Deleted iMessage large attachments reappear on iPhone

I am having issues deleting large attachments from iMessage on my iPhone.


I turned off Messages in iCloud, so my messages should not be syncing or backing up to iCloud anymore. However, when I delete videos and photos from Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Review Large Attachments, they reappear shortly afterward. In many cases they return as duplicates or even multiple copies.


Here is what I have already tried:


  • Turned off Messages in iCloud
  • Deleted large attachments through iPhone Storage
  • Restarted my phone
  • Checked iCloud.com to see if messages or attachments were stored there


Despite these steps, the attachments keep coming back and sometimes appear two or more times.


How can I permanently delete old videos and photos from the Large Attachments section of iMessage without them reappearing?

iPhone XS, iOS 17

Posted on Mar 8, 2026 1:59 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 8, 2026 2:05 PM

  • Open Messages on your iPhone.
  • Tap the three horizontal bars in the upper right.
  • Tap “Recently Deleted” in the drop-down.
  • Tap the trash can in the lower right and permanently delete everything there.
  • Enjoy the newly freed space!

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Deleted iMessage large attachments reappear on iPhone

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