Why are Message attachments saved locally on Mac?

[Webcat86]

I use iCloud Messaging, so messages sync across my phone, iPad and Macs. The phone is my primary device for texting and messaging only uses a few gb on my phone as I use optimised storage.

But, messages are taking up over 30gb on my iMac. What I don't understand is, why are the attachments being downloaded and stored locally to this computer, instead of living primarily in iCloud?

If Apple made the file names easier, I could do a batch delete from certain conversations, but the path is Library > Messages > Attachments > 00 > 00 > 0C2641A1E-...410816F6C > [image]. There are 256 (!!!) folders from 00 to ff, with no visibility over which message they're from.

And if I go through messages so I'm sure I'm removing ones I don't want to keep, I can only delete an attachment one at a time...

 

[!!!]

And if I go through messages so I'm sure I'm removing ones I don't want to keep, I can only delete an attachment one at a time...

I've reported this to Apple numerous times, ever since they did the Messages.app redesign.

It's absolutely insane to me that they still haven't fixed it. What is going on in Cupertino?

I think you should contact Apple Support about your issue. Bother them, they're the ones with broken software.

 

[Webcat86]

I've reported this to Apple numerous times, ever since they did the Messages.app redesign.

It's absolutely insane to me that they still haven't fixed it. What is going on in Cupertino?

I think you should contact Apple Support about your issue. Bother them, they're the ones with broken software.

I contacted them a couple of years ago to ask why deleting a photo from my iPhone message thread didn't necessarily remove it from my other devices (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't). They had no idea and thought it behaved like any other iCloud sync, where deleting it from one would be mirrored elsewhere.

In fairness, support has been great on any other issue I've had, but on this particular one they seem oblivious and uneducated.

I could ask about deleting message attachments individually but they won't be able to give me a fix. Annoyingly though, the iPad allows it! But, as above, if I delete them from my iPad, I don't think it then removes them from the Mac.

 

[auxbuss]

I contacted them a couple of years ago to ask why deleting a photo from my iPhone message thread didn't necessarily remove it from my other devices (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't). They had no idea and thought it behaved like any other iCloud sync, where deleting it from one would be mirrored elsewhere.

I periodically delete all Messages' attachments on my mac. When I do, they remain on my other devices.

Interestingly, afterwards, there are download buttons in macOS Messages, and they go through the download animation when clicked, though the media are not actually downloaded. It seems like they never finished the job on this one, which is sadly becoming a behaviour I increasingly associate with Apple.

 

[Webcat86]

I periodically delete all Messages' attachments on my mac. When I do, they remain on my other devices.

Interestingly, afterwards, there are download buttons in macOS Messages, and they go through the download animation when clicked, though the media are not actually downloaded. It seems like they never finished the job on this one, which is sadly becoming a behaviour I increasingly associate with Apple.

I spoke to support chat after posting here on Friday and they said that deleting from iCloud would remove them from local storage, and that does seem to be the case as my Message storage on the iMac has got smaller.