Galaxy S21: Seeking Help With Samsung "Phone and Messaging Storage" App Storage Issue

[SpaghettiCat]

Hello, I have a Samsung Galaxy S21 which is periodically low on space, and when using a DiskUsage app, I’ve observed the [“Phone and Messaging Storage” app using large amount of space](https://imgur.com/a/lM26G3P) (now at 7 gigs and growing).

Presumably this is due to me having a large amount of photos stored in my text message threads, as my work is photo intensive, and I do prefer to hoard text date for reference purposes. I’m assuming that most of the 7gb is due to photos (perhaps uncompressed).

I am using the stock Samsung Messages app.

I realize I could clean this up by deleting photos from my text conversations, and for each Contact thread, I do have access to an option to [view Shared Attachments](https://imgur.com/a/bKYO1Rn). The issue however is that while in the Shared Attachment menu, when batch selecting photos, [there is oddly no option to delete; there is only an option to save](https://imgur.com/a/dSMmMwa).

I am trying to find a solution for this, as scrolling manually thorough each individual text thread to locate photos in clearly inefficient, and the batched view of the Shared Attachment screen is more conducive to identifying larger groups of photos or dates for deletion.

I’m wondering if anyone else has run into this specific storage issue and if there is a better way to free up space used by the Phone and Messaging Storage app. It would be great if I could just compress all the Shared Attachments, or perhaps transfer the photos to external storage, but having a way to review and batch-delete large quantities, or from certain Contacts would be useful. I would think this would be a standard feature.

Really appreciate any input or advice. Thanks in advance for any help.

[patriciostarr]

Why dont you move those picturecto an external ssd or computer

[SpaghettiCat]

I would like to retain the text messages history, but have a way to delete photos of my choosing. Just kind of crazy the "Shared Attachments" tiled batch menu of photos for a given contact doesn't have a delete option for selected items.

[Robin621k]

Download SMS Backup and Restore from Syntech in the Playstore. Once backed up you can transfer them to a computer or Backup drive

[SpaghettiCat]

Thanks for the suggestion. Does this allow me to batch delete the photos of my choosing, while retaining the text messages?

I suppose I could back up everything, delete everything on the phone, then restore the text threads and/or photos I needed.

[meself]

Texts or mms messages will take up space as for photos you can either delete them or save to a folder or another source

[SpaghettiCat]

The issue however is that while in the Shared Attachment menu, when batch selecting photos, [there is oddly no option to delete; there is only an option to save]( https://imgur.com/a/dSMmMwa).

[meself]

Looks like gallery photos not a mms in image you added there should be option to delete those I tend to go one by one and at bottom have delete option

[BigDaddyMatty]

Any help on my Galaxy S21 to stop changing my ringtones from my saved songs back to factory ringtones. My GS8A never gave me this problem.