iCloud Messages: how to delete attached photos in cloud that I no longer want, but not delete other messages?

Question

iCloud Messages: how to delete attached photos in cloud that I no longer want, but not delete other messages?

I have my Messages set to sync to iCloud. Some weeks ago, my friend sent me several hundred pictures over iMessage. These got backed up to iCloud and suddenly took up all of my storage space. I saved them to my camera roll, and then deleted the messages from within the Messages app on my phone. However, while the images do not appear in my phone anymore, they still take up gigabytes of iCloud storage. I tried the same process from my Mac, with the same results.

When I go into the iCloud menu on my iPhone, it tells me that my Top Conversations take up only several kilobytes, but Messages as a whole takes several gigabytes. It doesn't offer me any option to view what's taking up that storage or manage it, as far as I know. All it offers is to delete conversations, which are not taking up the vast majority of the storage space.

I want to free up that storage, but I do not want to delete the rest of my messages. Thus the "disable and delete" function will not do what I want. (I tried it anyway, from within Messages preferences on my Mac, removing my messages from iCloud and then re-enabling it to upload the messages, but it just took up the entire storage space again -- I don't think it actually did anything.)

Is there a way to do any of the following?

View all photos in Messages in iCloud and delete some (or all -- if it were important, it would be on my camera roll)
Delete selective messages from iCloud, but NOT all of them
Stop iCloud from syncing attachments, just text messages
Force iCloud to reload and realize that the images have been deleted from every device, and should be deleted from iCloud
Download my text messages, edit them (to delete the images) and reupload

I do not want to upgrade my iCloud storage as a solution. I am not actually using what I have, it just thinks I am, plus that would only be a temporary fix if this ever happens again.

iPhone 11 Pro

Posted on Jun 7, 2023 6:44 AM

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Answer 1

Eric--F

Community Specialist

Jun 8, 2023 3:10 PM in response to Arden_and_Zayne_Kolodner

Hey there Arden_and_Zayne_Kolodner,

Thanks for asking about deleting photos from your messages that took up your iCloud space.

Check here: Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

"When you use Messages in iCloud, all of your text messages and the attachments you send and receive use your iCloud storage. You can make more space available when you delete texts and attachments—like photos, videos, and files—that you don't need anymore.

Delete multiple attachments from a contact or conversation

In a message conversation, tap the contact's name at the top of the screen.
Tap Info .
In the Photos section, tap See All.
Tap Select, tap the images you'd like to delete.
Tap Delete, then tap Delete Attachment to confirm."

Be aware, iCloud info will eventually fill up unless you make other storage space too. Check that above article for more help.

Cheers!

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Answer 2

Jun 9, 2023 8:54 AM in response to Eric--F

Hi Eric, thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I tried deleting the photos from my phone messages but it did not reduce iCloud storage at all. I then tried the same process from my Mac, but since it wouldn't let me delete attachments en masse, I only tried a few. This did not work either. I then deleted ~/Library/Messages/Attachments, expecting everything to redownload from iCloud; annoyingly, it did not let me redownload but also did not reduce my iCloud storage space. iCloud really, really doesn't want to acknowledge that I am trying to delete these photos!

I've decided to just press "Disable and Delete" in the iCloud Messages settings, and after 30 days, I'll re-enable it and upload what's still on my phone (everything but those attachments, hopefully!!) back to the cloud. Pain in the *** but it's the only thing that seems to work. Let's just hope nothing happens to my phone in the next month. (And I have to wait the full 30 days because if I undo it before then, it brings everything back!)

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Answer 3

Jun 10, 2023 11:27 AM in response to srbwanderer

Hi srbwanderer,

Unfortunately, trying this actually brought BACK the images, even though they were deleted from my phone. It re-downloaded them from the cloud, and now I need to delete them again from my phone after the Disable & Delete thing finally happens.

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Answer 4

Jun 9, 2023 11:14 AM in response to Arden_and_Zayne_Kolodner

Hello Arden_and_Zayne_Kolodner,

If you disable iCloud for Messages on all your devices, whatever is stored in iCloud should be removed.

From Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices - Apple Support:

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.

Do one of the following:

iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later: Tap Show All, tap Messages, then turn on Sync this [device].

Note: If you want to turn off Messages in iCloud on your Mac, deselect Enable Messages in iCloud. You can choose to disable Messages in iCloud for all your devices, or just your Mac.

Cheers.

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iCloud Messages: how to delete attached photos in cloud that I no longer want, but not delete other messages?

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