How to Delete Messages on MacBook Air: A Step-by-Step Guide

Whether it's for security, to free up storage, or to protect your privacy, you might choose to delete individual or all messages. This article will address your concerns and show you the steps to delete messages on your MacBook Air using four reliable methods.

How to Delete Messages on a MacBook Air

We understand that not everyone is aware of how to delete messages on a laptop. That's why we've compiled four common methods to assist you in accomplishing this task.

So you can try these solutions out carefully and see which ones work for you.

Solution 1: Delete a Single Message from the Information App

Message apps let you delete individual messages within them. However, if you're not careful, you might end up deleting the entire conversation. So, to delete messages on your Mac, you need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Messages app.

Step 2. Go to the "Chats" section, and find the message you want to delete.

Step 3: Right-click the message, and then select “Delete.”

Step 4: A confirmation dialog appears. Click Delete.

In this case, if you accidentally delete an important chat, you can restore it from the Trash. But if you have emptied the Trash, don't worry! Consider installing Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to get back your deleted chats.

Solution 2: Delete multiple messages from the Messages app

Deleting all emails at once on a Mac may seem complicated, but the Mail app is designed to make it easy. The process looks similar to deleting a single message, but there's one extra step that makes all the difference.

Step 1. Open the Messages app.

2. Open the Messages app, and select the conversation with the information you want to copy.

3. Hold down the “Command” key, then click the emails you want to delete.

Step 4: Right-click the selected email, and then click "Delete."

Click Delete to remove the messages.

5. Click the “Delete” button on the confirmation window that appears.

By following these steps, you can delete multiple messages at once. This makes it easier to manage your chat history. It's especially useful when you want to keep a certain conversation but delete specific information within it.

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Solution 3: Delete Messages on MacBook Air from Terminal

Using terminal commands is another method to delete messages. You'll need to use specific commands to erase messages or attachments.

Here is how it could work:

Step 1: Open Terminal, then type in rm -r ~/Library/Messages/chat.

Step 2. To delete attachments, type the following:

rm -r ~/Library/Messages/Attachments/.

They permanently delete messages and attachments, with no need to empty the Trash (learn how).

Solution 4: Delete Messages on MacBook Air via Finder

You can use the Finder to delete messages on your MacBook Air. You can also use the Finder to delete email attachments or archives.

The steps to delete messages using Finder on a MacBook Air are as follows:

Step 1. Open the Finder. Click “Go” in the Finder window.

Step 2. Choose “Go to Folder.”

Step 3: Type or paste the path ~/Library/Messages/, then click “Go.”

Step 4: Look for files named chat.db, chat.db-shm, and chat.db-wal inside the "Messages" folder.

5. Right-click the files and choose “Move to Trash.” Or, drag them directly to the Trash.

Can I recover deleted messages from MacBook Air?

Are you wondering how to retrieve important data from MacBook Air? Well, tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is a reliable software that can help you with the job.

Equipped with an algorithm-optimized scanning process, Tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro can more precisely restore deleted emails on your MacBook Air. Its filtering feature helps locate lost data from a vast amount of scan results.

Here are the steps to recover deleted messages on MacBook Air using the tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac:

1. Select the drive to scan

In the main tools Data Recovery Wizard window, all drives connected to your Mac will be listed. Select the drive from which you want to retrieve lost/deleted files and click the "Scan Lost Files" button.

**Note:** Before you proceed with data recovery, it is recommended that you click on "Disk Backup" from the left sidebar and create a backup of your Mac to prevent further data loss. Once the backup is done, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can continue to write new data.

Select the location and scan for lost Mac data

Step 2: Choose the data/files you lost

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan the disk volume you select and display the results in the left pane. If you're looking for a specific file, you can sort the results to locate the file you need.

Select the data/files you lost

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Data

Once you find the files you need, preview them and click “Recover” to start restoring your deleted or lost Mac files.

Conclusions

In this article, you learned about different ways to delete messages on your MacBook Air. These methods include using Terminal, the Messages app, and Finder. None of them are complicated.

But if you need to recover your information, you need a professional data recovery. In this case, you might want to consider using Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro. Download this software to ensure the safety of your important files.

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Delete Messages on MacBook Air

Here are some common questions and answers about how to delete messages on a MacBook Air. You might find them helpful.

1. How to Quickly Delete Messages on MacBook Air?

To quickly delete a message on MacBook Air:

Step 1. Open the Messages app and select the conversation that contains the message you want to remove.

Step 2. Then, press “Command + Delete.”

Alternatively:

Step 1. Right-click the email.

Step 2: Next, choose "Delete."

2. How do I remove the Messages app from my MacBook?

You can do this in two ways. First:

Step 1: Click on “Finder.”

<b>Step 2:</b> Find the Applications folder.

Step 3: Find the “Messages” app and right-click on it.

The final step is to select “Move to Trash.”

Or:

Step 1. Drag the Messages icon to the Trash.

Step 2: Right-click the Trash icon after moving the file to it.

Step 3: Choose “Empty Trash” to permanently remove the app.

3. Can I recover deleted emails on MacBook Air?

Yes, you can. On a MacBook, you can recover a deleted message for up to 30 days after you delete it. After that, it's removed from your device. If more than 40 days have passed, the message is permanently removed from your iCloud.

To recover deleted messages:

Step 1. Open the Messages app.

Step 2: Tap View.

Step 3: Tap Recently Deleted.

Step 4. Then, find the information you want to recover.

Step 5: Right-click the message and select "Restore."