How to permanently delete group messages

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Level 2

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How to permanently delete group messages

I have two different family group messages. One has 3 people, one has 4. I want to stop and delete the 3 group and only have 4 group, but anytime I delete the group name with 3 persons, and one person from group writes to anyone in group, the old 3 group comes back. Also with this problem, any of us can write in one group and the message appears to others in different group names different times, even if on my side I am writing inside one specific group.

This sounds confusing, but what it is is frustrating, as others say they have to keep jumping from group to group to get any messages. Something is keeping all this in memory someplace in messages on desktop, or messages on iphone.

On iPhone6, iOS 9.1, in SETTINGS/MESSAGES, I've tried turning off Text Message Forwarding, deleting all the "groups" but the one with 4 in it, and turn back on, and same thing happens.

Going thru a long list of individual messages inside a group and deleting each one will take FOREVER, since I have chose to "keep forever" in settings 😟. Is there any other way to fix this problem and in some fast way?

iPhone 6, iOS 9.1

Posted on Nov 17, 2015 9:56 AM

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Answer 1

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ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,285 points

Nov 17, 2015 10:01 AM in response to Strgzr

Deleting the conversation is not removing you from the group. As soon as someone from the group responds, as you have found, you are back in it. You need to remove yourself from the group. To do so, go into the message and in the upper right corner, tap on Details. From there, scroll down towards the bottom of the page, and you should find, Leave This Conversation. Tap on that, and you will be out of the conversation. You should not receive a response after that.

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Answer 2

Strgzr Author

Level 2

288 points

Nov 17, 2015 10:06 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Nope, don't see any such "leave this group" in DETAILS. All I see is "send my current location, share my location, and do not disturb, which says it only "mute notifications for this conversation"...does not delete forever me off this.

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Answer 3

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,285 points

Nov 17, 2015 10:13 AM in response to Strgzr

Did you start this group message, or did someone else? Even if you started it, you should be able to leave a 3 person message. I just verified it with a group message that I am a part of. You can try a reset, it will not affect any data/content. Hold the sleep/wake and home buttons together until you see the Apple logo and then release. The phone should reboot. Try to remove yourself after that.

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Answer 4

Strgzr Author

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288 points

Nov 17, 2015 11:22 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Please tell me what phone and iOS you have c/w mine: iPhone6, iOS 9.1, as I'd like to know how you see "Leave This Conversation" when I don't. Here is pic of what I see: (excluding names list above this pic)

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Answer 5

Strgzr Author

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288 points

Nov 17, 2015 2:11 PM in response to razmee209

In your link about "send group message with your iph...." It says: "If you don't see Leave this Conversation on your iOS device, get the latest version of iOS. If someone in the group isn't using iMessage or an iOS device, they might not be able to leave the conversation" ... which to me means I DO have iPhone and I should be seeing "leave the conversation" which isn't what that is saying.

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Answer 6

Nov 17, 2015 1:51 PM in response to Strgzr

Sorry you can't leave that group because there is an non iphone user in that group.

If all user were iphone users, you would be able to leave the conversation

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Answer 7

Strgzr Author

Level 2

288 points

Nov 17, 2015 1:42 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

I sent pic of all I see, there is NOTHING below the Do Not Disturb. I saw other's pics in other discussion, so know what you are talking about. I even did reset and it's not there, in any groups on my phone.

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Answer 8

Nov 17, 2015 2:21 PM in response to Strgzr

Strgzr wrote:

In your link about "send group message with your iph...." It says: "If you don't see Leave this Conversation on your iOS device, get the latest version of iOS. If someone in the group isn't using iMessage or an iOS device, they might not be able to leave the conversation" ... which to me means I DO have iPhone and I should be seeing "leave the conversation" which isn't what that is saying.

Yes you have an iphone however someone in your group doesn't.

I've confirmed this on my phone - I have two groups - 1 group with all iphone users and I see the leave a conversation. 2 group is mixed of iphone and android and I don't see the leave a conversation.

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Answer 9

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,285 points

Nov 17, 2015 1:33 PM in response to Strgzr

I am using an iPhone 6s, iOS 9.1, and it worked the same way for my 5s. Just below Do Not Disturb is a section Leave this Conversation. I cannot post a picture right now, I'm at work and cannot take the screenshot and access the forum. It is in Red letters. I'll post again when I get home. Looks like I won't have to. I looked at the other thread that you posted in, and it shows a picture of where the Leave this Conversation link is at. Not sure why you are not seeing it, but that is where it is for me.

If you look at the group thread you have with 4 people, can you find that Leave link?

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Answer 10

Strgzr Author

Level 2

288 points

Nov 17, 2015 1:56 PM in response to razmee209

If the one non-iphone user from the group wants to leave then, can they? Maybe we can somehow all delete all groups and someone make one new group? I'm just trying to stop 3 different groups showing up (2-or 3 that is)at different times, and get us all into one only, so other groups never show up again. 😟 Of courxe I dont' know if the one Android user has a "leave conversation" choice or not in some (?) DETAILS window on their phone.

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Answer 11

Nov 17, 2015 1:58 PM in response to Strgzr

Strgzr wrote:

The LEAVE THIS CONVERSATION poss isn't there due to I began all the groups, and others can see that but not me? I sent message to others in group to see if they see it, but have not heard back yet.

"Leave this conversation" will only be available, as I recall, if all of the group members are using iPhones. If anyone is using some other type of phone, it's not an option.

Edit: oops, late to the party. razmee's got this covered.

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Answer 12

Nov 17, 2015 2:01 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

How did you pick that up??? Am I going blind here?

Because she didn't see the leave conversation icon.

But I double check my message as I have two groups I'm in and was able to confirm that indeed she had a non iphone user in that group.

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Answer 13

Nov 17, 2015 2:03 PM in response to razmee209

razmee209 wrote:

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

How did you pick that up??? Am I going blind here?

Because she didn't see the leave conversation icon.

But I double check my message as I have two groups I'm in and was able to confirm that indeed she had a non iphone user in that group.

You also can't assign names to groups with non-iphone users in them. Very annoying.

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Answer 14

Nov 17, 2015 2:02 PM in response to Strgzr

Strgzr wrote:

Yeah, where did you find that info about non-iphone users?

Send a group message with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

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Answer 15

Strgzr Author

Level 2

288 points

Nov 17, 2015 1:47 PM in response to Strgzr

The LEAVE THIS CONVERSATION poss isn't there due to I began all the groups, and others can see that but not me? I sent message to others in group to see if they see it, but have not heard back yet.

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