Stop messages from taking up storage on iMac

I want to keep my text messages but not share them to my iMac or macbook air. My iMac's memory is almost full and I don't need or want to see the messages there. I want to save them on my iPhone only or in the iCloud. How do I prevent memory being taken up by iMessages on my laptop and my desktop?

iMac 24″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Jan 22, 2024 7:18 AM

Similar questions

iCloud & iMessage I have iMessage enabled on both my Mac and my iPhone. However, I want to clear the space taken by iMessage on my Mac, while keeping the messages in iCloud and on my phone. I am wondering if there is a way to optimize the storage for iMessage the same way there is for Photos?
1060 1
Can't delete Messages from iCloud I've tried to delete my Messages from all of my devices (1 iPhone, 2 Macs) and nothing happens when I click "Turn Off and Delete." I've also tried this while logged into my iCloud account in a browser. Is there a step I'm missing? My messages take up the bulk of my storage, so I'd like to delete these, as I have zero space left.
1475 1
Messages on Mac not storing in iCloud The physical storage on my Mac is almost full, and nearly half of it is being taken up by Messages. I've tried to save space by turning on Messages in iCloud for the Mac, and while they are being stored in the cloud, they are doing so via my iPhone, all of the Message conversations and attachments are still being stored locally on my Mac. I've tried everything I can think of to fix it and nothing has worked. I'm running macOS Sequoia 15.5, but this has been happening for many updates now. I also still want to be able to use Messages on my Mac and have them be synced to the cloud, I just do not want the entirety of them to be physically stored on my Mac.
428 5

There are no replies.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Stop messages from taking up storage on iMac

Welcome to Apple Support Community

A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.

Learn more Sign up