apps, but maybe they are stripping it out or just failed to implement it on Messages "Delete Conversation…" Cmd+<first letter of button> was fairly common on most macOS apps.

I suppose the next best thing is to turn on "Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls" in the Shortcuts tab of Keyboard system prefs. You would then need to tab to the delete button and hit spacebar to activate it.

My trackpad allows me to use two fingers to swipe left. Then the delete icon appears. This mimics the iPhone.

No. However, if you keep holding down the command key and then press d again when the dialog appears, it should “click” the delete button.

If you use the command key for your shortcut, it essentially becomes a two key press operation.

I know this is a workaround, but, it's a GOOD workaround...

If you own a Mac you almost certainly own an iPhone, an iPad, or both...

If so - make sure you are using iCloud for Messages (with the same account obviously) on your Mac, and your iPhone and/or iPad... Then just go to your iPhone or iPad - multi-select all of the messages you want gone - delete them - and they will be gone on your Mac too... I get a ton of messages like the rest of you and now I just use my iPhone to select and delete the messages and my Mac thanks me for it later...

Thanks for the tip jadubin...I find that this is actually faster than the keyboard shortcut now because you can swipe left, click delete with one hand, tab (to select the delete option) and spacebar to delete. I think the point overall is that you can no longer select multiple messages using the shift key and then delete en masse

If you read this from the top on down, someone gives an example of what you have to name your shortcut and I believe you need 3 "." after "Delete Conversation"...

One thing I found today which may or may not be helpful to anyone:

And it seems obvious - but - for some reason I didn't have my Messages app set up to use iCloud on my Mac, my iPad, or my iPhone... So every message I was deleting on all 3 devices... Anywhos - I changed my iCloud settings on all 3 devices to enable Messages and now if I delete a message from one device, it is GONE on all 3... Why that is helpful, is that with iPad or iPhone you can select multiple messages and send them to the Trash.... Once done - they are gone forever - even from my Mac Mini.

If you don't have an iPhone or iPad this is of no use to you - but if so - give it a try... It's an acceptable solution for me and was better than creating the shortcut on my Mac which only gave me the ability to CMD-D one message at a time and then manually click on "delete" to boot - so a 2 step process...

I don't know... Worked for me and now I'm slightly less mad at Apple now! :-)

I added the shortcut and also had to name it "Delete Conversation..." Command D works, but if I do it twice it doesn't workaround having to click on the delete. The old way with the X also made me have to click on delete and it has been like this for years. After all this, I accidentally did the slide to the left on a message and it worked!! But, I still have to move my mouse to hit delete, which is stupid!

I got it working as well, but it is "Command+D ... then Tab ... then space bar" to deleted a single conversation. That's a ludicrous combination for what should be a simple task IMHO.

If you turn on "Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls" you're going to break other things in messages currently — e.g. being able to use the arrow keys in your messages box or being able to start a new message and hit enter to select the person you want to send the message too. It's quite buggy currently.

The irony is that Apple support page says all you need to do is press delete after selecting the message 🤦🏻‍♂️:

https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/keyboard-shortcuts-ichtc78b3bff/mac

No, it doesn't. It says you can delete a message by selecting it, then pressing the delete key.

This thread is not about deleting a message. It is about Conversations.

A message is a single item in a Conversation. Selecting one and pressing the delete key will delete the message after confirmation.

Delete a conversation: Select a conversation, then choose File > Delete Conversation. Or, if you have a trackpad or a Magic Mouse, you can also swipe left with two fingers on the conversation in the sidebar, then click the Deletebutton .

Delete a conversation: Select a conversation, then choose File > Delete Conversation. Or, if you have a trackpad or a Magic Mouse, you can also swipe left with two fingers on the conversation in the sidebar, then click the Deletebutton .