The newest iOS 11.3 update enables a feature that asks if you're sure you want to delete a text message/iMessage once you choose the delete option. It's making me crazy! I tried searching through the settings to remove this deletion confirmation, but can't find anything on the topic. Is there any way to remove this feature?
iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 11.2.6, iOS 11.3
Dave in Oxford wrote:
Every so often Apple comes up with a "Feature" that so small and so annoying that begs the question as to whether they ever consult with a user. YES! Delete confirmation is an unnecessary addition to IOS and we can only hope that some security patch will remove it
No, Apple doesn't consult with users. Instead, they see what users do with their phones and often introduce features based on what they perceive as a real need. This is one such feature. Daily, multiple users come here to these user only forums begging for help to recover an accidentally deleted text message. In most cases, the only way to get the message back is to restore from backup, which often people simply don't have.
So, this very small change was introduced to help the countless thousands of users to ensure when they use swipe to delete that they truly do want to delete the message.
Are you aware there is another simple method to delete messages that will not ask you to confirm you want to delete? Yes, Apple provided the best of BOTH worlds to users. Simply use the Edit/Tap Messages(s)/Tap Trash icon and voila, message(s) delete without confirmation. That can't be any more cumbersome could it? It's three steps, just like it was before on swipe to delete.
Also, as listed below, about the Community, Apple IS paying attention.
"This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums."
Just like I clean up my email box where you can simply select a bunch and delete them without confirmation.
Then you'll love the *exact* same existing feature in Messages.
Many Apple experts and/or employees monitor this group, provide answers to users, and report back to apple on possible improvements.
No.
No they don't.
The desired channel is Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://apple.com/feedback
and I'm curious...which Apple experts exist, that aren't also Apple employees, monitor this community to advise Apple?
"This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided; every potential issue may involve several factors not detailed in the conversations captured in an electronic forum and Apple can therefore provide no guarantee as to the efficacy of any proposed solutions on the community forums."
If you wish to effect change and are relying on that term as hope, you will likely be disappointed.
What information is provided by 100s of "me too" and "yeah... this is awful" reactions?
Not one "moan" about this feature has been compelling in any way. Just a constant stream of "who moved my cheese"
sophsterm wrote:
GB, the fantasy world is TODAY'S REALITY
and usability is important. Apple is the king of usability, and adding such a feature that takes 3 steps to delete a message, for every message, assuming you have maybe 20+ is a pain in the butt. It's not a matter of hiding them.
If you have 20 messages to delete, just tap EDIT, check all 20, then delete. You are creating strawmen to justify your ludicrous and absurd position.
sophsterm wrote:
Many Apple experts and/or employees monitor this group, provide answers to users, and report back to apple on possible improvements.
NO Apple employees monitor this group, other than the hosts to keep it polite. Where are the articles about this tragedy from those Apple experts who might be monitoring it?
Lawrence, we asked for the option to turn this feature off, not take it away from people who accidentally delete their messages. Besides, if you do backup your phone to icloud or your computer (like most people do) you can retrieve your messages there. Does your city trash pickup ring your doorbell and ask you if you're sure you meant to throw that stuff out? Each piece of garbage? I don't think so.
There are Community Specialists here that will answer questions here with referral links if a question goes unanswered within about 24 hours. There are also community moderators that rarely post here but make sure that the Terms of Use are not violated. On very rare occasions, and I mean VERY rare and Apple engineer may contact someone here about a technical issue. But there is no one from Apple that monitors this for people's reactions to changes Apple makes.
I seriously doubt Apple will take away the confirmation, especially with the difficulty factor in recovering deleted messages as compared to emails, and with the advent of iCloud messages. You will have a better chance asking for an optional switch. It is nice to know there are people who never make mistakes.
Your analogy is poor. And you can only retrieve the Message IF it was backed up. If someone sent you and important phone number via text an hour ago and you accidentally swipe and delete it then it will not be in your backup and you can't retrieve it unlike an email. If it was a text message that was backed up the night before yes you can do a restore from your backup but that is an all or nothing process. Any text messages you received since that backup, any files, contacts, etc. that you saved since then will be removed.
Most people DO NOT back up their iOS devices. The evidence is the daily stream of posts from people who want to recover data after their phone was lost/stolen/run over by a bus/crashed, and are shocked to find they can't.
Even the ones who do have backups must restore the entire backup, overwriting everything on the device since the last backup.
While you can retrieve your messages from an iTunes (but not an iCloud) backup, you can't restore them to the phone without overwriting everything (see above). You can only view what they were. And only if you don't have an encrypted backup.
Totally ridiculous analogy. Not ever worth an answer.
sophsterm wrote:
Or you can stop reading and getting worked up over something you don't care about. Jeez. There's an easy solution to stop wasting your time and ours. Stop reading this post.
It's not wasting our time if answering questions on these forums is what we decided we should be doing at this moment. Posting here is wasting your time if your goal is to get Apple to change something. But, it is your time to waste.
getting worked up over something you don't care about.
You continue to miss the point.
Nobody here is disputing your dislike of the change. None. We don't understand it, but we all accept you are entitled to be bent out of shape if you so choose. So be it.
TELL SOMEONE WHO CAN CHANGE THIS.
Many volunteers spend time here to help by answering answerable questions.
Your posts are not answerable. They do not have questions that can be answered here.
Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://apple.com/feedback
You have chosen to follow the Using iPhone Community. Go to that community: Using iPhone and look to the right hand side and a box will say Following. Click on it and will will change to Follow and your emails will stop.
Totally agree. What's up with all these confirmations as if we are signing away our life to delete one flippin text message my goodness. Give us users a choice Apple. Originally way way back in the day you guys marketed your self as being flexible but now you're like Windows and are becoming way to rigid.
This is a very unuseful feature if that’s what it’s being explained as. It takes us back to flip phone days with confirming deletions of SMS. Very archaic and not functional.
Make it an option with multiple increments including this one for various levels of user.
1. Full swipe like in mail (power user)
2. Swipe and hit delete button inline (previous implementation
3. Swipe, delete, animation and confirm delete ***
[Edited by Host]
and not functional.
Actually it's quite the opposite. Very functional for those who regrettably delete messages in haste. Please spend a day or two here, looking at the subject lines.
Watch especially for "how do I get back my deleted messages" or the basic "undelete messages??????" or the classic "HHHHEEELLLPPP!!!! how do I get back my permanently deleted messages. I need them for a court case"
(power user)
Is that the type of user that never makes a mistake? That backs up their device every 5 minutes, so as to always have access to deleted messages via a backup. Seeing as how at present, this is the only way to get back an accidentally or inadvertently deleted message.
I've read about them.
My understanding is they are the "few" in the formula "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"
LACAllen wrote:
My understanding is they are the "few" in the formula "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"
While you may not be a "power user" as you've defined it, you are officially a nerd! And, I mean that as a compliment. 😉
iOS 11.3 - Delete Message Confirmation
