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iCloud Messages > Manage Storage > Disable & Delete

I need to free up 3.2GB of Messages due to my iCloud is full. Seems easy enough just to select Disable & Delete but I read folks have lost all of their Messages on their iPhone after doing so.


I so do not want to lose the messages on my phone, only from iCloud.


Why are some people saying it also deletes the messages on your phone as well?


Posted on Aug 19, 2023 9:49 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 22, 2024 6:58 AM

Thanks for your advice from one year ago. On iOS 17.5.1 now. My phone hadn't been backed up in a month & I had been wrestling with the 'Disable & Delete' decision. After reading your post, I deleted (or disabled?) Messages, rebooted, and backed up the iPhone: the Message app returned automatically, relevant messages still available, and 2.4G of phantom messages were gone. Thank you!

9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 22, 2024 6:58 AM in response to muguy

Thanks for your advice from one year ago. On iOS 17.5.1 now. My phone hadn't been backed up in a month & I had been wrestling with the 'Disable & Delete' decision. After reading your post, I deleted (or disabled?) Messages, rebooted, and backed up the iPhone: the Message app returned automatically, relevant messages still available, and 2.4G of phantom messages were gone. Thank you!

Aug 29, 2023 9:16 PM in response to muguy

I was going to do exactly that, until I read where someone did that and ended up losing all of their messages.


I actually visited the Apple Store today to ask and they were not even sure if my messages on the phone would be deleted if I selected disable & delete from iCloud. Hasn't anyone ever used this feature before?

Aug 21, 2023 4:56 AM in response to DonB_62

DonB_62 Said:

"iCloud Messages > Manage Storage > Disable & Delete: I need to free up 3.2GB of Messages due to my iCloud is full. Seems easy enough just to select Disable & Delete but I read folks have lost all of their Messages on their iPhone after doing so. I so do not want to lose the messages on my phone, only from iCloud. Why are some people saying it also deletes the messages on your phone as well?"

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Downloading All of iCloud:

Seems you know how to all of iCloud, yet are concerned for loss of Messages.


So, what to Perform:

Moving forward, download all of iCloud > Verify that you can access the data, and then trash what is in there. You’d search through the download using the Search Bar located on the top-right corner of the Finder window. In doing so, iCloud will be emptied, backed up, and set up anew. Use my User Tip: iCloud+ Plans and Pricing - Apple Support

Aug 21, 2023 5:11 AM in response to DonB_62

Your messages are store in iCloud. If you everything set up properly you should be OK.


If everything is syncing the way it is supposed to be set up you will not lose your messages.


The messages on the computer should be the same as the ones on the iPhone. Think of when you have to get a new phone, once you sign in with your Apple ID, everything gets synced to what's stored on iCloud, or a iPhone backup, which is stored on iCloud. Hope you can understand what I just wrote.


Marvin

Aug 19, 2023 10:00 PM in response to DonB_62

DonB_62 Said:

"iCloud Messages > Manage Storage > Disable & Delete: I need to free up 3.2GB of Messages due to my iCloud is full. Seems easy enough just to select Disable & Delete but I read folks have lost all of their Messages on their iPhone after doing so. I so do not want to lose the messages on my phone, only from iCloud. Why are some people saying it also deletes the messages on your phone as well?"

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Thank you for the screenshot.


Keep a Clean Record of your Messages:

Use my User Tip: How to Save or Print a Complete iPhone Messages Thread - User Tip

iCloud Messages > Manage Storage > Disable & Delete

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