How to Save Space on your Mac by removing Messages and Photo Attachments - Text/SMS

If you send and receive a lot of text messags, especially ones with images and photographs, you may find that your Mac Messages application is taking up a LOT of precious space. Here are options for recovering storage space that is being used by your text messages and photo attachments:

1. Turn on automatic deletion of your text messages on your Mac.

   Go to Messages -> Preferences -> General -> Keep Messages and change this setting to 30 days or 1 year. Note that this setting is specific to your computer and will NOT delete Messages on other devices, including on your iPhone. 
    

2. Delete all photos in a specifc thread.

   In the Messages application, select one of your text threads. If you click on “Details” (in the top right corner) in a particular thread, you can see all of the photos that have been sent and received. Click on a photo, (optionally select all of them by pressing Command + A), then right click (or control click) and select delete. Note that this process bypasses the trash and deletes the image(s) immediately.
    

3. Delete ALL photos in ALL threads.

   I would recommend caution in this approach, as there could be unexpected consequences, but it has worked for me.

   1. From Finder, hit: Command + Shift + G
   2. In the Go To Folder popup window, enter: ~/Library
   3. Go into the "Messages" directory and then the "Attachments" directory.
   4. Hit Command + A to select all folders and drag them to the Trash.
   5. Empty the trash.