How to Automatically Delete Text Messages (SMS) on Android, iPhone

The accumulation of old text messages on your smartphone can become a serious problem. This makes things look chaotic and also eats up precious storage space. So today we will show you how to automatically delete old text messages on Android and iOS. By following our guide, you can better organize your text messages by automatically deleting old SMS messages that have long since lost their usefulness. The process for automatically deleting texts (SMS) will be slightly different depending on whether you're using an Android or iOS device, but is equally simple on either platform.

Recovering messages using a computer

Recovery using a computer is the most universal method, since utilities for these purposes are practical and capable of recovering the maximum amount of information. Let's look at the most popular programs.

Android data recovery

This is a specialized recovery program for operating systems of the Windows family. It has a fairly large list of advantages, including the presence of a free version, as well as ease of use and many recovery functions. First of all, we activate the “USB Debugging” function on the smartphone. This is done as follows:

• In the main menu of the smartphone we find the settings icon (in the shape of a gear), where we select the “About device” item. Quickly click on the “Build number” line several times until a pop-up message appears indicating that development mode is enabled;
• Go to the main menu “Settings” and activate the newly appeared line “Developer options”. Check the box next to “Enable USB debugging”.

After that, launch Android data recovery on the computer and connect the device to the USB port using a data cable. On the smartphone screen, we confirm permission to use the data by the computer using the “Allow” button. In the main menu of the Android data recovery program, click on the “Start” button.

After this, all actions are completely automatic. First, the program will scan the entire memory of the device (this takes 10-12 minutes) - but you cannot use your smartphone. After this process, Android Data Recovery will display the entire list of data that was recovered. We filter out what is unnecessary using the “Messages” line and select only those SMS that are highlighted in orange. To complete, click “Recover” and the SMS messages will return to their places in the “Messages” folder.

Gt recovery for windows

This is a fairly new program for data recovery on smartphones running Android (including Samsung). Like its analogues, it allows you to restore any deleted media from the device’s memory - music, video, SMS messages. Before you start, you need to prepare your smartphone - put it in USB debugging mode and connect it using a proprietary cable to the USB port. After that, launch Gt recovery for windows and follow the steps sequentially:

• Select the “Quick Recovery” item in the program - this is a function for quickly recovering deleted SMS. In the explorer menu that opens, indicate the area of ​​the smartphone’s memory where the data will be searched;
• Press the “Start” button and wait until the automatic device scanning process is completed.

After the scan is completed (it takes 8-10 minutes, depending on the amount of memory on the phone), GT recovery will show a list of data that was recovered. Among them, tick the required SMS messages and click on the “Recover” button. You will also need to specify the path where messages will be restored.

Dr fone android data recovery

Another working program for recovering deleted SMS messages is Dr fone android data recovery. It is universal for all devices running Android and works with several devices simultaneously. We connect the smartphone (do not forget to first activate the USB debugging mode). Further actions are performed according to the instructions:

• Smartphones on Android version 3.0 and lower: click on the “Settings” button, then on the “Applications” button and in the new window that opens, select “Development”. At this stage, you need to check that the checkbox next to the “USB debugging” option is checked;
• Smartphones running Android version 4.1 and older. All the actions described in the previous paragraph are performed in exactly the same way, only at the last step we click on the “Developer options” button.

All that remains is to connect the phone to the computer and click the “Next” button on the program screen. We wait a little while while the device is scanned for files that can be recovered. After finishing, select the orange positions in the list and click “Recover”.

Mobikin doctor

This is the simplest solution for a computer, for which a minimum of settings is provided. Initially, we enable USB debugging on the smartphone and connect it to a computer on which Mobikin doctor is already running. You must wait until the program recognizes the device.

In the upper left corner, click on the “Messages” menu and wait until the program displays all available SMS messages. Place check marks next to those that need to be restored and press the “Recover” button.

how to delete a message on android.

How to delete messages on social networks and instant messengers

Almost every smartphone has email services, messengers and social networks. The user periodically receives notifications from these applications. Such notifications can be with sound or silent. The user is notified about new friends, likes, messages and comments on his page. Sound accompaniment allows you not to miss important events.

To expand the functionality of a mobile device, many manufacturers significantly expand the ability to customize notifications. There are separate categories that set the priority of message output. This may be an event indicator, as well as permission or prohibition to display notifications on the locked screen.

You can disable the display of messages in the settings of the desired application. You can also set the signal type and configure only the receipt of certain notifications.

It is impossible to delete all correspondence in instant messengers and social networks. You can delete only individual conversation threads or entire correspondence with a specific user. To do this, select the desired message and click on the delete button. Some social networks have a trash icon that you need to click on.

On the social network VKontakte, you can select many messages that need to be removed. After that, click on the trash can or delete button. It is worth knowing that for some time there will be a notification on the page with an offer to restore the deleted content. If you don’t want someone to restore your correspondence, then it is recommended to delete this notification too.

There is only one way to clear all correspondence in one fell swoop, by completely deleting your account, without the possibility of restoring it. In this case, all profile information is deleted. True, the correspondence remains in the history of those users with whom it was conducted.

As you can see, you can delete SMS messages and notifications of individual applications on Android without any problems. To do this quickly, in some cases it is necessary to additionally install certain programs.

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How to disable the SIM card menu?

You can disable the SIM card menu on your phone. In this case, pop-up notifications about the latest news from the mobile operator and new tariffs will not be sent to your mobile device. But this section cannot be completely deleted - it belongs to system utilities and is tied to the SIM card.

Open your smartphone's settings and go to the All Apps section. In the list of programs, find “SIM card menu”.

In the application management window, click the “Stop” or “Disable” button - they are located at the top of the interface. To confirm that you want to disable the menu, click the “Yes” button.

This completes the process of disabling the SIM card menu. As an alternative way to manage a phone number, it is better to use the subscriber’s personal account.

The SIM Menu application on many Android smartphones is located in the general Programs (Tools) menu. We will tell you what this application is and how you can remove it.

Methods for restoring correspondence

Unable to get active action from technical support? Do not despair! There are several clever ways to restore personal correspondence in VK. They cannot be called simple, and none of them gives a 100% guarantee of success. Sometimes it requires special computer skills, but more often it requires patience and time. However, if correspondence has real value to you, it's worth a try:

A multifunctional addition to the VK account greatly simplifies the life of many users. The popularity of the extension has contributed to the emergence of a large number of fakes, so you should only download the application from the official website. If the installation asks for personal data, a password or other suspicious actions, it is better to refuse. Otherwise you will end up with a hacked page!

How to recover deleted VKontakte messages using Vkopt? After installing the add-on, the inscription will appear on the right under the main menu of the page. Next, open the messages and select “Statistics” in the “Actions” menu. Set the required parameters and click “Let’s go!” After some time, the extension collects your conversations with all users. Having selected the one you need, click on the date and time on the right side of the sign. As a result, you will be taken to the beginning of the conversation with the user, even if he was deleted.

Is it possible to recover deleted messages in a contact?

Retrieving old correspondence from the archive is a task only possible when the page with the dialogue has not yet been updated. Then the “Recover” button will appear in place of the deleted messages. After clicking on it, the correspondence will immediately return to its original form.

It is very important not to reload the page, otherwise your VKontakte history will be lost forever. Attentiveness, efficiency and accuracy are important here

Before deleting correspondence, consider this step. After all, it will be impossible to resume it, even after a few hours.

Users often advise contacting technical support. I declare with authority - it will not help in any way! Why? Because technical support has no right to return message history. The contact does not yet have a verification system and it is impossible to determine with certainty that it is the true user of the account who requires restoration, and not an attacker. No amount of persuasion will have any effect on them, because before deletion the system warns that the action is irreversible.

How to delete SMS on an Android gadget

Users of various mobile devices are often interested in how to delete their SMS on Android. Usually this problem becomes relevant in cases where the device needs to be replaced.

Delete manually

A situation may arise when you need to sell, donate or loan your smartphone to someone. Regardless of the reason, it's worth considering that SMS messages on your old phone may contain personal information. To avoid its leakage, it is necessary to delete the text data.

Even if a person is not against disclosing correspondence, it is advisable to destroy SMS to free up space in the device’s memory so that it does not freeze.

The owner of the gadget has the opportunity to remove SMS from his device manually.

1. On your Android device, you need to sign in to the Messages app.
2. Next, select a specific chain and press the button in the lower left corner of the smartphone to display the control menu.
3. In this menu you should select “Delete messages”.
4. Then you need to mark those SMS that are subject to liquidation. If you need to get rid of them all, click on “Select All” and “Erase”.

This is a simple method that is available to all users and does not require any financial investment. Unfortunately, it is time-consuming because it is impossible to delete hundreds or thousands of conversations at once.

Using a special program

If your Android gadget has accumulated too many SMS messages, then a third-party application is required to delete them. In this case, you will need Wondershare TunesGo, a file manager specially designed for the mobile operating system.

Any version of the application will help you easily and quickly erase several message threads. Thanks to this program, you can very quickly clear your phone of a large number of SMS.

This tool is free to use for 15 days, after which you will need to purchase the full version. The application runs on Windows and Mac operating systems.

To erase messages using this program, you need to follow these steps:

1. Connect your Android device to your Windows PC. To do this, you need to launch Wondershare TunesGo and connect your smartphone to your PC via USB.
2. Next, open the “Information” tab. In the left column, click SMS to display the message management window. Mark the ones you want to erase. To clear everything, you need to check the “Content” checkbox. Click on “Delete” and select “Yes” in the pop-up dialog box to begin the process.

The software may ask the user to set MobileGoConnect as the default SMS application. In this case, you will first need to click on “Yes” on your mobile device, and then confirm your choice on your PC.

These are the easiest ways to erase SMS from Android phone. Wondershare TunesGo app also allows you to recover SMS. It can export and create backup copies of messages on a PC in XML or TXT formats (to recover deleted SMS in case of a software failure). If a person types quickly on the keyboard, then he will be able to send SMS directly from the computer.

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:

1. Launch the Messages application (usually its icon is located on the main screen of the smartphone).
2. A chat has been opened with the person you are interested in.
3. Select one or more SMS that you want to delete (to select, you need to hold your finger on the letter for two seconds).
4. Having selected unnecessary messages, you need to click the button in the form of a trash can (usually located in the upper right corner).
5. 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:

• How to delete a Google account on Android: effective removal techniques

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Hold your finger on the name of the contact whose correspondence you want to delete.
3. Click the trash can button.
4. 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.

From SIM card

For example, you can use a rather difficult, but very effective scenario. We are talking about using a special SIM reader that will help restore data. Not only messages, but also contacts. In general, everything that can be stored on a SIM card.

In order to implement this approach, we will need a SIM reader, as well as a special application for data recovery. It is installed on the computer. A “reader” with our SIM card is connected to it with a wire. Once the equipment is connected and displayed, you can run the data recovery program.

As a rule, if you are thinking about how to recover SMS on your phone, you will be offered utilities in which you will find separate buttons called “Recovery”. One click and a few minutes of waiting and you're done. You just have to worry about the availability of free space on your SIM card in advance. After all, each message takes up a certain amount of space. If it is not enough, then the restoration will not be complete. And this is not a particularly pleasant moment

However, this is no longer so important. We continue to study possible scenarios when a user decides to recover SMS from a phone

Which SMS messages should be deleted?

It is recommended to immediately delete from your smartphone those alerts that store confidential information about the user:

• credit or debit card balance;
• logins, passwords from third-party services;
• bank account numbers;
• access code to your personal account;
• personal information.

Another type of alert that should be cleared immediately is one with false information. For example, about writing off a large amount of money from the phone owner’s card, if his card is in place and the funds are in order in the bank’s official application. Such notifications are sent by scammers to take over the user’s personal information. They need to be removed immediately.

In such cases, it is better to call the bank’s hotline, come to the branch yourself to find out the situation with the account, and check the card balance in the mobile application. It is worth carefully studying the number from which the message came. Banks have official numbers from which they send notifications to users.

How to edit a sent message in VK

Let's consider another way to delete an already sent message:

We highlight the correspondence that interests us. We look for a pencil icon on the toolbar. Click on it:

the message box becomes active and we can delete all typed characters:

The method is quite simple to implement, but has two disadvantages:

The interlocutor will see the following entry instead of the sent message: “The user edited the message”:

Unfortunately, editing has time limits. The sender has only 24 hours to cancel the action.

Conclusion

The function of deleting sent messages is an excellent opportunity for account owners to correct the error in a timely manner. Whether it's a file sent by mistake, or a message typed in the heat of the moment, or simple carelessness on the part of the sender, there are a number of ways to undo an action for each case.

Deleting messages in popular instant messengers

In addition to deleting regular text messages received on a phone number, you may be faced with the need to delete entries in various instant messengers and social networks. We have previously reviewed the most popular ones in separate instructions, so if this topic interests you, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with them.

Read more: How to delete messages and chats in Viber How to delete messages on yourself and your interlocutor on WhatsApp How to delete messages on yourself and your interlocutor on VKontakteHow to delete messages on Facebook MessengerHow to delete messages on Instagram

Uninstalling the SMS_S application on Android

The number of viruses for smartphones is constantly growing and SMS_S is one of them. When a device is infected, problems arise with sending messages; this process can be blocked or occur secretly from the user, which leads to serious expenses. Getting rid of it is quite simple.

Removing the SMS_S virus

The main problem when infected with such a virus is the possibility of intercepting personal data. Although at first the user simply will not be able to send SMS or will incur money expenses due to hidden messages, in the future this may result in the interception of important data such as a password for a mobile bank and other things. The usual deletion of the application will not help here, but there are several ways to solve the problem.

Step 1: Removing the virus

There are several programs that can be used to remove SMS_S version 1.0 (the most common). The best of them are presented below.

Method 1: Total Commander

This application provides advanced file management capabilities, but can be difficult to use, especially for beginners. To get rid of the resulting virus, you will need:

1. Launch the program and go to "My Applications".

Find the process name SMS_S (can also be called “Messages”) and tap on it.

In the window that opens, click on the “Delete” button.

Method 2: Titanium Backup

This method is suitable for rooted devices. After installation, the program can independently freeze an unwanted process, but this is only relevant for owners of the paid version. If this does not happen, do the following yourself:

Download Titanium Backup

1. Launch the application and go to the “Backups” tab by tapping on it.

Click on the “Change filters” button.

In the "Filter by type" line, select "All".

Scroll down the list of items to the item called SMS_S or “Messages” and select it. In the menu that opens, you will need to click on the “Delete” button.

Method 3: Application Manager

The previous methods may be ineffective, since the virus can simply block the ability to remove it due to access to administrator rights. The best option to get rid of it is to use system capabilities. For this:

1. Open your device settings and go to the Security section.

In it you will need to select the “Device Administrators” item.

Here, as a rule, there is no more than one item, which may be called “Remote control” or “Find device”. If infected with a virus, another option called SMS_S 1.0 (or something similar, for example “Messages”, etc.) will be added to the list.

There will be a check mark next to it that needs to be unchecked. After this, the standard removal procedure will become available. Go to "Applications" through "Settings" and find the item you need.

In the menu that opens when you click, the “Delete” button will be active, which you need to select.

Step 2: Cleaning your device

After the basic deletion manipulations are completed, you will need to go through the already open “Applications” to the standard program for sending messages and clear the cache, as well as erase existing data.

Open the list of recent downloads and delete any recent files that may be the source of infection. If you installed any programs after receiving the virus, it is also advisable to reinstall them, since the virus can be loaded through one of them.

After this, scan the device with an antivirus, for example, Dr.Web Light (its database contains data about this virus).

Download Dr.Web Light

The procedures described will help you get rid of the virus forever. To avoid such problems in the future, do not go to unknown sites and do not install third-party files.

Option 1: Individual messages

To delete one or more SMS from a chat, do the following:

1. Open the Messages application and go to the conversation in which you want to delete the SMS.
2. Touch and hold an unwanted message with your finger to highlight it.

   If you want to mark other entries, simply tap them.

3. Tap on the trash can icon that appears in the upper right corner of the window,

   then confirm your intentions in the pop-up window with a question.

Thus, we have deleted unnecessary SMS from one chat, but you can repeat the above steps in any others, if necessary.

Step-by-step instructions for iPhone owners

For iPhone owners, it is also important to use the applications described above. But you can regain access to lost SMS using an iTunes backup. To do this, the latest program must be installed on the computer.

1. After launching it, you will need to go to the settings and disable the ability to automatically synchronize.
2. Then you need to connect the Apple gadget to the PC and activate the restoration of the archived copy. To do this, in the section with files, look for the “Devices” item and the recovery that interests the user.
3. In a few minutes, the program will return lost SMS to your device.

Delete SMS from iPhone

The procedure for deleting messages in iMessage is not difficult, but the algorithm for performing it on the iPhone cannot be called obvious - the options necessary to solve the problem are hidden in the submenu, and the options for actions in the case of individual messages and entire correspondence are somewhat different. Let's take a closer look at them.

Option 1: Individual messages

Apple developers probably want so much to instill in users the habit of communicating with each other through “Messages” and iMessage that they removed the ability to delete individual SMS messages from their usual place, offering instead of the menu with options familiar from similar applications (called by a long tap) response options. It is precisely behind them that the opportunity that interests us today is hidden.

Option 2: All correspondence

If your task is to delete not individual messages, but entire correspondence at once, you need to act a little differently. There are three different methods to choose from that solve our problem equally effectively.

Method 1: Gesture The easiest way to delete one correspondence is to use a gesture - swipe on it from right to left. Having done this, click on the “Delete” inscription, and then on the button of the same name in the question window that appears. You can similarly delete other dialogs, but for these purposes it is better to use the recommendations from “Method 3” below.

Method 2: Conversation menu If you want to erase all correspondence after taking another look at its contents, for example, in order to copy important information, do the following:

1. Repeat steps No. 1-2 of the previous part of the article (Option 1).

If the correspondence is small, you can select each message in it separately by checking the box to the left of it. But it would be much more logical to use the “Delete all” item, which appears in the upper left corner of the window after calling the menu.

Confirm your intentions by clicking "Delete conversation" at the bottom of the screen.

Method 3: Application Menu

1. In “Messages”, click on the three dots located to the right of the inscription of the same name, and use the “Select messages” item.

By tapping, select one or more conversations that you want to delete - a check mark will appear to the left of them.

Tap on the “Delete” inscription located in the upper right corner, after which the selected correspondence (or correspondence) will be immediately erased. In this case, no confirmation will be required from you.

As you can see, deleting entire correspondence is faster and easier than deleting individual messages. If you are interested not only in how to get rid of SMS in the standard iPhone application, but also in the popular instant messengers Viber and WhatsApp, as well as the social network Instagram, check out the articles on our website provided in the links below.

Read more: Deleting in Viber Deleting messages in WhatsAppDeleting messages in Instagram

Recovering deleted SMS

In the process of deleting messages and entire correspondence that have become unnecessary or initially unwanted, you can make a mistake by accidentally getting rid of an important entry. Situations cannot be excluded when there is a need to restore what has already been erased

Fortunately, the ability to return previously deleted SMS is almost always available (but for a limited time) - this can be done either using third-party or proprietary software, or using the functionality built into Apple devices. We previously wrote about this in a separate article. Read more: Recovering deleted messages on iPhone

Why do you need to delete SMS?

Previously, notifications on the phone were deleted due to lack of memory. Today, technology has advanced, so you need to delete SMS for:

• maintaining the security of personal data, which can be used by fraudsters when downloading virus programs to a smartphone;
• data protection if, if the phone is lost, the person who found it may turn out to be dishonest and also use other people’s data from messages.

To reliably protect data on your smartphone, it is recommended to install special unlock codes. In new models of cellular communications, it is possible to unlock the device using biometric data: fingerprint, face.

Sometimes your smartphone receives messages from scammers, which are best deleted immediately. Typically, the texts contain information about winnings in lotteries, debiting funds from a bank account, and requests to replenish a scammer’s account.

The text is supported by links to dubious sites. You cannot navigate through them or install anything from them. This way, attackers will definitely take over the personal information of the device owner and use it for personal gain.