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User profile for user: Jasmor1
Jasmor1 Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Deleting large attachments when iMessage is set to save to the cloud

First, forgive me for asking a question that has probably been asked so many times before. I have Googled it, but it's tough to find this *exact* scenario.


I have an iPad and an iPhone and both are set to save iMessages to the cloud. My understanding is that this makes it so that iMessages are pulled from the cloud to either device, and thus do not take up local storage. However, I still have the option to review large attachments on each device. Are these attachments stored locally? Or when I delete these attachments, am I deleting them from iCloud?


In other words, if I delete the attachments in "review large attachments" on my iPad, will it also delete from my iPhone, if I have iMessage set to back up to iCloud?


Thank you for helping me wrap my head around this!

Posted on Dec 28, 2020 9:32 AM

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User profile for user: zinacef
zinacef
User level: Level 10
88,474 points

Posted on Dec 28, 2020 9:42 AM

Jasmor1 wrote:

I have an iPad and an iPhone and both are set to save iMessages to the cloud. My understanding is that this makes it so that iMessages are pulled from the cloud to either device, and thus do not take up local storage. However, I still have the option to review large attachments on each device. Are these attachments stored locally? Or when I delete these attachments, am I deleting them from iCloud?

The attachments are stored locally and in iCloud, i.e. it will take up space on both iCloud and on-device. When you delete these attachments you will delete from both. However, I've found that sometimes I'd have to go into Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Review Large Attachments and cull from there as well.


In other works, if I delete the attachment in "review large attachments" on my iPad, will it also delete from my iPhone, if I have iMessage set to back up to iCloud?

Yes, it'll delete on all.

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User profile for user: zinacef
zinacef
User level: Level 10
88,474 points

Dec 28, 2020 9:42 AM in response to Jasmor1

Jasmor1 wrote:

I have an iPad and an iPhone and both are set to save iMessages to the cloud. My understanding is that this makes it so that iMessages are pulled from the cloud to either device, and thus do not take up local storage. However, I still have the option to review large attachments on each device. Are these attachments stored locally? Or when I delete these attachments, am I deleting them from iCloud?

The attachments are stored locally and in iCloud, i.e. it will take up space on both iCloud and on-device. When you delete these attachments you will delete from both. However, I've found that sometimes I'd have to go into Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Review Large Attachments and cull from there as well.


In other works, if I delete the attachment in "review large attachments" on my iPad, will it also delete from my iPhone, if I have iMessage set to back up to iCloud?

Yes, it'll delete on all.

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Deleting large attachments when iMessage is set to save to the cloud

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