SMS messages don’t delete across all devices

I have an iPhone an I watch and an iPad. Well I received an iMessage, I receive on all devices. When I hit the delete key it deletes on all devices.


However some messages, I think mainly SMS Are received across all devices. However I have to delete them on each device separately. That bothers me. Anything I can do to have them deleted across all devices simultaneously? Thanks for any suggestions

iPad Pro, iPadOS 14

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 7:13 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 2, 2020 5:23 PM


Hello Danzo,


Thanks for asking the Apple Support Communities about SMS and iMessages.


iMessages delete as they are linked with your Apple ID. SMS Messages are from your cellular provider. About iMessage and SMS/MMS - Apple Support


To get everything to sync across, you need to use Messages in iCloud: Use Messages in iCloud - Apple Support


Make sure you maintain iCloud storage: Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

"If you run out of iCloud storage, your device won’t back up to iCloud, new photos and videos won't upload to iCloud Photos, and iCloud Drive, other iCloud apps, and text messages won't stay up to date across your devices. And you can't send or receive emails with your iCloud email address."


To buy more iCloud storage: Upgrade your iCloud storage plan - Apple Support


Cheers.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 2, 2020 5:23 PM in response to Danzo


Hello Danzo,


Thanks for asking the Apple Support Communities about SMS and iMessages.


iMessages delete as they are linked with your Apple ID. SMS Messages are from your cellular provider. About iMessage and SMS/MMS - Apple Support


To get everything to sync across, you need to use Messages in iCloud: Use Messages in iCloud - Apple Support


Make sure you maintain iCloud storage: Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

"If you run out of iCloud storage, your device won’t back up to iCloud, new photos and videos won't upload to iCloud Photos, and iCloud Drive, other iCloud apps, and text messages won't stay up to date across your devices. And you can't send or receive emails with your iCloud email address."


To buy more iCloud storage: Upgrade your iCloud storage plan - Apple Support


Cheers.

Dec 2, 2020 7:03 PM in response to Eric--F

Apologize I’m not making myself clear - my bad.


I do have all msgs in iCloud. With 2 terabytes of storage, I have plenty of space. There are traffic messages I get from my county, messages from pillboxes reminding me to take my pills and others that I don’t want to have on my devices as unread or visible after I have read them on any device.

After I read a message on one device, I want it to be shown as read on all devices. If It is an iMessage, it works perfectly. If it is other than an iMessage, it continues to show as unread on all the other devices unless/until I go into each device and click on that message. I was hoping there was a way that text messages (other than I messages) would show as read on my other devices I CPE I read it on one device.

Dec 2, 2020 5:31 PM in response to Danzo

Thanks for your answer.


I have plenty of storage to my iCloud account. My iMessages delete fine. But messages to me from other than iPhones show up just fine across all my devices.

However, deleting them from one device still leaves them on all the other devices. That drives me crazy.


If I read into your answer, you are saying that only iMessages will delete across devices. Other messages received have to be deleted separately from each device. That’s a pain when you have five devices, some of which you only use once every month

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SMS messages don’t delete across all devices

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