Hide Text Messages on Your iPhone

This article teaches you how to delete text conversations or individual messages on an iPhone. It will also teach you how to prevent incoming text messages from displaying on your iPhone's lock screen and Notification Center.

10 Second Summary

1. Open Messages.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap a conversation.
4. Tap Delete.

Steps

Deleting Text Conversations

  1. Open your iPhone's Messages. It's the green icon with a white speech bubble icon, typically found on the Home Screen.
  2. Tap Edit. This button is in the top-left corner of the screen.
    • If Messages opens to a conversation, tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen first.
  3. Tap each conversation you wish to delete. Doing so will select each conversation you tap.
    • You can tap a message again to de-select it.
  4. Tap Delete. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Doing so will permanently remove the selected conversations from the Messages app.

Deleting Individual Text Messages

  1. Open your iPhone's Messages. It's the green icon with a white speech bubble icon, typically found on the Home Screen.
  2. Tap a contact's name. Doing so will open your conversation with that person.
    • If Messages opens to a conversation, tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen first.
  3. Tap and hold a text you wish to delete. Doing so will prompt a pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Tap More. It's at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Tap each text you wish to delete. Doing so will select each message you tap.
    • The text you first tapped and held is selected automatically.
  6. Tap the trash can icon. It's in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  7. Tap Delete [Number] Messages. This option will pop up at the bottom of the screen after you tap the trash can. Tapping it permanently removes the selected messages from your conversation.
    • For example, if you selected fifteen messages, this button would say Delete 15 Messages.
    • If you're only deleting one message, this button will say Delete Message.

Hiding Text Message Alerts

  1. Open your iPhone's Settings. It's the grey gear icon, typically found on the Home Screen.
  2. Tap Notifications. You'll find this option near the top of the Settings page.
  3. Scroll down and tap Messages. It's in the "M" section of the Notifications page.
  4. Slide Allow Notifications to the "Off" position. This option is at the top of the page. Doing so will make the switch turn white, signifying that your iPhone will no longer display notifications of incoming messages.
    • Turning off this option will also prevent your phone from vibrating or ringing for incoming messages.

Sending an iMessage with Invisible Ink

  1. Open your iPhone's Messages. It's the green icon with a white speech bubble icon, typically found on the Home Screen.
  2. Tap a contact's name. Doing so will open your conversation with that person.
    • If you can't find the conversation you need, swipe down on this screen and then type your contact's name into the Search bar at the top of the screen.
    • You can tap the box with a pencil icon in the top-right corner of the screen to create a new message.
    • If you're already in a conversation with someone, tap the "Back" button in the top-left corner of the screen to view the "Messages" page.
  3. Tap the iMessage field. It's at the bottom of the screen. This is where you'll type your message.
  4. Type in your message.
  5. Tap and hold the arrow button. It's in the right corner of the "iMessage" (or "Text Message") field.
  6. Tap the dot next to Invisible Ink. The "Invisible Ink" feature obscures your iMessage text.
  7. Tap the white arrow button. Doing so will send your iMessage with invisible ink, meaning your contact will have to tap or swipe over the message to view what's written.

Tips

  • You can also swipe left over a conversation to bring up the Delete option if you just want to delete a single conversation.

Warnings

  • Removing texts from a conversation only deletes them from your iPhone. The other person in the conversation will still have a record of your deleted comments.

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