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To automatically remove older messages from your iPad, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Keep Messages and select 30 Days. Messages and attachments older than that are deleted on an ongoing basis, according to Apple’s iPad User Guide.
Set messages to delete after 30 days
- Open Settings on your iPad.
- Tap Apps, then Messages.
- Scroll to Keep Messages, under Message History.
- Choose 30 Days.
Apple says choosing a duration other than Forever removes conversations and their attachments once that duration elapses. The deletion happens on an ongoing basis; this setting is not a command to erase every message immediately. Menu placement or wording may differ by iPadOS version.
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Choose the retention period that fits
| Setting | What it means |
|---|---|
| 30 Days | Older conversations and attachments are subject to ongoing automatic deletion after 30 days. |
| One Year | Conversations and attachments are automatically removed after the selected one-year period elapses. |
| Forever | This setting does not automatically remove conversations based on age. |
These are the automatic-retention choices described in Apple’s iPad User Guide. Select 30 Days if you want a shorter message history without deleting conversations one by one.
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Automatic retention is not the same as manual deletion
Keep Messages controls how long conversations and attachments are retained automatically. If you manually delete an individual message or attachment, it can remain in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days, where you can recover it or permanently delete it sooner. Apple’s iPad guide to recovering deleted messages describes that recovery period.
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Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5): Ultra Retina XDR Display, 256GB, Landscape 12MP Front Camera/12MP Back Camera, LiDAR Scanner, Wi-Fi 7 with Apple N1, Face ID, All-Day Battery Life — Space Black
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Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip, 11-inch Model, Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Pink
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Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip, 11-inch Model, Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Silver
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Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip, 11-inch Model, Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Blue
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- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Check what deletion affects before you proceed
- Other devices: If Messages in iCloud is on, deleting a message or conversation on the iPad also deletes it from your other devices configured for Messages in iCloud. Apple says message changes, including deletions, appear across devices using the service. See Apple’s Messages in iCloud guide.
- Other people’s copies: Ordinary deletion affects your iPad and, where applicable, your other Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account. It does not remove the message from recipients’ devices. Deleting a message is not the same as using Undo Send; Apple explains the distinction in its iPad messaging guide.
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