The Messages app on your iPhone allows you to send a variety of different types of content to your contacts. But you might be wondering how to delete a photo from a text message on iPhone 13 to save space or to simply remove the image from the conversation.
It’s very likely that you have some picture messages on iPhone conversations which may be large attachments.
Since your iOS device often requires some storage management, you might need to delete items like photos and videos that have accumulated in your text messages over time.
While you might already know how to delete entire text message conversations, it’d likely that you are looking for a way to delete individual items from the conversations instead.
Our tutorial below will provide you with a way to delete individual pictures from a text message conversation on your iPhone to help you free up some space.
How to Delete a Picture from a Text on an iPhone
- Tap Messages.
- Select the conversation.
- Tap and hold on the picture.
- Choose More.
- Tap the trash can.
- Select Delete Message.
Our guide continues below with additional information on how to delete attachments and images from an iPhone text message conversation, including pictures of these steps.
Would you like to stop people from being able to see that you’ve read their text messages? Find out how to turn off read receipts on an iPhone 13 and keep that information private.
How to Remove Pictures from Text Messages or iMessages on an iPhone 13 (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 13 in the iOS 15.4.1 operating system.
Step 1: Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Select the conversation message thread that contains the picture that you want to delete.
Step 3: Tap and hold on the picture you wish to delete, then choose More from the pop up menu.
When the pop up menu appears you are also going to see a row of reactions at the top of the screen that you can apply to the image, as well as a couple of other options like Save and Copy.
Step 4: Touch the trash can icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
Note that you can also elect to delete any other unwanted files or messages from the conversation while you are on this screen.
Step 5: Tap Delete Message at the bottom of the screen to confirm that you want to remove the selected picture(s) from the conversation.
Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion about how to delete photos from text message conversations on an iPhone.
More Information on How to Get Rid of a Photo in an iPhone Text Message
The steps in the article above have shown you how you can quickly remove an unwanted image from one of your text message conversations.
Note that deleting a picture in this manner will only remove it from the text message that you see. The other parties in the conversation will still have the picture on their devices.
There is another way that you can delete iPhone text message pictures, too. If you go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage you will see some recommendations about ways to increase your available storage space. One of these options is often to delete pictures from text message conversations.
Additionally, while you are on the iPhone Storage menu you can select the Messages option. There you will see a section called Documents where you might notice items like:
- Top Conversations
- Photos
- Videos
- GIFs and Stickers
- Other
If you choose one of those options it will open another screen where you can see each of those types of files that are found in your messages. if you tap Edit at the top right corner of the screen you can select and delete those items from your device. This is a great way to delete multiple images from text messages.
When you are selecting the image in your conversation that you want to delete you will also be able to delete text messages and other items from the conversation as well.
If you would like to delete an entire text message or iMessage conversation then you can open the Messages app, touch the Edit button at the top right, then select each of the conversations that you want to delete.
Alternatively, you can swipe to the left on a conversation and tap the red Delete button.
If you tap the contact name or message name at the top of the window in a text message conversation you will see contact details and additional information about the conversation. If you touch the See all button above the Photos section, the next screen will have a Select button at the upper right hand corner.
You can tap Select and choose your pictures, then touch the Delete button at the bottom right corner of the screen. You will then need to tap Delete Attachment to confirm deletion of the file.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing technology how-to articles and tutorials for over a decade. He has extensive experience in information technology both in small business and as a consultant.
His articles have appeared on dozens of websites and been read millions of times.
He covers many different topics concerning technology, but focuses primarily on smartphones, consumer software, and consumer electronics.
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