Re: How to delete the biggest files in Messages?

On 2025-04-26 15:56:13 +0000, Connor Shannon said:

On 4/25/25 6:47 PM, Your Name wrote:
 

 It is the idiocy of cloud syncing, especially when using multiple devices. When you delete them from one device, the other device doesn't delete them, so they get re-up/downloaded to/from the silly cloud server again.
 Turn off iCloud syncing on all devices. Then Delete the message attachments from all devices. Then do NOT bother turning on silly iCloud syncing again.
 And, before the moronic anti-Apple trolls start chiming in, the exact same problems also affect Android syncing services. All cloud syncing services are ridiculous and never work properly, partly because the cloud software has no idea whether you purposely or accidentally deleted the files from one device. Hence, you end up with problems like this of stuff reappearing.

 Oh, okay. But I like having messages show up on all my devices. Sometimes I'm on my MacBook and sometimes I'm on my iPad and less time I'm on my iPhone but if a msg comes in I want it to come to where I am. So if I turn off iCloud that won't work right?

All you need to do is have the Messages apps on all the devices signed into the same Apple account.
<https://support.apple.com/guide/messages/set-up-messages-on-mac-ichte16154fb/mac> That support page article says:
    Enable Messages in iCloud: Select this option if you want
    to store your messages in iCloud.
Note the important word *IF* - iCloud storage / syncing isn't necessary, and can be a big pain in the backside, as you've found out.