Hi.
I can not delete the entire conversation in a text message with one button in iOS 15.
Previously, I could select the text message > more > delete all and clear in entire conversation but this function is not available on the iOS 15 upgrade.
Is this permanent? Do I need to change a setting, or is there an error in the update?
Thank you.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iPhone SE, iOS 15
Hi Klfe143. You can delete all of the texts but you lose the conversation from the list of recent messages in the messaging app. Just open the messages app. and swipe left on the conversation that you want to delete. The other way is to "pin" the contact to the top of the messaging app then press/hold the icon and select delete. That way you can delete the conversation but the contact is pinned to the messaging app at the top so it's easier to start a new message.
Hi Klfe143. You can delete all of the texts but you lose the conversation from the list of recent messages in the messaging app. Just open the messages app. and swipe left on the conversation that you want to delete. The other way is to "pin" the contact to the top of the messaging app then press/hold the icon and select delete. That way you can delete the conversation but the contact is pinned to the messaging app at the top so it's easier to start a new message.
Open your text app. Select edit in the top left hand corner then select messages. Select the circle next to the whole conversation you want to delete and then select delete in the bottom right hand corner. And then select delete when prompted. Entire text conversation gone!
To delete all of the messages in a conversation, from the message list screen swipe left on the message thread and tap Delete, then confirm.
When viewing the list screen, swipe from right to left across the conversation and tap Delete.
Open your text app. Select edit in the top left hand corner then select messages. Select the circle next to the whole conversation you want to delete and then select delete in the bottom right hand corner. And then select delete when prompted. Entire text conversation gone!
That's not the same thing. That deletes the whole convo thread with the contact. We're talking about the "delete all" option that used to be inside the thread. It was removed in iOS 15. So when you press on a bubble and choose "more". The "delete all" button in the top left corner is no longer there. It allowed to delete all the conversation, but retaining the contact thread in the contact list.
Thanks Lawrence, but that is not exactly what we are all talking about. Your method starts at the top and blows the whole text thread away, afterward you no longer have an entry in the text list. We are talking about drilling within a text thread, selecting a message and then there was a more options selection we could select to delete the contents of the Text list stream, leaving the now empty text group entry there in the list. Apple removed the More Options method of clearing out texts. We all would like to see them add this functionality back.
Hi Lawrence, you are in the right place but the thing that is missing is the "Delete All". Sure we could select all the radio buttons for the texts to delete and leave one, but some of these text threads for us will get tens or hundreds of texts per day. Thats a lot of radio buttons to have to select. The "Delete All" was an easy way to clear out the text thread. But Apple Engineers in their infinite wisdom have either by omission during a refactor of this code...that would be a bug...or deliberate omission, they thought we really didn't need this feature...have removed the "Delete All" and based on many of the comments here, a lot of us really miss that feature.
i am very frustrated that i cant clear a conversation anymore with the new os. It was very helpful for me to clear group text conversations without having to deleted the text thread.
im really at a loss of what to do other deleting the thread and then immediately sending a message to the group so that its not gone.
why would apple delete this feature?
As per the messages above, I too am very annoyed that I can no longer delete multiple texts within the same conversation in one shot. I thought upgrades were supposed to improve functionality ? Who makes these ridiculous decisions on what stays and what goes? Is there ever any consultation with users or does Apple just run out of ideas? Very disappointing.
Saying it here however, gets you nothing other than to make yourself feel better. This is a user to user only forum, which Apple engineering doesn't participate in. If you want to say it to Apple, use this link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple
Hi BobT1
The way that I have found to do this now is to open the messages app, swipe right on the message header so that you can "pin" the contact to the top of the messaging app. Then, from the icon if you hold/press that then you can delete the conversation. It just says delete, but it does mean “delete the conversation.”
You have to manually go through your messages app in order to do this. Unless you have recently sent a text, they may be buried way down the line but there is no other way to "pin" a contact. Still, this works.
I do not know why the functionality was changed. Apple is limiting our ability to clear information from the device quickly and easily. I wonder if this isn’t a directive passed on by law enforcement/government. A lot of things go into a deleted items section of apps, and then get deleted at a later date. It seems as though we can’t be trusted to choose to delete something permanently by our choosing. Unless you’re aware that there is another background folder in a lot of apps. keeping the deleted information, then normally for 30 days it is still there.
This is my take on why this changed so I’m not certain that I am correct. It is definitely frustrating, and more involved just to delete information. In an app. like notes for example, I CTR+A too select all and press delete when I want to delete a note rather than sending it to another folder to be deleted again at a later date.
I hope that this is helpful to you.
Hi ritzput1.
Yes it does delete the entire message altogether as you mentioned, there doesn't seem to be another way around the change. The idea of "pinning" the contact is in relation to being able to begin a conversation without having to go back to the contacts, and to also be able to access a message thread that may be buried along way down the app list. At least then, if you swipe left, or press/hold the pinned and contact to delete the message content you can easily begin a new conversation.
Cheers. Andrew.
We’re all aware of the basics I think. The point is, the option to EASILY remove an entire thread of messages by choosing Edit/Select All and delete, is gone. Much more time consuming selecting messages one by one when some of us have group messages, spanning months possibly.
I was unaware that there was a way to select all messages in a text stream. If I hold my finger on any message in the conversation “More” appears, and if I tap on it all of the messages appear with a check circle that I can tap to select each message to delete. As long as I leave one message it remains in the message list. But that is not what you are looking for?
Why can't I delete text messages on iPhone
