Can't delete old messages.

[Chase Steele]

So for the past while the stock messaging app has been slow, particularly with one contact. I have near 8000 texts with this person in the thread and that is most obviosly the issue. The thing is, it now won't let me delete the thread.

I've tried deleting from messages screen (clicking the contact), from within the thread (select all>delete) and by using message deletion apps. It always results in either the phone completely freezing or the app becoming impossible to use, forcing me to restart the phone. I've also cleared the app data+cache and disabled/enabled the app.

The only thing now as far as I know is to manually delete the messages in small amounts (anything 100 or more tends to freeze the phone). This is clearly time consuming and annoying. Is there anything else I can try?

Thanks for any help!

 

[VidJunky]

Are you using the stock app or a third party app? If you are using a 3rd party app the messages will still exist in your messaging app even though KK will only allow you to have one messaging app active at anytime. I would try to delete them from a different app. If you are using stock get a 3rd party app and try to delete them from there or vice versa. You don't have to change your default app to do this either. As for your phone freezing up and seeming to be unresponsive 8000 messages is a huge chunk of data and it would take some time even with a good processor to go through and delete that much data. Have you ever waited more than a few minutes to see if it finally becomes responsive again? The only other alternatives are to delete them in small batches, which would take for ever and be a huge pain, try setting the message counter for auto deletion and see if the phone will take care of the overage for you, which may result in your device freezing, but maybe only until it's complete, or factory resetting your phone. The only other thing I can think of that could possibly work would be to try a file manager app and see if it would allow you to physically locate the messages in memory and delete them outside of the app.

 

[Chase Steele]

I'll try the 3rd party app idea, I've been using he stock one on the S5. And I set the cap in the messages but that doesn't retroactively delete the messages.

Thanks!

 

[Chase Steele]

Deleting the messages from a 3rd party app worked! It got rid of everything in both apps! Thanks again!

 

[VidJunky]

Glad it worked.

 

[nickhobbs10]

I'm having the same problem -- which 3rd party app did you use to delete the messages?
Thanks!

 

[JoJo G]

I'm having the same problem -- which 3rd party app did you use to delete the messages?
Thanks! PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[Whipbird]

I used "Handcent Next SMS"

 

[MammaElain]

What can I Do to Delete old messages on my Android phone that won't delete?