Apple’s iMessage app is the developer’s standard messaging application with many great features. iMessage is a feature found on almost all Apple products. It’s best known for making text-based messaging between iPhone users seamless. Your messages can be displayed on any device, including your watch, phone, and Mac computer.
One of the many great features of iMessage is its automatic backups and saving of your messages to your connected devices. It is also difficult if you decide that you want to delete all messages.
It is easy to delete your messages if you worry about someone accessing your Mac and finding your messages. Let’s examine the steps you can follow to delete all messages from your Mac.
Can You Mass Delete Messages on Mac?
It is possible to mass delete messages on Mac using the Messages software. To select multiple messages, use the CMD Key on your keyboard.
Will Messages that I delete on Mac also be deleted on iPhone?
Yes. iMessage is compatible with iCloud, and deleting a message from Mac will wipe it off all devices with the same Apple ID.
How to delete messages on Mac but on iPhone?
When you use iMessage for Mac connected to iCloud to delete a message, it will do so from all Apple IDs. You can’t prevent any device from deleting multiple messages you have deleted from your Mac.
Why do you want to erase iMessage history for Mac?
Multiple issues can develop when your Mac is overwhelmed with messages. Lack of free space is the main problem with smaller portable devices.
iMessage can be used to share content. Multimedia messages with large photos or videos may consume your Mac’s storage over time. This will leave less space for apps, documents, downloads, and other items. Although you shouldn’t delete any content, removing unnecessary clutter from your device is a good idea.
Sensitive messages stored for long periods increase the likelihood of someone gaining access to them. If someone compromises your Apple device or Apple account, they will have to give you less personal information. If you don’t have any reason to keep older messages around, deleting your entire iMessage history can greatly increase security and storage.
How to delete one message from Mac
You can delete messages after checking that your Messages app is properly configured. The method you choose will depend on whether you want to delete just one message or a conversation.
To delete a single message on Mac:
Open the Messages application.
Click on any conversation containing the message that you want to delete.
Right-click the message within the conversation window.
Select Delete.
Click Delete to confirm.
Removing SMS messages on Mac
When you first set up the Messages application on your Mac, it will be limited to iMessages. You’ll need settings on your iPhone to see and delete your SMS messages (texts from smartphones other than the iPhone).
Step 1 – Select messages from Settings
Step 2: Select the text message forwarding box.
Step 3: Next to the Mac system listed, toggle the Gray button.
Step 4: Follow the instructions in the previous section for deleting SMS messages from Mac.
Terminal: How do you delete messages on your Mac
Before we show you how to delete messages from the app itself or Mac’s file Finder, let’s first say that there is a quick way if Terminal is familiar. Here’s how:
Go to Applications > Utilities to launch Terminal.
Paste the following command: rm -r ~/Library/Messages/chat
This command is used to delete attachments
rm -r ~/Library/Messages/Attachments/??
These commands will permanently remove attachments and messages from the Trash.
How to Disable iCloud Messaging
The sync function that sends all your messages from your iPhone and Mac to one another is wonderful but can also be annoying. These steps can prevent messages from being sent to your Mac.
Open the Messages application on your Mac.
Click on Messages in the upper left corner.
Click on Preferences, then select the iMessage option.
Choose “iMessages” near the top.
Check the box next to Enable Messages from iCloud.
This setting is preventive for messages coming to your Mac.
Unfortunately, you’ll still have to go through the messages on your Macbook Pro and delete any that aren’t needed.
How to disable iCloud messages on Mac
You can disable iCloud syncing if you do not want to receive iMessages. Here are the steps
Open the Messages application on your Mac.
In the upper menu, click Messages> Preferences.
Go to iMessage.
Uncheck the Enable Messages checkbox in iCloud.
This will stop iMessage from syncing to the Mac. Please note, however, that the Messages App on your Mac will no longer sync with any other devices.
Are Messages able to use storage space on Mac?
Yes, Message is a big file on Mac. Attachments such as videos, photos, audio recordings, and other files sent or received via iMessage, SMS, or iMessage are stored in the Messages App.
These files can grow in size over time, which can cause your Mac to have less storage space. Messages also keep track of your messages so that they can have an impact on the storage used. To free up storage space on your Mac, you can delete messages and attachments you no more need.
Conclusion
It is important to know how to delete multiple messages on Mac. This will allow you to keep your emails sorted and uncluttered. Although third-party apps are useful in keeping your inbox clean, privacy should always be a priority. There are many third-party programs out there. However, not all of them provide the privacy you need. Emails can be personal. You cannot allow third parties to view your emails.
Clean Email is the only third-party tool committed to providing 100 percent privacy protection. We don’t share, give away, analyze, or sell your email messages (not even anonymously). This tool is fully secure and privacy-proofed. You can consult our Privacy Policy to understand our data protection policies better.
