How To Delete Messages Attachments On IPhone And IPad

Skip to ContentOpen Menu

• Front Page
• Roundups Show Roundups
  • AirPods 4
  • AirPods Max
  • AirPods Pro 3
  • Apple Black Friday
  • Apple Deals
  • Apple Pay
  • Apple Pro Display XDR
  • Apple Studio Display
  • Apple TV
  • Apple Vision Pro
  • Apple Watch 11
  • Apple Watch SE 3
  • Apple Watch Ultra 3
  • CarPlay
  • HomePod
  • HomePod mini
  • iMac
  • iOS 26
  • iPad
  • iPad Air
  • iPad mini
  • iPad Pro
  • iPadOS 26
  • iPhone 16
  • iPhone 16e
  • iPhone 17
  • iPhone 17 Pro
  • iPhone 18
  • iPhone Air
  • Mac mini
  • Mac Pro
  • Mac Studio
  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook Pro
  • macOS Tahoe
  • watchOS 26
• Guides
• How Tos
• Reviews
• Buyer's Guide
• Forums

PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletterVisit ForumsSearchClose SearchOpen Sidebar

• iOS 26
• macOS Tahoe
• iPadOS 26
• iPhone 17
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• MacBook Pro
• Apple Vision Pro
• iMac
• Mac mini
• HomePod
• Apple TV
• iPad Pro
• AirPods 4
• Apple Pro Display XDR
• Apple Watch Ultra 3
• HomePod mini
• Mac Pro
• MacBook Air
• iPad
• AirPods Max
• AirPods Pro 3
• Apple Deals
• Apple Studio Display
• Apple Watch 11
• Apple Watch SE 3
• Mac Studio
• iPad Air
• iPad mini
• iPhone 18
• CarPlay
• Apple Black Friday
• Apple Pay
• watchOS 26

All >

• Front Page
• Roundups
• Guides
• How Tos
• Reviews
• Buyer's Guide
• Upcoming Products
• Forums
• Archives
• Tips / Contact Us
• PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletter

Delete Messages Attachments on iPhone and iPadTuesday November 19, 2024 8:57 AM PST by Tim Hardwick

Apple's Messages app offers one of the most convenient ways of having a text-based conversation with your contacts on iPhone and iPad, but messages aren't the only things you can send and receive. Apple's iMessage service enables all manner of files and attachments to be shared, such as photos, links, documents, audio messages, and more.

Files that are sent to you can of course be accessed directly from within a message thread, but you don't have to go scrolling through hundreds of messages to delete the files you've received. Apple also provides a way to see every file that has been sent to you in a chat thread in one easily accessible location, where you can remove them all in one fell swoop to free up space.

1. Launch the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Open a conversation, then tap the contact bubble(s) at the top of the screen.
3. Scroll down to the attachment sections, where you'll find all the files that have been sent to you in the course of the conversation. These sections are conveniently subdivided into file types, such as Photos and Documents. Tap See All to see all the files related to a category.

4. Tap Select at the top-right corner of the screen, then tap the files that you want to delete to select them.
5. Once you've made your selections, tap Delete in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
6. Tap Delete [number of files] Attachments to confirm.

If you want to free up even more space on your device, you can repeat the above steps for other chat threads, too.

Tag: iMessage

Get weekly top MacRumors stories in your inbox.

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by Joe RossignolNext year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....Read Full Article • 60 comments

ChatGPT's Apple Music Integration Is Now Live

Wednesday December 17, 2025 3:50 pm PST by Juli CloverThere's now a dedicated Apple Music app for ChatGPT, which allows ChatGPT to make music recommendations and build playlists. Apple Music can be added to ChatGPT through the Settings section in the Mac app, website, or iOS app. Apple Music is listed under the apps option, and connecting to it requires signing in with your Apple Account for authorization purposes. ChatGPT can be used to...Read Full Article • 51 comments

Apple's 2026 and 2027 Product Roadmap: Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro, M5 Macs, and More

Tuesday December 16, 2025 4:42 pm PST by Juli CloverThere has been a whirlwind of rumors over the last few days, sourced from leaked internal software designed for the iPhone and the Mac, and news sites like The Information. Below, we have a quick recap of everything we've heard this week, which serves as a guide to Apple's product plans in 2026 and beyond. We've organized the info by likely release date, though there are some products that...Read Full Article • 43 comments

Apple Aims to Boost Popularity of iPhone Air 2 in Two Ways

Tuesday December 16, 2025 11:06 am PST by Joe RossignolWe have been covering iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Fold details from The Information's report about future iPhone models, and next up is the iPhone Air 2. The report says that Apple aims to make the iPhone Air 2 more attractive in two ways. First, Apple is apparently considering adding a second rear camera to the device, which would resolve a key limitation. The current iPhone...Read Full Article • 114 comments

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by Juli CloverApple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas. We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features. Transfer to Android Apple is making it simpler...Read Full Article • 48 comments

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by Juli CloverSoftware from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...Read Full Article • 36 comments

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by Juli CloverLast week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...Read Full Article • 79 comments

Apple Tested a MacBook With the A15 Chip

Wednesday December 17, 2025 7:19 am PST by Hartley CharltonAn internal Apple kernel debug kit suggests Apple has tested a MacBook with the A15 chip, alongside a separate A18 Pro-based MacBook that appears to be closer to a shippable product. The information comes from internal kernel debug kit files used by Apple engineers. The kit was accidentally released on Apple's website earlier this year, but it was quickly pulled after information started...Read Full Article • 103 comments

Apple Developing iMac Pro With M5 Max Chip

Tuesday December 16, 2025 7:30 am PST by Hartley CharltonApple is developing a high-end iMac featuring the M5 Max chip, according to information from leaked internal software. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The finding comes from leaked kernel debug kit files used by Apple engineers. These kernel debug kit files enumerate unreleased Apple hardware by internal identifiers, such as codenames and platform names, and they...Read Full Article • 182 comments

Next Article

Beats Launches Travis Scott Partnership Featuring New 'DARE TO DREAM' Ad Campaign

Guides

iOS 26 Features

Our comprehensive guide highlighting every major new addition in iOS 26, plus how-tos that walk you through using the new features.

iOS 26.2 Features

Reminder alarms, more Liquid Glass tweaks, AirDrop improvements, and more.

50 macOS Tahoe Features

New features and lesser-known changes to check out if you're upgrading.

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone Air

Apple's four new iPhones feature more differences between the latest models than ever before, so which one should you buy?

• Apple Intelligence Guide • Image Playground Guide • iPhone Mirroring Not Working? • 21 Time-Saving iPhone Tips • 14 macOS Tips to Make Your Life Easier • One AirPod Not Working? See more guides

Upcoming

Apple TV Fall 2025?

Upgrade to A17 or newer chip with Apple Intelligence support, plus Apple's new N1 wireless networking chip.

AirTag Fall 2025?

Upgraded item tracker with improved range, anti-tamper improvements, and more.

HomePod mini Fall 2025?

Faster chips and new colors expected.

MacBook Air Early 2026

Chip-bump update to M5.

• Studio Display • Low-Cost MacBook See full product calendar

Other Stories

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

2 days ago by Tim Hardwick

iPhone Fold's Outer Display Could Be Smaller Than iPhone Mini Screen

2 days ago by Tim Hardwick

Leaked iPhone 16 Pro Prototype Runs 'iOS 19' That Never Existed

4 days ago by Tim Hardwick

Here's Why There Won't Be an iPhone Flip Anytime Soon

1 week ago by Tim Hardwick

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

1 week ago by Tim Hardwick