Can’t delete text messages in iOS 16.0.2

Oooh I have the same problem and I hate it so much!

i have a message on my phone from someone whom I never want to talk to again and it will not let me delete it

i hate looking at it on my messages

god please fix this ASAP!

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.

I FINALLY FOUND OHT HOW TO FIX IT🙏🏽

i sent a photo of something to my gf and couldn’t delete it, what if someone went thru my phone😭. WHAT I DID WAS

Okay so you click edit right on the top left corner or the screen, click on more, and you’ll see any deleted messages, for me i deleted the message before i sent the photo and that caused the bug, idk if this works for everybody but i just deleted every conversation i had in that area and it let me delete the conversation w her, good luck yall😭

Step one: open messages

Step two: at the top left select edit

Step three: Select “show recently deleted”

Step four: find the message(s) from the number you want to delete

Step five: use the delete button at the bottom left

Step six: go back to your messages

Step seven: pick the message you want to delete slide it left pick the delete icon

I have added images just in case!

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

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 still can’t delete the thread. It’s only

on one threaD to an android user. I deleted other threads with non apple people and it lets me but won’t with this one. Not even delete single messages in the chat. But on my MacBook I can delete the whole thread. Makes no sense.

Having a slight variation of this issue, except involving Messages in iCloud...

Here's my devices:

Mac: macOS Monterey 12.6

iPad: iPadOS 15.7

iPhone: iPhoneOS 16.0.3

Whenever I delete a single message, or an entire message thread, using the iPhone, it immediately vanishes from all my other devices, as intended.

Whenever I delete a single message, or an entire message thread, using the iPad or Mac, it will NOT delete from my iPhone. Deleting from iPad will delete thread on the Mac, or vice versa, just not the iPhone.

It seems as though there is a bug in iOS 16 where in Messages, requests via Messages in iCloud to delete message(s)/thread(s) from other devices running previous-generation OS's does not work anymore.

To make sure it wasn't an iCloud issue on the iPhone, I did the following:

• Signed out of Messages and FaceTime directly via Settings -> (respective settings)
• Disabled iMessage / FaceTime after signing out
• Signed out of iCloud completely, and deleted locally stored data
• Shutdown / restart iPhone
• Signed back into iCloud
• Allowed device to sync, and repeated deletion tests

The results were the same.

Anyone else having this?

Cheers

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

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

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

Fabulous!

I tracked the “failure to delete” problem to one image in the thread that wouldn’t delete.

Using your method, the whole message thread vanished! Just like it was supposed to.

This is the only time I’ve had this issue, but now I know how to fix it.

BTW: I’m running 16.3. So this version didn’t fix The problem.

THB This Evidently Is Affecting Another Person But Mine Is Only 81199 But I Only Wait 30 Days For Nothing At All At The Most With My iOS 16 Setting In Current Place Also Evidently People Just Will Need To Be Spoken To Oh God Help Me Ha Haha Ha What If It’s Me IDGAS.

My iPhone won’t let me delete this single text thread to a non iPhone and it’s mentally hurting me having to see what this person said that I do not associate with!!! Wtf apple. And my contacts are getting deleted and not syncing with their registered names.

Oh no! I just sent a message I need to delete or it will ruin a surprise Disney trip in 7 days!!! Never had this problem until now. It won’t even let me delete the whole string of chat messages to that person. What can I do? My granddaughter uses my cell daily. Help!