In the Messages app 
, you can delete messages, attachments, and entire conversations from your iPad anytime, without affecting what your recipients see.
Tip: Use Undo send to retract (within 2 minutes) a message you sent accidentally, deleting it from both your phone and your recipient’s phone.
Deleted messages and attachments remain in your Recently Deleted folder for up to 30 days, and you can recover them.
Delete messages and attachments
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.Open a conversation, touch and hold a message bubble or attachment, then tap More.
Select the messages or attachments you want to delete, then tap
.
.
You can also delete a conversation entirely.
Delete multiple attachments of the same type
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.Tap the name of the person or group you’re communicating with at the top of a conversation.
Scroll down to a category, such as Photos, then tap See All.
Tap Select, tap each item you want to delete, then tap Delete.
Delete a conversation
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.In the Messages conversation list, do one of the following:
Swipe left on the conversation, then tap
.Touch and hold the conversation, then tap Delete.
.Delete multiple conversations
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.In the Messages conversation list, do one of the following:
Tap Edit in the top-left corner.
Tap
near the top-left corner.
Tap Select Messages, choose the conversations you want to delete, then tap Delete.
near the top-left corner.Permanently remove recently deleted messages and attachments
Deleted messages and attachments remain in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days, but you can permanently remove them before that.
Open the Messages app
on your iPad.In the Messages conversation list, do one of the following:
Tap Edit in the top-left corner, then tap Show Recently Deleted.
Tap
in the top-left corner, then tap Recently Deleted.
If you’re in a conversation, tap
to return to the conversation list.Select the conversations whose messages you want to delete permanently, tap Delete, then follow the onscreen instructions.
in the top-left corner, then tap Recently Deleted.
to return to the conversation list.Automatically delete old messages
You can delete messages and attachments that are older than 30 days or a year old, on an ongoing basis.
Go to Settings
> Messages.Scroll down, tap Keep Messages (below Message History), then choose an option.
> Messages.Important: If you choose an option other than Forever, your conversations (including all attachments) are automatically removed after the specified time period elapses.
If you use Messages in iCloud, deleting a message or conversation on your iPad deletes it from all your devices where Messages in iCloud is on. See Keep your messages up to date with iCloud in the iCloud User Guide.
Note: Deleting messages only affects your iPad and other devices where you’re signed in with the same Apple ID. You can’t delete messages, attachments, and conversations for anyone else.
To delete everything (not just your messages), see Erase iPad.
