Resolved Delete Messages data on Mac without affecting other devices?

[BYTE_ME]

I'm typically a PC guy and recently picked up a Mac mini M1 to learn Xcode. I do have an iPhone and iPads for mobile use. I'll be using the Mini as a dev box more than a conventional desktop, so I don't want or need things like Messages or any other iPhone related apps or the storage they require. While I can appreciate the way Apple products seemlessly work together, in my case I don't want to waste GB's of storage on features I will not use.

I signed out of my iCloud account in the Messages app, but the Mac storage still shows space used by the Messages data from when I originally set up the Mac. I DON'T WANT to delete my Messages or texts from iCloud or otherwise affect my iPhone / iPads, so I am wary of any delete options until I fully understand the ramifications.

Any suggestions?

TIA

 

[!!!]

You should just be able to delete the data in ~/Library/Messages.

But based off your post it sounds like you care about not losing your messages? I would definitely recommend turning off iCloud sync for messages. Do note the difference between "sync" and "backup", where sync means "sync any changes, including corruptions and accidental deletions."

 

[BYTE_ME]

You should just be able to delete the data in ~/Library/Messages.

But based off your post it sounds like you care about not losing your messages? I would definitely recommend turning off iCloud sync for messages. Do note the difference between "sync" and "backup", where sync means "sync any changes, including corruptions and accidental deletions."

I'd like to reclaim the storage on the Mini, but don't want to do anything that deletes them from iCloud or my other devices.

I have already signed out of iCloud in the Messages app on my Mini so nothing further gets added. Apparently all the iCloud apps sync automatically when signing into my account while setting it up and before I knew it there was GB's of message data downloaded to the Mini drive. As mentioned, I will not be using Messages on the Mini.

It took a moment to figure out that like Windows, certain system folders are hidden by default and I had to enable the ability to find the Library folder. Question - can I just delete the entire Messages folder, or is it preferable to delete the folder's contents. I think this is the right place:

 

[Ruggy]

The way I would have suggested to do it was to go to your apple account in settings (the one with the photo at the top) and find icloud there. Then you switch off 'use on this mac'
You have however, signed out of icloud so you can safely delete messages on the mac without it affecting anything on your phone or anything in the icloud.
But if you turn icloud back on again it will synch messages again. It's changed a bit in recent OS I think, it used to ask you if you wanted to merge them, now I think it just downloads them again but in any case, if you don't merge them and if it downloads them then it's not going to do anything to icloud or your phone.
It remembers the settings before you signed out of icloud you see. If you switch off messages you can sign back in and it won't synch them but with it left on, it will.
If you want to try again you can in fact leave icloud on but just disable messages and then delete them.
I can't answer about the enclosing folder.

 

[BYTE_ME]

Thanks - goes to show I should always ask before jumping in lol.

Nonetheless, I also turned off Messages in my Apple account in addition to signing out from the app itself. Turning it off did not remove any of the files, so I deleted the contents of the Messages folder - that seems to have worked without mucking anything up and I reclaimed the storage space. I checked what happens if I open the Messages app and it asked me to sign in but no observable issues or errors. Opening the app did add a few system folders and files, but nothing of any size consequences. So it would appear that I'm all set now.

Thanks for the help!

EDIT - having multiple Macs with the same user account reminds me of how Windows manages OneDrive syncing... While I can see the benefit of cloud folders and syncing files, sometimes I just want an entirely distinct environment where files saved on one device do not sync to other devices - yet also sync to iCloud for remote access if desired. I see that a screenshot I took yesterday on this Mac appeared on the other Mini I have set up as a media player... I am using the same user account name on both Macs, so I'm not sure if that is what triggers that or if the Apple account is the key (probably the former?).

 

[chown33]

EDIT - having multiple Macs with the same user account reminds me of how Windows manages OneDrive syncing... While I can see the benefit of cloud folders and syncing files, sometimes I just want an entirely distinct environment where files saved on one device do not sync to other devices - yet also sync to iCloud for remote access if desired. I see that a screenshot I took yesterday on this Mac appeared on the other Mini I have set up as a media player... I am using the same user account name on both Macs, so I'm not sure if that is what triggers that or if the Apple account is the key (probably the former?).

It's the Apple account that links the Macs. If you use a different Apple account, then the Macs won't be linked,. I maintain several Apple accounts, and the only way that devices are linked, and sync to the same data, is when they are logged in to the same Apple account.

You can make different Apple accounts, as long as they have a different email address. This should be pretty easy to accomplish with a Gmail account.

 

[BYTE_ME]

It's the Apple account that links the Macs. If you use a different Apple account, then the Macs won't be linked,. I maintain several Apple accounts, and the only way that devices are linked, and sync to the same data, is when they are logged in to the same Apple account.

You can make different Apple accounts, as long as they have a different email address. This should be pretty easy to accomplish with a Gmail account.

Thanks for that tidbit! I think I'd want my dev Mac (learning Xcode) on my 'primary' Apple account so that I can try building iOS apps on my personal devices without having to go through some formal app install process. My media Mini box can probably be a different Apple account as it's primary function is playing streaming websites. Though I'd need to be able to sign into Apple Music using my primary account on the Mini with the new Apple account. It would be nice to have access to my Photos as well - perhaps I could share photos with the newly created Apple account?

It's like iCloud ala carte - I want some things but not others.

 

[BYTE_ME]

So I tried the Apple account suggestion on my Mini tv box that also doesn’t need to offer Messages and only has the 256gb drive - but i guess once Messages populate during setup, removing iCloud sync or signing out both do not remove any Messages data that was already downloaded. So I deleted the files through Finder like before to reclaim storage space and all is well on this box too.