Does deleting a message delete it for both parties?

Answered by Antonio Sutton

When it comes to iMessage, deleting a message will only remove it from your own devices. It does not automatically delete the message for the other person or people involved in the conversation. This means that even if you delete a message, the other party will still be able to see it on their own device.

It’s important to understand that iMessage is a messaging service that allows for group conversations. In a group iMessage, anyone who is part of the conversation can add or remove someone from the chat. So, if you delete a message, it will only be deleted from your own devices, but it will still be visible to others who are part of the group conversation.

For example, let’s say you are part of a group iMessage chat with your friends. If you delete a message from your own device, it will disappear from your messages, but your friends will still be able to see it on their devices. This is because the message is stored on Apple’s servers and is synchronized across all devices in the conversation.

To completely remove a message from all devices, you would need to request that the person who sent the message also deletes it from their own device. This way, the message will be deleted from both parties’ devices and will no longer be accessible.

In terms of personal experiences, I have been in situations where I have accidentally sent a message that I wanted to delete, but unfortunately, deleting it from my own device did not remove it from the recipient’s device. This can sometimes lead to awkward or embarrassing moments, especially if the content of the message was not intended for the recipient’s eyes.

Deleting a message in iMessage only removes it from your own devices. It does not automatically delete the message from the other person’s device. To completely remove a message from both parties, you need to ensure that the other person also deletes it from their device.