Deleting old messages from your iPhone or iPad is a good way to save on your device's storage space, but going back through your old conversations and deleting them individually would be a tedious and long-winded process.
Fortunately, there's a simpler way to say goodbye to old messages in iOS – Apple's mobile operating system can be automated to discard messages that have been on your device for longer than a specific period of time.
For example, it's possible to have iOS automatically remove any conversations that are older than 30 days, or any messages more than a year old. You can choose your preferred cut-off for old messages by following the steps below. Note that when messages are removed from your device, they're gone for good.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap Apps at the bottom, then tap Messages.
- Under "Messages History," tap Keep Messages.
- Select from the options: 30 days, 1 Year, or Forever.
- Tap Delete to confirm.
Remember, you can optionally store messages in iCloud, where you'll be able to access them from any device without taking up storage.
