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.
No it doesn't need to be turned off. And more importantly by being another "me too" poster who didn't read past the first post, posting here won't get you anything.
Agreed - this is obnoxious and unnecessary. PLEASE allow it to be disabled, or better yet enable the ability to delete messages with a full swipe in the same way the Mail app does, without the need to swipe and then click delete.
Yep. Just spent half an hour scouring settings to find a way to turn the confirmation off. Thats 30 minutes I won’t get back. Thanks for sharing.
Apple, why wasn’t this “enhancement” added to update notes?
Because you're not speaking to Apple here. We are all users just like you. We can't add anything and Apple isn't here reading these posts. If you don't like it and you want Apple to know, use the link that has been provided to provide your feedback.
To those who (like the last poster who's post was in violation of the TOU for this forum, thus the post was removed) say they are going Android. You can go Android if you want and honestly, none of us actually care if you do. Since I didn't really know how Android handles text deletion, I thought it would be interesting to see. This is the process on an Android phone:
So feel free to move to Android, but it won't be any different there as Apple finally provided this function, when it should have been there all along.
tj_610 wrote:
But it seems the toggle-able "ask before deleting" option in Mail settings would be easy to add for Messages, and would fit the preferences of the greatest number of users. This seems like it would be "low-hanging fruit" for Apple. Pun intended. :-)
You should definitely submit your feedback to Apple.
Best of luck.
tj_610 wrote:
I did. Thanks! I tried to be nice, even said "please" twice. :-)
I understand this might be a nice feature for some (I'm thinking about my mom and mother-in-law, who use iOS devices). It just seems like something that is unnecessarily mandatory, when so many (I think) will find it annoying and/or inefficient. We will see! There won't be an Apple stock price-changing mass abandonment over this issue. But I do hope to see iOS 11.3.x eventually making this toggle-able.
Apple made a change in the way dictation worked with iOS 11. Lots of people complained. They changed it back. Apple doesn't always agree with the feedback but, they do read it. So, all you can do is cross your fingers.
This is about as strawman an argument out there. Because it is a feedback and/or request, ergo all user requests would destroy the experience, hence this request is not valid. I would disagree.
What many folks are asking for is an option. What some of us are pointing out as a reason for it is the lack of consistency. That's it. This option exists in Mail right now. Has it overloaded settings? I can't see how, personally. It's an option I have if I care enough to want to turn it on, boom--I can. Otherwise, it's there, not keeping me up at night that it's weighed down under a pane in settings.
One observation here is that nobody is saying that there doesn't exist ANY way to resolve both those who have inadvertently deleted messages and would like someone to save their clumsy fingers while remaining consistent with the experience found in other Apple apps.
Apple clearly addressed the former, but was clumsy about the latter.
The two questions I don't see answered by a few of the snarky folks here pushing against those of us who don't care for it is how does adding two more steps to a process make something more usable? And for the sake of argument if one says "yes I believe it actually is more usable", then why isn't it on every other feature in the apps that offer swipe-to-delete without confirmation (like Mail, Notes, etc)?
Would a settings option, a toggle inside messages prefs for the love of ice cream, totally destroy your phone and your experience because it's sitting inside settings waiting for you to go there if you wish? No? Why would adding it to the Mail preferences, where it is now, NOT do this?
Would the option to turn on an ability to recover deleted text messages, or just have a 'trash/deleted messages' option, like you can with voicemail, be worthy and consistent?
My argument would be those options or add-ons would be more consistent than what they did here. Your mileage may differ, but the overwhelming sentiment in the "this is a crappy option" thread is, not surprisingly given the topic, aligned with the argument that it's neither good usability nor consistent.
The former is subjective of course, but the latter is simply fact as evinced in other Apple apps.
Cheers!
tntpresto wrote:
Really Apple. Your attitude and customer service is less than desired. Give your customers what you want not give your customers what they want. It’s not innovative and dictatorship. Whom ever is typing this should be fired.
You haven't been paying attention. Apple has ALWAYS done what they think users need, rather than what customers think they know what they want. Go back to 1983, for example. Apple tested the radical new device called a mouse and users in focus groups universally panned it as a stupid idea that no one would want or use. Apple removed the floppy disk drive in a new line of computers, and all of the reviewers said that would be the end of Apple because you clearly can't have a computer with no removable drive. Apple was the first to remove CD/DVD drives from computers, against complaints from users. Apple eliminated the large assortment of ports from notebook computers, again to complaints from users. Apple came out with the iPhone in 2007, and again, industry experts declared that it would be a flop, and such a huge one it would be the end of Apple.
In this case Apple COPIED Android, which has always required confirmation when deleting messages. I know, Apple is usually the innovator, but in this case they were the follower. And it is a HUGE benefit to most users. Just a few hours ago I nearly deleted a text that contained a tracking number that I need. This new feature saved me.
Open Messages in your iPhone, access a message conversation, touch and hold the message bubble that you want to delete, then tap More. Tap the delete icon, then tap Delete Message. If you want to delete all messages in the thread tap Delete All, in the upper-left corner. Then tap Delete Conversation.
DivaStyleCoach wrote:
Just submitted my complaint as well - NOT a good enhancement!
And I've submitted my feedback applauding Apple for implementing this much-needed feature.
Just for consideration: Apple is NOT going to go back to the old way, so there's no point in asking for that. However, a request to make it an option might get some traction if enough users ask for it. It was most likely added because accidental deletions of important texts has been an ongoing problem for years.
I don’t like this nanny state requirement to confirm deletion. It just showed up on my iOS devices and I’ve had 11.3 installed since it came out. I used to be able to swipe all of the way left and delete. You can use the edit function for multiple deletions.
Mark Gregor-Pearse wrote:
I don’t like this nanny state requirement to confirm deletion. It just showed up on my iOS devices and I’ve had 11.3 installed since it came out. I used to be able to swipe all of the way left and delete. You can use the edit function for multiple deletions.
Why are you telling us, other users in this user-to-user forum? We can't do anything about it. Tell Apple: https://apple.com/feedback.
I'm happy that you are so perfect that you have never accidentally deleted an important text message. However, from the number of posts from people who did and are devastated that they can't recover them (there were 5 such posts yesterday, which is about average) not everyone has reached your state of perfection.
Why not standardize the way messages (e-mail & txt/iMessage) work.
Why not read the conversation and realize you should tell Apple!
Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://apple.com/feedback
Why not create a “Trash” for txt/iMessage that keeps the last 30 days of messages ?
Why not pay attention to the advice given numerous times here and tell Apple!
Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://apple.com/feedback
Don't really care what you agree with. There's NOTHING to fix as it's working PRECISELY the way Apple intended it to work. And maybe, just maybe, these people at Apple are thinking........."how can we help the thousands upon thousands of people who accidentally delete an important text message better determine they want to delete a message, thus saving them tremendous heartache after making a mistake." Clearly you're one of the very few people on the planet who has never made a mistake, but other's are unfortunately not so perfect.
iOS 11.3 - Delete Message Confirmation
