Messages Taking Up Storage on iPhone? How to Clear It

Apple describes the Messages category in Settings › General › iPhone Storage as “messages and their attachments”. Photos, videos and other files you send and receive stay in each conversation until you delete them (or Keep Messages removes them), separately from your photo library.

Delete photos and videos from a conversation

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   Step 1: Open the conversation

   In Messages, open a chat and tap the contact or group icon at the top.

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   Step 2: Pick a category

   Tap a category such as Photos. To see only one kind, tap the filter button and choose Screenshots, Videos or Photos.

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   Step 3: Select

   Tap Edit, then Select Photos (in other categories, Select Links, Select Documents and so on), and tap each attachment you want to delete.

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   Step 4: Delete

   Tap the Delete button, then confirm the number of attachments.

Delete whole conversations

Swipe left on a conversation and tap the Delete button, or touch and hold it and tap Delete. For several at once, tap Edit at the top of the conversation list, tap Select Messages, choose the conversations, then tap the Delete button and Delete.

Delete old messages automatically

Go to Settings › Apps › Messages, scroll down and tap Keep Messages (below Message History), then choose 30 days or 1 year. Apple warns that with any option other than Forever, conversations, including all attachments, are removed automatically after that time.

Before you delete

• Save what you want to keep: photos in a conversation aren’t in your photo library unless you saved them.
• Messages in iCloud: Apple says messages and attachments use your iCloud storage when it’s on. See how to clear iCloud storage.
• For WhatsApp, see WhatsApp storage on iPhone.