Remove iMessages on iPad ONLY

View the section for turning off messages in iCloud at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208960. Once you have done that on your iPad, you can safely delete messages. Send yourself one to test before you begin and be sure you have your other device backed up just for good measure.

All you should have to do is toggle the switch; no resets, logging out, etc. Once that's done your iPad is "isolated" from messages in the cloud.

Hi davekrkr,

Thanks for following up.

We understand you want to delete those messages on the iPad but do not want them to delete across other devices. You also are concerned about signing back into iMessage as you do not want other messages to download in.

The feature that brings messages in from ICloud and other devices is called Messages in iCloud. This feature can be managed separately from the iMessage service itself. Messages in iCloud is off by default, and you can ensure it is off by heading to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Messages and ensuring this is toggled off. If you are not signed into iCloud, messages will be unable to download in so this will not be a concern.

You can turn off Messages in iCloud on any of your devices, and this will prevent synchronization of Messages on those devices to or from iCloud.

If Messages in iCloud is on, changes made will go across devices, but if this is off, change such as deletions will only be on that specific device.

Use Messages in iCloud

Again, Messages in iCloud is off by default after a factory restore or after signing out of iCloud. As long as this is off in iCloud settings on the iPad, message content will not sync to or from the iPad if you sign into iMessage.

Hope this helps! Let us know if we can clarify anything further.

Turn off iCloud Messages on that device, sign out of Messages, then delete the messages you have on that device. You would probably want to make sure that nothing else is turned on in iCloud either, since it would take anything from your iCloud account you have on any other devices, like Contacts, Calendar, etc.

Hi davekrkr,

Thanks for reaching out using Apple Support Communities. Here to help.

We understand you are trying to delete messages from an iPad.

An iPad does require being signed into iMessages in order for the Messages app to function properly. Have you tried signing back in, deleting the messages, then signing out? The link below will have information regarding Messages on iPad.

Set up Messages on iPad

If you do wish to remove all of your data from the iPad so another user can use it, you may also want to consider the steps outlined in the link below.

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Hope this helps! Take care for now

If you are not using iCloud messages on the iPad, which as eric told you is a separate switch, then wiping the iPad as he provided will not wipe messages from your other devices.

Now, if you are going to sign into the device again with your Apple ID, it won't log into iMessage if you turn iMessage off. Even if it does, it shouldn't download past messages and you can then go in an delete those messages from the iPad. And like I said earlier, if you are not using iCloud Messages, which you can check if you go to Settings><yourname>iCloud and make sure it is off, then deleting messages on the iPad will not delete messages on any other devices you are logged into.

You can log in and then remove those messages. You are no longer connected to iCloud Messages unless it magically turned itself on and you can delete those messages like I said. Just because you log into iMessage again does not mean you are going to delete messages on your other devices. After you have deleted them all, then turn iMessage off, and then log out of iMessage.

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough in my explanation.