how to delete imessages on mac

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Welcome
What's new
- Set up Messages on Mac
- Get SMS texts from iPhone on your Mac
- Access your messages on all your Apple devices
- Share your name and photo
- - To an individual
  - To a group or business
- Forward a message or attachment
- Send an inline reply
- Mention a person
- Send read receipts
- Use Tapbacks
- Send photos and videos
- Insert files from iPhone or iPad
- Use Memoji and #images
- Send an audio message
- Use message effects
- Share your location
- Keep track of your shared content
- View photos, videos, audio, and notes
- View special effects
- Translate text in a conversation
- FaceTime video calls
- FaceTime audio calls
- Phone calls from your Mac
- Screen sharing
- Search for a conversation
- Pin a conversation
- Manage a group conversation
- Delete messages and conversations
- View a friend's location
- Create a reminder from a conversation
- Change preferences
- Create your Memoji
- Block messages
- Create and manage contacts
- Manage notifications
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Delete messages and conversations in Messages on Mac

Messages saves your conversations automatically, so even if you turn off your Mac or start using another device, you can pick up where you left off. However, you can delete messages and entire conversations.

Open Messages for me

Set how long to keep messages

In the Messages app on your Mac, choose Messages > Preferences, then click General.
Click the "Keep messages" pop-up menu, then choose an option.

Important: If you choose an option other than Forever, your conversations (including all attachments) are automatically removed after the specified time period elapses.

Delete a message

In the Messages app on your Mac, select a conversation.
Do any of the following to delete one or more messages:
- Delete messages: Select one or more messages (including text messages, photos, videos, files, web links, audio messages, or emoji) in the transcript, then press Delete.
- Delete all messages within a conversation: Choose Edit > Clear Transcript.
  
  The conversation remains in your sidebar, but all content is removed from the transcript.

Delete a conversation

Note: You can't recover a deleted conversation.

In the Messages app on your Mac, search for a conversation.
Do any of the following to delete a conversation:
- Delete an empty conversation: Move the pointer over an empty conversation, then click the Close button .
- Delete a conversation: Select a conversation, then choose File > Delete Conversation. Or, if you have a trackpad or a Magic Mouse, you can also swipe left with two fingers on the conversation in the sidebar, then click the Delete button .
  
  If you use Messages in iCloud, deleting a conversation on your Mac deletes it from all of your devices where Messages in iCloud is turned on. See Access your messages on all your Apple devices.