Some iPhone 18 Pro users have complained that they cannot delete their iMessage threads in the Messages app. It appears that this problem started after updating iOS and only affects iMessages. Regular text messages (green bubble messages) can still be removed. When the Delete button is tapped, deleting conversations does not work, and conversations still exist. In this article, I explain what you can do so that you can start deleting unwanted conversations.
1. Upgrade your iPhone. Make sure that your iPhone has the latest version of iOS 27. You can check for updates by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple says apps installed by default on your iPhone, such as Messages, are updated whenever you update iOS.
2. Restart the Messages app. Open the most recently used apps (go to the Home screen and swipe up from the bottom of your screen), find Messages and swipe it up. Then open the Messages app again and try to delete conversations again.
3. Restart your iPhone:
- Press and hold either volume button and the side button together until the power off screen appears. Move the power off slider to the right. Then wait for your iPhone to turn off. Press and hold the side button to turn your iPhone back on.
4. Try these steps to delete:
- Open the Messages app.
- In the conversation list, do one of the following:
- Swipe left on the conversation, then tap the Delete button.
- Touch and hold the conversation, then tap Delete.
If you use Messages in iCloud, Apple notes that deleting a conversation on your iPhone deletes it from all your devices where Messages in iCloud is turned on.
I hope one of the steps fixes your problem. I should also note that there is an option to have the Messages app automatically delete old messages. You may want to turn this on. Here is how:
- Open Settings and tap Apps.
- Tap Messages.
- Scroll down and tap Keep Messages.
- You will see three options: 30 Days, 1 Year and Forever. If you select Forever, all messages will be kept unless you delete them. You can select 30 Days or 1 Year to turn on auto-delete old messages. If you select 30 Days, for example, conversations older than 30 days, including all attachments, are automatically removed.
- Again this is not for everyone. All messages older than 30 days or one year (depending on your selection) will be gone.
