When deleting an SMS, why does it query about spam?

PQuincy wrote:

Well, with my iPhone 12, an iMac and a Mac Air, I have had to delete SMS messages (Apple and non-Apple) on all three. Deleting one one does not delete on the other machines. Meanwhile, I disagree that getting an SMS from a new number is "usually spam". I get them constantly for two-factor authentication, and I doubt I am the only one!

Yes, you must have Message sharing/syncing in iCloud setup and activated on each device, and then deleting from one will delete it from all of them:

Use Messages in iCloud - Apple Support

No problem that Apple is not actively managing spam SMS, that's not their responsibility, I agree. And I do appreciate the mechanism for reporting spam SMS. It's just that we all get many SMS that are not spam but we do want to delete, and an extra step every single time is a pain. Equally, having to Control-click, select "delete", and click on "delete" to delete an SMS on my Macs is too many steps as well.

Let Apple know of your concerns here; they do read and act on them:

• Feedback - Messages for iOS and iPadOS - Apple
• Feedback - Messages - Apple

No, Apple isn't data mining.

For most people, if they receive an unsolicited SMS message from someone not in their contacts that they have not interacted with before, that is usually a SPAM message and Apple has made it easier to report it as such.

When a message is reported as SPAM it is not reported to Apple, but rather to your cellular carrier as SMS is a cellular carrier feature.

It makes the entire process slightly easier than following whatever steps your carrier requires to report a spam SMS directly to them.

As far as deleting texts, if your devices share and sync messages via iCloud, deleting a message from one will remove it from all your devices using iCloud to sync messages.

Use Messages in iCloud - Apple Support