Is there any way to un-sync messages already synced/stored in iCloud onto a new device?

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Level 1

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Is there any way to un-sync messages already synced/stored in iCloud onto a new device?

Okay, this is going to be very long, but I wanted to provide the necessary context:

My old iPhone 11 Pro's screen completely stopped working so I bought a second-hand iPhone 13 Pro from my friend and simply swapped my sim to start using it.

Up until this point, I did not sync/store Messages into my iCloud for the past 3 years while using the 11 Pro.

During the same exact time period, I also used my sibling's second-hand iPad that he didn't need anymore (signed into my own Apple ID of course, so all messages from the past 3 years from my iPhone 11 are also in the iPad).

This would also mean that the iPad itself would still contain all Messages from when my sibling used it from 3-6 years ago before me.

I have 4 main questions:

A) If I want to sync all my messages from the past 3 years from the iPad/iPhone 11 to my new iPhone 13, would my only option be to go to the iPad's settings, sync ALL messages currently in the iPad going back to 6 years onto my Apple account's iCloud, and then sync those messages in my 13 Pro?

- I would be fine with buying the necessary iCloud storage to have enough space for this transferring method.

Additionally:

B) If this is the only way and I manage to sync ALL messages from the iPad to my 13 Pro, would it then be okay to go through the conversations in the Messages app on my 13 Pro that I don't care/need from back when my sibling used it and just delete those conversations from my 13 Pro?

C) Or, would this action also delete the conversations from the iPad since now it's all synced onto the same iCloud?

Finally:

D) If this action will not subsequently delete the conversations from the iPad's Messages app, is there a way to re-sync/update the stored messages in my iCloud so that it will now only store the messages that I care about from my old 11 Pro starting from only 3 years ago?

- essentially, I'm trying to find a way to move my messages from up to 3 years ago onto my new 13 Pro without having to permanently delete my sibling's messages still on the iPad from years ago

This is a lot, but any guidance/tips would be extremely appreciated, thank you!

Note: I understand that an 'easy' fix could potentially be to just fix the 11 Pro's screen, get iCloud storage, sync messages on 11 Pro onto my iCloud, and then have those messages transfer onto my 13 Pro; however, I would first prefer to know if this method would be viable at all.

iPhone 13 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Jun 30, 2025 04:44 PM

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Answer 1

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zinacef

Level 10

88,714 points

Jul 3, 2025 02:10 PM in response to shwadp

A) Is syncing all messages from the iPad to your new iPhone via iCloud your only option?

Answer: Yes, since your old iPhone 11 Pro’s screen is non-functional and you haven't synced your messages to iCloud previously, the only practical way to get your last 3 years of messages onto your new iPhone 13 Pro is through syncing from the iPad. Because your iPad has all messages (including your sibling’s from 3-6 years ago), syncing from the iPad would indeed upload ALL messages currently stored on the iPad—including older ones—to iCloud. Once in iCloud, these messages would automatically sync to your new iPhone 13 Pro.

Note: As you mentioned, you would need sufficient iCloud storage to accommodate all these messages.

B) Once all messages from the iPad sync onto your iPhone 13 Pro, can you safely delete unwanted conversations (your sibling’s old conversations) directly on your new iPhone?

Answer: Yes. Once messages are synced via iCloud, any message/conversation you delete on your iPhone 13 Pro will indeed delete from your iCloud storage as well. However, deleting conversations on your iPhone also deletes them from ALLother devices connected to the same Apple ID that have Messages in iCloud enabled.

C) Will deleting conversations from your new iPhone 13 Pro also delete them from your iPad?

Answer: Yes. Once you turn on Messages in iCloud, all devices using the same Apple ID sync instantly. This means that if you delete a conversation from your iPhone 13 Pro, that conversation will also disappear from your iPad. iCloud Messages synchronization is always two-way.

D) Is there any way to re-sync or update your iCloud messages afterward so you keep just the last 3 years (your own messages) and not lose your sibling’s old messages on the iPad?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. Messages in iCloud doesn’t offer selective syncing between devices. It's an all-or-nothing feature. This means: If Messages in iCloud is enabled, any changes (deletions included) apply across all synced devices. There's no built-in option to keep different sets of messages on different devices once they're synced through iCloud.

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Answer 2

shwadp Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 3, 2025 08:44 PM in response to zinacef

Thank you very much for the help and information!

I have some follow-up questions regarding the last point.

Let's say the messages are synced and fully loaded (from iPad to new 13 iPhone Pro) - and then I went in my iPad's iCloud settings, selected "Messages in iPad," and turned off the "Use on this iPad" option.

If I then went back to my iPhone and manually deleted unwanted conversations, would those same exact conversations still get deleted from the iPad's Messages app as well even though the syncing is turned off on the iPad?

Essentially, could I hypothetically just never turn back on syncing for Messages on the iPad's settings, and I would still have all messages (from my sibling 3-6 years ago, my old messages up to 3 years ago, and any new messages while using my new iPhone 13 Pro) physically available on the iPad's Messages app (i.e. the deleted conversations on my 13 Pro wouldn't technically delete from the iPad as well unless I do a re-sync in the iPad's settings)?

Apologies for the wordiness, but just wanted some clarification regarding these actions, thank you!

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