Can I delete iMessages conversations across all devices.... yet? ever?

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Level 1

13 points

Can I delete iMessages conversations across all devices.... yet? ever?

I see https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7375260 dates back to 2015 but is still a problem, so I decided to ask the same question as the original poster. If I delete a conversation on my iPhone, can it be deleted across all other devices I have?

This is bad for all conversations but is especially awful for all the crappy little business texts we get. When grubhub texts me that my order is in the works, great, noted, then I delete it. But then it's still there on MacBook and on my iPad when I happen to check messages there a week later. This is beyond frustrating. It's depressing. Sad. Pathetic. Why would anyone want this "feature"?

Is there a way I can do this but just have been unable to spot the option to do so? I'll gladly be embarrassed for asking this question here if such an option actually exists.

Is there a chance Apple will ever fix this? Or, let me rephrase, will Apple ever allow their irrational users to opt out of this wonderful feature?

Posted on Jul 16, 2021 3:55 PM

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Answer 1

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muguy

Level 9

77,443 points

Jul 16, 2021 4:04 PM in response to adrianlafond

If you enable messages in the cloud, your conversations should sync. Visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208532 for details.

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Answer 2

adrianlafond Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 16, 2021 4:45 PM in response to muguy

Great. Thank you. Hopefully that works.

I had iCloud for iMessages disabled on my phone. Was already enabled on my Mac. I clicked "sync" after enabling everywhere and nothing happened. I also explicitly ran iCloud backup from my phone and when that was complete clicked "sync" again on the Mac, but still nothing nothing happened. Perhaps it will work later as iCloud sync is not the swiftest.

I am mystified why enabling iCloud for iMessages is apparently totally different than signing into iMessages for the same iCloud account.

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Answer 3

adrianlafond Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 16, 2021 7:06 PM in response to adrianlafond

Edit: Figured out that this works with messages going forward, which is great. There doesn't seem to be a way to sync old messages. The old messages must be stored locally so I tried removing user/library/Messages and then restarting Messages but they all came right back. My MacBook is a 2013 so I guess eventually I'll get a new one so that will fix it :/

Anyway, thank you again for your help. I am still frustrated with Apple, however. I've had this problem going back as far as Messages has existed on Mac (a decade ago?). So apparently sometime in the last half decade or so it was fixed but there was never any indication that a fix was made or that users had to change any settings to enable it. A simple dialog with "Your messages are not syncing. To enable syncing, do this.... [ ] Do not show again" would have been wonderful.

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Can I delete iMessages conversations across all devices.... yet? ever?

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