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Giulioangelo Author

Level 1

11 points

Spotlight Search displays deleted SMS messages

I noticed that contacts that I text frequently are showing up in my spotlight searches with text messages that have been deleted. Sometimes as "Top Hit"
I know that I can exclude messages from the search, but I'd rather just not have deleted messages show up. Is there anyway to permanently delete SMS messages from my phone.
AT&T iPhone 4 iOS 4.2.1
I've googled this subject to no avail.

PC, Windows 7

Posted on Feb 14, 2011 7:11 PM

Best reply

Giulioangelo Author

Level 1

11 points

Posted on Feb 14, 2011 7:33 PM

I'm now also noticing that if you go into the messages app and start typing in the search box at the top, it pulls up deleted texts. It will show the message but not who it was to. If you touch it, it turns blue then nothing. I'm seeing this on my iPhone and a friend's phone also. Resetting the phone doesn't help. Is anyone else seeing this?

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18 replies

Jul 7, 2013 3:29 PM in response to Giulioangelo

This is actually expected behavior. The messsages are deleted from your device, but not the history of your device. If you want to remove those deleted messages from appearing in Spotlight, you'd have to restore your iPhone and set it up as new, but it will happen again when you delete other messages.

This is not a bug, its just the iPhone keeping history of things. If you tap the entry in the Spotlight search, it more and likely won't show up anywhere on your iPhone because it was deleted from your phone.

Its like if you cut yourself and it heals and there's no scar. There's no evidence of it on your body, but you remember it happening. Same thing with your phone

Oct 16, 2013 6:42 AM in response to Destinie Harris

Just sync your phone with iTunes, that's all !

All deleted items will be deleted from history as well.

SShailja

Level 1

0 points

Nov 27, 2013 7:31 AM in response to Nemesis865

Hey, I synched my Iphone to itunes but it dint work. Is there something specific you do?

Spotlight Search displays deleted SMS messages