TidyMacDon’t delete ~/Library/Messages/Attachments directly; conversations end up with broken pictures. Instead, in Messages choose Settings, General, and set Keep Messages to 1 year or 30 days, or delete large conversations. Messages then removes the attachments properly.
The five questions
Photos, videos and files from your conversations.
Messages keeps everything forever unless you tell it otherwise.
Not by deleting files directly; conversations can end up with broken pictures.
The right way: In Messages, choose Settings, then set Keep Messages to a shorter time, or delete large conversations.
How big it gets: 2–80 GB. Years of group chats with photos and videos add up.
Where it lives: ~/Library/Messages/Attachments
Do it yourself
In Messages, choose Settings > General > Keep Messages and pick 1 Year or 30 Days.
See your own messages attachments in seconds
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Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete messages attachments on a Mac?
Not by deleting files directly; conversations can end up with broken pictures. In Messages, choose Settings, then set Keep Messages to a shorter time, or delete large conversations.
Why are my messages attachments so big?
Messages keeps everything forever unless you tell it otherwise.
How do I clean messages attachments manually?
In Messages, choose Settings > General > Keep Messages and pick 1 Year or 30 Days.