How To See All Attachments in iMessage

It’s easy to see why the messaging app on an iPhone is one of the most used in-built apps. We can attribute its popularity to the fact that besides letting you send messages in text and audio form, you can also share attachments such as photos, links, documents, etc.

However, if you want to view the said attachments later, the process can be tricky, especially if you receive lots of attachments regularly.

This article contains important information about attachment files on iMessage, from how to view them to how to manage them. 

Step-by-Step Guide on How To View Attachments on iMessage

You can view your iMessage attachments through your iPhone, iPad, or macOS. Below is how to go about it regardless of your iOS device.

1. Navigate to the iMessage app and tap on it.
2. Locate the chat of the person who sent you the attachments in question and tap on it.
3. Click on the Contact name/number at the top of the screen.
4. You should see a section with different attachment categories, such as Photos, Links, Location, and Documents, with a preview of a few attachments you have sent/received from the person.
5. Tap on “See all” to scroll through the available files.

How To Save iMessage Attachments

If you plan to delete an iMessage chat but don’t want to lose all the unsaved attachments, you can save the ones you like. This also applies if you want to save the attachment to a different app folder.

Either way, here is how to go about it:

1. Launch your iMessage app.
2. Scroll until you find the chat with the attachments you want to save, and tap on it.
3. You should be able to see the section with all the attachments sent to or received from that chat. Click on either Photos, Links, or Documents, depending on the media category you want to save.
4. Tap on the attachment in question and click on “Share” at the bottom left of the screen.
5. You will be given several options to proceed; click “Save photo.“

How To Delete Attachments on iMessage Chats

Considering Apple products have the iCloud feature, which you can also use to save message threads, it’s pretty easy for message threads to infringe on your phone’s storage.

Especially if the chats in question have several attachments that you no longer need/use; if this is the case, there are several ways to solve the issue.

Method #1: From the Messages App

1. Launch the iMessage app.
2. Click on the chat with the attachments you want to get rid of.
3. Click on the person’s contact name or number.
4. Tap on the attachment category that you want to delete; it could be Links, Photos, or Documents.
5. If you want to delete several attachments, click on “Select” at the top of the screen and proceed to tap on all the files you want to delete.
6. Click “Delete,” and a prompt will appear asking you to confirm your action; click “Delete” once more.

Method #2: From Settings

1. Tap on “Settings” on your device’s homepage. Alternatively, key in Settings on the search bar.
2. Scroll and click on “General.”
3. Tap on “iPhone storage.”
4. Click on “Messages.“
5. Under the documents tab, click on the category with the attachment you want to delete. For example, you could click “Photos.”
6. Tap on “Edit” at the top of the screen and click on all the attachments you want to delete.
7. Tap on the “Trash” icon at the top right of the screen when you are done.

Conclusion

Apple has made the process of viewing your iMessage attachments quite simple to master. Therefore, with some effort, you can easily find the attachment, share it, save it or even delete it. The above article contains everything you need to know.

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