- “Usually I want to delete several SMS/text messages at the same time. Is there a way to do this? — “How to quickly delete all messages at once?” — “How to delete a mass SMS thread?” — “How to delete text messages on Android without freezing?”
With one or another question about deleting Android, it is easy to get the result that people need to delete old text messages on Android for various reasons. The main difference is how many text messages you want to delete. According to all kinds of requirements, this article contains some common and useful solutions. So, if you are unable to delete text messages on Android without knowing why, you can read the following paragraphs within a few minutes.
- Part 1: Archive or delete a conversation
- Part 2: Delete All Android Text Messages
- Part 3: How to delete multiple text messages on my Android
- Part 4: Reset Android Device
- Part 5: How to Permanently Delete Text Messages on Android Phone
- Part 6: Backup Text Messages Before Deleting
- Part 7: Frequently Asked Questions on Deleting Text Messages on Android
How to delete SMS in your phone for individual contacts
Most often, users need to get rid of SMS received from only one account. And here the smartphone owner can turn to two cleaning options. The Android operating system allows you to delete both one message and the entire correspondence. Read more about how to do this below.
Delete one message
Let's say you received an SMS from someone important to you, but you want to delete it, since the information received does not require long-term storage. In such a situation, the best course of events seems to be a single deletion of the message. All other messages in this case will remain in place and will be available for reading.
To delete one SMS, you will need:
- Launch the Messages application (usually its icon is located on the main screen of the smartphone).
- A chat has been opened with the person you are interested in.
- Select one or more SMS that you want to delete (to select, you need to hold your finger on the letter for two seconds).
- Having selected unnecessary messages, you need to click the button in the form of a trash can (usually located in the upper right corner).
- Confirm deletion.
Please note that depending on the smartphone model and operating system version, the names of some menu items may differ.
You can do the same with any other contact with whom you previously corresponded. An unlimited number of emails are available for deletion. If desired, you can select all SMS at once, but there is a more convenient way to clear all correspondence.
Complete chat clearing
When you want to completely get rid of correspondence with a person, it is not very convenient to delete messages one by one. Therefore, a much better option is proposed, involving the use of the following instruction:
- Open the Messages app.
- Hold your finger on the name of the contact whose correspondence you want to delete.
- Click the trash can button.
- Confirm the operation.
The interface of the built-in Messages program allows you to clear the chat in another way. So, if you open a conversation, you will see an icon in the form of three dots in the upper right corner. Clicking on it will open an additional menu.
Here you will need to select “Delete” and confirm clearing the entire chat.
Once everything is done, you don't have to worry about anyone seeing the messages. SMS messages are deleted permanently and in the vast majority of cases cannot be restored.
Ways to recover messages on WhatsApp
The need to restore dialogues arises if you accidentally deleted the wrong message, the interlocutor independently erased important data, or you needed previously erased information. What will help in this case?
Reinstall WhatsApp and restore from backups. Remove the program from your phone and install it again. After confirming your phone number, you will be prompted to recover your messages and media files.
Backup data is stored in the smartphone's memory, on a microSD card, or in Google Drive or iCloud services. After clicking on the “Restore” button, the procedure is activated automatically.
Restoring a chat from a backup
Using a file manager. This tip is for Android users who need to recover deleted messages from the last 7 days. Download any appropriate software and go to the following directory: sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases. Inside, find the file in the format msgstore-YYYY-MM-HH.1.db.crypt12, then rename it to msgstore.db.crypt12. After changing the file name, reinstall WhatsApp and restore your backup data.
Communication with your interlocutor. Without saving the information on an SD card or in cloud storage, it is unlikely that it will be possible to restore the content of the dialogue. But you can personally ask the recipient to send all correspondence. This option is not suitable for everyone, but it cannot be ignored. In some cases, this is the only way to regain what was lost.
How to delete all SMS messages on Android
Sometimes there are situations when you need to get rid of all SMS at once. That is, not from correspondence with an individual contact, but from chats with several people at once. In this case, we can recommend the instructions from the section on deleting correspondence.
After opening the Messages application, you need to select all the chats one by one. At the end, all you have to do is press the button in the form of a trash can and confirm the operation. All messages will be deleted at once, regardless of who sent them.
Also, all messages are deleted after a factory reset. If you want to return your phone to standard settings, it is recommended to use this method.
Using the proposed method, remember that the interfaces of different smartphone models are different. Some devices allow you to select all correspondence at once, and some force you to perform the operation manually.
Part 4: Reset your Android device
With factory reset, you can erase all Android data and return your digital device to its original default state. Therefore, you should back up your important text messages and other Android files in advance. Also, think twice before deleting all Android text messages by doing a factory reset.
Note: Restoring Android to factory settings will delete text messages permanently, so you'd better back up text messages on Android for important items.
Step 1. Hold and press the Power, Home and Volume Down buttons at the same time.
Step 2. Release the Home and Volume Down buttons when you turn on the phone (keep pressing the Power button).
Step 3. Wait until you enter recovery mode.
Step 4: Use Volume Up button to select "wipe data/restore factory settings".
Step 5. Press the Home button to reset Android settings.
Your Android phone will automatically reboot. So the next time you open the Messages app, you will see that your inbox is already empty.
If you are using HTC, find out how to reset your HTC phone here.
How to delete SMS using special applications
In a situation where you need to quickly delete all messages, and the smartphone interface offers to highlight each chat separately, you can turn to the help of third-party software. Today, many programs have been developed that expand the capabilities of the standard Messages application.
It is not possible to download such a program onto the smartphone itself, so it must be installed on a computer. The best solution seems to be the Dr.Fone – Phone Manager application. It is available for free download on the developer's official website.
After installing Dr.Fone – Phone Manager, you need to refer to the instructions:
- Connect your smartphone to your computer using the USB cable that comes with the device.
- Launch the program.
- Go to the "Information" tab.
- Select all correspondence.
- Click the trash window button and then confirm your actions.
Initially, the program offers to delete chats one at a time. However, when you go to the “All Messages” section, you can select all correspondence with one touch. The application also gives the right to get rid of SMS that have not been read by the user.
Part 6: Backup Text Messages Before Deleting
Remember to back up your text messages before deleting text messages on Android. Otherwise, you will no longer be able to recover deleted conversions. So, how to quickly and easily backup thousands of text messages and other Android files? In fact, you can turn to Apeaksoft Android Data Backup and Restore for help. This all-in-one program allows users to backup and restore Android data to computer in one click. Moreover, you can backup not only text messages but also contacts, call logs, gallery, videos, audios and documents without losing data.
One click to backup and restore Android files on Windows or Mac.
Set a password to encrypt Android backup data.
Preview and select any data to restore from a previous Android backup.
Supports 5,000 Android phones and tablets.
Step 1. Run Android Data Backup and Restore
Free download and install Android Data Backup & Restore. Launch it and connect Android to your computer using the illuminated USB cable. Then you have to choose whether to use “Device Data Backup” or “One-Click Backup” to backup text messages.
Free Download Free Download
Step 2. Select Data Type (Optional)
If you have chosen to backup Android to PC with one click, you can skip this step. Regarding selective backup of Android files, you should select a specific data type. At this time, tap "Contacts" under the "Contacts & Messages" category.
Additionally, it can act as a photo backup tool if you select "Gallery" to backup images on your Android phone.
Step 3. Backup Text Messages from Android to PC
When you click Next, this program will start backing up the selected text messages to your computer. Wait a few minutes for the process to complete.
How to delete text messages from SIM card
For smartphone owners, a SIM card is the main tool that provides access to communication services. With its help, a person can make calls and correspond. The disadvantage of the plastic element is that there is a limited amount of free memory space. Therefore, situations often occur when the SIM storage is filled with SMS messages.
Obviously, a targeted cleaning of correspondence that is stored in the SIM card memory is necessary. You can proceed in the standard way by clearing all messages. But in this case, SMS messages previously saved in the device’s internal storage will also be lost. So in such a situation it is recommended to act differently:
- Open the Message app.
- Click on the three dots icon located in the upper right corner.
- Select “Messages on SIM”.
- Select several or all chats saved on your SIM card.
- Click the button represented by a trash can.
- Confirm deletion.
Thus, the process of clearing messages from SIM memory is no different from deleting all SMS. The only difference is that the user needs to force open only those messages that are stored on the SIM card.
How to recover deleted SMS
Often, after a person deletes messages from his phone, there is a need to restore them. The operation can only be performed using special applications available on Google Play. Among the most popular and in demand are the following:
- DiskDigger;
- SMS Backup & Restore;
- Recover Deleted Messages.
Some of the proposed programs specialize specifically in message recovery. However, applications like DiskDigger allow you to recover not only SMS, but also other deleted files. However, there are no guarantees when using such applications. No one can say with 100% certainty that all messages will be restored. Much depends on how much time has passed since the deletion.
To avoid losing deleted messages, it is recommended to add extra SMS to the archive (trash). This feature is available on most modern smartphones.
Android tools do not always allow you to restore correspondence in full. Therefore, you have to turn to programs developed for PC:
- Dr. Fone;
- Coolmuster Android SMS+Contacts Recovery;
- Mobkin Doctor.
Each application has distinctive features. The program interface is not always translated into Russian, but this does not interfere with navigation. Just look for items with names like "Restore". If problems arise during the operation, please refer to the video instructions, which detail the entire recovery process.
Causes
First, it’s worth figuring out why SMS without a subject on Honor is not deleted, because the user’s further steps may depend on this. The main explanations why it is not possible to delete SMS from a smartphone include:
- Improper execution of all manipulations.
- Changing the SMS message database. This is possible due to the action of some third-party applications. As a result, the MMS/SMS database changes, which is why the system cannot find the required SMS and delete it from the Honor smartphone.
- The received SMS or MMS is incomplete. In this case, you cannot open it, find it, or uninstall it in normal mode.
These are the main reasons why SMS messages are not deleted from an Honor phone and accumulate in the device’s memory. But the problem is easy to solve if you know how to do it correctly.
How to delete messages on social networks and instant messengers
In any case, not as many people use regular SMS as 5 years ago. The fact is that messengers have gained particular popularity recently. They allow you to correspond completely free of charge using an Internet connection.
By deleting SMS through the Messages application, the user does not get rid of messages received through WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber or any other messenger. They are stored separately, and therefore chats are cleared through a specific application. Let's look at the principle of deletion using the WhatsApp messenger as an example. For other applications, including social networks, the instructions will be similar.
Deleting individual messages
To get rid of one or more letters, you must use the following instructions:
- Launch the application.
- Open a chat with the right person.
- By holding your finger, highlight messages of interest.
- Click the trash can button.
- Confirm deletion.
If the outgoing message was not delivered to the recipient, it will be deleted for both.
To get rid of all correspondence, you will need to open the chat, click on the three dots, select “More”, and then “Clear chat”.
Deleting multiple chats
You can also get rid of several or all correspondence at once on social networks and instant messengers. To do this, you will need to open the application, select several chats, and then press the button in the form of a trash can.
An even easier way to get rid of all messages is to delete and then reinstall the application. For example, WhatsApp saves only conversations uploaded to the cloud. If you have not previously created a backup copy, all chats will be deleted.
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Recovering deleted messages
Despite the fact that at the stage of erasing SMS a warning appears that this procedure does not have a reverse effect and cannot be canceled, it is still possible to restore data. This task cannot be called simple, but it is doable, however, you will need to use third-party software, and also, for greater efficiency of the procedure, obtain Root rights. We previously described in more detail how to recover deleted messages in a separate article.
Read more: How to recover deleted messages on Android
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