The use of text messaging is so ingrained in our lives that it’s difficult to imagine life without it. Suppose you compare texting with real-time alternatives such as calling. In that case, texting can be the perfect form of non-disruptive, asynchronous communication since you only participate in it when convenient for you.
Simple text messages (SMS) eventually evolved into multimedia messages (MMS). Furthermore, instant messaging (IM) software users online, such as AIM and Windows Live, we’re also growing rapidly. When the iPhone was released, these two worlds collided and essentially merged into one.
There are many messaging apps out there: Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Skype, Snapchat, etc. Additionally, Apple’s own iMessage, available on both iPhone and Mac, remains very popular and regular text messaging. But with so many services, how much data is generated? How do you keep all this data private?
Why Should I Delete iMessage History on My Mac?
It is always safest to use apps that allow for end-to-end encryption to prevent anyone (including the service provider) from eavesdropping on what you say. There are already apps that protect your privacy, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and iMessage.
Secondly, it’s a good idea to be cautious. Even though your phone is encrypted end-to-end, anyone taking possession of it will be able to see what you send and receive. Having the ability to delete all messages on your Mac or iPhone regularly can be helpful in that situation. Let’s look at a few suggestions for keeping your iMessage history clean of unwanted correspondence.
How To Delete iMessages On Mac?
If you want to keep your conversations private, iMessage includes a straightforward way to delete messages on Mac. It is possible to delete a message either from yourself or another person using this method:
- Launch your Messages app and select any conversation
- Delete a message by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete.
Confirm your deletion by clicking Delete.
How To Delete Multiple Messages on Mac?
You need to know how to delete text messages on Mac so that you can occasionally conceal sensitive data, but you might also want to know how to delete all messages on messenger so that a complete chat is no longer visible. You can delete all iMessages on Mac by following these steps:
- Open Messages, then click the conversation you want to delete
- Go File ➙ Delete Conversation… from the menu bar. On the left, you can right-click on the conversation to select Delete Conversation… Alternatively. Third, you can simply select the conversation, press * + Delete, and then simply delete it.
- Delete it by checking the box.
How To Automatically Delete All Messages on Mac
When you have to delete a few messages here and there, you’ll find that it’s easy to delete occasional messages or whole conversations. It’s still largely a manual process, and it’s easy to forget to delete a specific message when you’re constantly being bombarded with new ones.The good news is that you can set a destructive timer for iMessage on Mac that will automatically delete everything past a certain date. Follow these steps:
- Launch the Messages app and then select Preferences (⌘ +,)
- Select “Keep messages” from the drop-down menu, and choose whether your messages will stay in the app for 30 days, one year, or forever.
- Messages will no longer remain on your device for longer than they need to.