# Automatically deleting old messages \[from the server\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Tags:** classic-mailbox, security\ **Created:** [May 29, 2026, 9:55am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327 "2026-05-29T09:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ajypz7p5y](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@ajypz7p5y](https://forum.delta.chat/u/ajypz7p5y)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 9:55am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/1 "2026-05-29T09:55:36Z")
The developers’ latest ridiculous idea: removing the setting for automatically deleting old messages from the server. Now I have to manually visit the webmail site to delete messages older than a month myself—just to keep my mailbox from getting blocked due to being full. ---
**Author:** ![ian](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/ian/32/3164_2.png) [@ian](https://forum.delta.chat/u/ian)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:01am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/2 "2026-05-29T10:01:29Z")
If you use single-device only (or if you have disappearing messages enabled), your messages will already be deleted. I think the better proposal would be to delete messages from the server immediately after all of your devices have fetched them. ---
**Author:** ![ajypz7p5y](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@ajypz7p5y](https://forum.delta.chat/u/ajypz7p5y)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:10am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/3 "2026-05-29T10:10:30Z")
Really? I had no idea. But what if I have multiple devices? ---
**Author:** ![ian](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/ian/32/3164_2.png) [@ian](https://forum.delta.chat/u/ian)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:13am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/4 "2026-05-29T10:13:53Z")
Just mentioned recently: > [@Android v2.50 legacy options reset and absent \[account is erroneously detected as chatmail, only check deltachat folder\]](https://support.delta.chat/t/android-v2-50-legacy-options-reset-and-absent-account-is-erroneously-detected-as-chatmail-only-check-deltachat-folder/5324/3): > > “Legacy options” are removed on purpose in 2.50+, this is why they have been moved to legacy options before. You should have got a device message about “move to Delta Chat folder” with a link to [Use a Dedicated Chat Profile - Delta Chat](https://delta.chat/en/legacy-move) in previous releases. There are four options that have been removed or replaced: “Move to Delta Chat folder”. This is a breaking change and requires user action to use a separate mailbox, see [Use a Dedicated Chat Profile - Delta Chat](https://delta.chat/en/legacy-move) You can also create a sepa… ---
**Author:** ![link2xt](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/link2xt/32/1971_2.png) [@link2xt](https://forum.delta.chat/u/link2xt)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:27am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/5 "2026-05-29T10:27:51Z")
> [@ian](#): > > If you use single-device only (or if you have disappearing messages enabled), your messages will already be deleted. This will be in 2.51. In 2.50 they are not deleted even in single-device mode. For single-device we have now fixed it and the fix will be in 2.51: [nauta.cu has very few storage and issues with message deletion · Issue #8277 · chatmail/core · GitHub](https://github.com/chatmail/core/issues/8277) Primary reason for removal of the “delete messages from the server” option is that we are replacing “show classic emails” with “enforce encryption” and it will slightly change which messages are downloaded. If “enforce encryption” is disabled, Delta Chat will start downloading any unencrypted messages, and users who still have not migrated to using separate inbox for chatting will have their emails deleted then if we keep the option to “delete messages from the server” as is. ---
**Author:** ![Bob2015](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/bob2015/32/3462_2.png) [@Bob2015](https://forum.delta.chat/u/Bob2015)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:57am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/6 "2026-05-29T10:57:24Z")
Use disappearing messages for each conversation ---
**Author:** ![ajypz7p5y](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@ajypz7p5y](https://forum.delta.chat/u/ajypz7p5y)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 11:44am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/7 "2026-05-29T11:44:19Z")
You are free to use disappearing messages yourself—whether via SMS, the Russian messenger Max, WhatsApp, or whatever else. But please, give _us_ the ability to use Delta Chat without having to worry that our inbox will fill up—as used to happen before you decided to remove that setting. You must have really racked your brains to come up with that one. ---
**Author:** ![r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/r10s/32/1513_2.png) [@r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/u/r10s)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/automatically-deleting-old-messages-from-the-server/5327/8 "2026-05-29T22:06:55Z")
**to be clear: chatmail, what most ppl are using, still deletes old messages. single-device or multi-device.** only for the already advanced usecase of “classic email as relay” _plus_ multi-device, the deletion now needs to be configured on the server, and not on the client. or done manually. or one can decide to just not care, as many provider have lots of space. there are ideas around to add some client-side automation also for that usecase, however, just now, this is not highest priority. other reasonings for that change are already outlined above