Mark All Messages as Read in iOS 17 on iPhone

If your iPhone’s Messages app is cluttered with unread blue and green bubbles, iOS 17 lets you clear them all at once without opening each conversation. This guide shows you the exact steps to mark every message as read, what you need beforehand, and how to fix it if the option doesn’t appear.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone running iOS 17 or later (check Settings > General > About > iOS Version).
• At least one unread message in the Messages app.
• Your iPhone unlocked and on the Home Screen.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone. Its icon is a white speech bubble on a green background.
2. Look at the top-left corner of the screen. You’ll see a circular icon with your initials or a photo, and next to it the word Filters (or a filter icon). Tap it. This opens the message filter view, which shows categories like All Messages, Known Senders, Unknown Senders, Unread Messages, and Recently Deleted.
3. In the filter view, tap All Messages to make sure you’re viewing every conversation, not just a filtered subset. (If you only want to mark unread messages from known contacts, you could tap Known Senders instead, but for a full sweep, choose All Messages.)
4. Now, tap the Edit button in the top-right corner of the screen. A menu will appear with options like Select Messages, Pin, and Mark as Read.
5. Tap Select Messages. The screen enters selection mode, and a blue circle appears next to each conversation.
6. To select all messages at once, look for the Select All button at the top-left (it may appear as a circle with a checkmark). Tap it. Every conversation on the screen will now have a blue checkmark in its circle.
7. After selecting all, tap the Mark as Read button that appears at the bottom of the screen (it might be represented by an envelope icon with a checkmark). A confirmation pop-up will ask if you want to mark the selected messages as read. Tap Mark as Read again to confirm.
8. All selected conversations will immediately lose their blue unread dots, and the badge on the Messages icon (if you have one) will reset to zero.

Common Mistakes

• Not using the Filter view first: If you tap Edit without going through Filters, you won’t see the “Select All” option. The Edit menu in the main list only offers “Select Messages” and “Pin,” not “Mark as Read.” Always open Filters first.
• Selecting only one message: Tapping a single conversation in selection mode selects just that one. You must tap “Select All” to mark everything.
• Forgetting to confirm: Some users tap “Mark as Read” and then dismiss the pop-up by tapping outside it, thinking it’s done. The action only happens after you tap the confirm button.
• Expecting a global setting: There is no permanent toggle to auto-mark all future messages as read. You must repeat these steps each time you want to clear unread badges.

Tips

• Use filters to target specific groups: Instead of marking everything, you can tap “Unread Messages” in the filter view, then select only those. This is useful if you want to keep some conversations unread for later.
• Clear the badge without opening Messages: If you just want to remove the red badge on the Messages icon, you can long-press the icon on the Home Screen and choose “Mark All as Read” from the quick actions menu. This works in iOS 17 and doesn’t require opening the app.
• Check your notification settings: If you prefer not to see unread badges at all, go to Settings > Notifications > Messages and turn off “Badges.” This doesn’t mark messages as read, but it hides the count.
• Use Siri: You can say “Hey Siri, mark all messages as read” and Siri will do it for you. This is a handy shortcut when you’re driving or your hands are full.

Troubleshooting

• “Mark as Read” option doesn’t appear: This happens if you haven’t opened the Filters view. Go back to the main Messages list, tap the Filters icon (top-left), then tap “All Messages,” then Edit. The option should now be there.
• “Select All” is missing: In some iOS 17 versions, the “Select All” button only appears after you tap “Select Messages” and then scroll slightly. If you don’t see it, try tapping “Select Messages” again, or swipe down on the list to refresh.
• Messages still show as unread after marking: This can happen if the conversation is in a folder like “Unknown Senders” and you didn’t select it. Make sure you’re in “All Messages” view. Also, force-quit the Messages app (swipe up from the bottom and swipe the app away) and reopen it to refresh.
• The badge doesn’t reset: If the red badge on the Messages icon still shows a number, go to Settings > Notifications > Messages and toggle “Badges” off and on again. Then repeat the mark-as-read steps.
• You accidentally marked a message you wanted to keep unread: There’s no undo for this action. You can manually mark that conversation as unread by swiping left on it, tapping “More,” and selecting “Mark as Unread.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Does marking all messages as read delete them?

No, it only removes the unread status. Your conversations and their content remain untouched.

Can I mark messages as read on my Mac or iPad and have it sync?

Yes, if you have iMessage enabled on all devices with the same Apple ID, marking a message as read on one device syncs the status to others via iCloud.

Will this mark messages from blocked senders as read too?

Yes, if you select all messages in the “All Messages” view, it includes conversations from blocked senders. If you want to exclude them, use the “Known Senders” filter instead.

Is there a way to auto-mark messages as read when I open the app?

No, iOS does not have a setting to automatically mark all messages as read upon opening the app. You must use the manual steps or Siri.

Why don’t I see the Filters icon on my iPhone?

The Filters icon only appears if you have at least one unread message or if you have enabled “Filter Unknown Senders” in Settings > Messages. If you don’t see it, send yourself a test message or toggle that setting on.

Does this work for SMS/MMS messages too, or only iMessage?

It works for all message types in the Messages app, including green SMS/MMS bubbles, as long as they appear in your conversation list.

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