Can’t delete text messages in iOS 16.0.2

I've had this issue as well and seemed to have figured a work around.

In messages got to Edit>Show Recently Deleted. Find the person you want to delete, select them and hit "delete". Go back to your Messages and you should be able to delete now.

It worked for me, so I hope it works for you. The Apple Support person said they know about issue and working on it for next update/patch.

If you can't delete text messages on your iPhone after updating to iOS 16.0.2

There is a known bug for this. But this is a work around that someone posted on a different page of this site. Seemed to work for a lot of people.

Steps to fix:

1. In the Messages app, go to Edit
2. Select "Show Recently Deleted"
3. Find the person / thread you want to delete,
4. Select that person and hit "delete".
5. Go back to your Messages and you should be able to delete now.

I also have this same issue. Every time I delete messages or thread it just reappears. It only just seems to be happening with one person which is very strange. I have tried to turn off and on my phone also rest the network still wouldn't work. I saw some in the comments say if you go “edit” in the message then “recently deleted” and delete the message with that # it will go away. I tried that and luckily it work! Thank God! but Apple needs to fix this issue!!! Super annoying

Ohhhhh. laigfx user is RIGHT! GO to the main page inside the Message app. Choose Edit in the top left corner and select Show Recently Deleted Select all and delete old messages then go delete the stuck message in the app

it worked for me too.

In messages go to Edit>Show Recently Deleted. Find the person you want to delete, select them and hit "delete". Go back to your Messages and you should be able to delete now.

It worked for me, so I hope it works for you. The Apple Support person said they know about issue and working on it for next update/patch.

this one is excessive, but it worked:

while the one thread the keeps refusing to delete is still remaining, delete as many individual messages in that thread that it will allow. once the one message is left, go back to the main messages screen where it will not allow you to swipe the message away, go to your recently deleted, there, select the thread you want to delete & opt to recover. once it goes back to the messages screen, swipe to delete again & it will work now.

I just went into the recently deleted area in messages and deleted all of those, then it finally deleted that one message text that wasn’t deleting. If you go to the top left hand corner in messages where it says edit, it’ll bring down a list and at the bottom it says recently deleted. After you go into the recently deleted then hit the delete all button on the bottom left hand corner. Then go back and see if the message chat is gone. Mine was.

This was the ONLY thing that worked. I went in to the "recently deleted" and deleted them all, there were over 2k. When I went back to delete the one that originally wanted, it allowed me to do it that time. I wonder if there is only so many you can "delete" before you have to permanently delete. Anyways, this worked for me. Thanks

I had this exact issue. How I solved it, is I went into my deleted messages and deleted all of those. Once I deleted those I returned to my inbox and selected the messages that needed to be deleted, and deleted without an issue. So I’m thinking there is a storage limit in the deleted messages box.

This worked for me. I noticed I had a LOT of messages already deleted in that recently deleted section for that person. I suspect the trash can has a limit per person and was full, causing inability to delete any new messages from that person until emptied

If you can't delete text messages on your iPhone after iOS 16.0.2 update

Try force quitting the Messages app

1. From the Home Screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen.
2. Swipe right or left to find the app that you want to close. 
3. Swipe up on the app's preview to close the app. "

Then open the Messages again to see if it's working.

If the issue remains, try to Restart your iPhone - Apple Support

If that doesn't work, you might need to wait for the next update: Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Hi I had the same problem

i did that I went to the messages

click edit

recently deleted

choose the message delete

then go back to inbox and delete the message

this video can help

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+delet+text+messge+wont+delte+iphone&client=safari&hl=en-kw&sxsrf=ALiCzsbt95q_IoiVreHh5hcfNgg60Z3jrw%3A1666372327660&ei=59JSY-3rJ6uP9u8Px46DkA0&oq=how+to+delet+text+messge+wont+delte+iphone&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwuAED-AEBMggQIRgWGB4YHcICChAAGEcY1gQYsAPCAggQABgIGB4YDcICBRAAGIYDwgIFEAAYogTCAgcQABgeGKIEwgIHECEYoAEYCsICBBAhGAqQBghIijVQtBVYjStwAXgAyAEAkAEAmAGQBKABrRSqAQkyLTEuNC4xLjHiAwQgQRgAiAYB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:75342c18,vid:eJS5B2TNpYs

Go to your message thread at the top left you should see an edit button. Click it. It should show recently deleted click that. It should bring up all recently deleted messages. Click on delete all none should delete but if you go back to the message thread and swipe over on the message you want to delete then it will delete it. And then the recently deleted messages shouldn’t be there anymore either. Worked for me.

Thanks! I had to find a much older message from the person and delete it. Then my phone allowed me to delete the newer message.

I just got mine deleted after trying multiple things. Go to deleted texts. Clear those out. Then go back and try to delete your text. It should work.