How to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone

How to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone

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Don’t panic if you accidentally deleted an important text message on your iPhone! There are several ways to recover it, although none are guaranteed. Here’s your iPhone text message recovery toolkit:

Recently Deleted Folder (iOS 16 and later)

  • Good news! You can recover messages deleted within the last 30 days.
  • Open Messages, tap Filters, then Recently Deleted.
  • Select the message and tap Recover.

Recovering from Backups

  • If you backed up your iPhone before deleting the message, you can restore it using iCloud, Finder (Mac), or iTunes (PC).
  • Be aware that this will erase all data since the backup.

Using iCloud Backup

  1. Find your backup in Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
  2. Choose the proper backup (dated before the message deletion).
  3. Reset your iPhone to factory settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone).
  4. During setup, choose to restore from an iCloud backup and select the relevant backup.

Using Finder/iTunes Backup

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac/PC with the backup.
  2. Open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC).
  3. Select your iPhone and choose Restore Backup. (In Finder, it’s under the General tab.)
  4. This will replace your iPhone data with the backup data.

Trying iCloud Merge (Success Varies)

  1. Log into iCloud.com and see if “Text Messages” is available (indicates messages are backed up).
  2. If yes, search for the messages and turn off Messages in iCloud on your iPhone (Settings > your name > iCloud).
  3. Select “Keep on My iPhone” in the popup, then turn Messages back on and tap “Merge.”

Contacting Your Carrier (For SMS Only)

  • Your carrier might have a record of your SMS messages for a limited time.
  • Call customer support to inquire, but be prepared to jump through hoops (ID verification, etc.).

Using Third-Party Apps (Last Resort)

  • These are not guaranteed to work and often come with a cost.
  • Some reputable options include PhoneRescue, Wondershare Dr. Fone, and Tenorshare UltData.
  • These might recover deleted messages if new data have not overwritten them.

Remember: The best way to avoid data loss is to back up your iPhone regularly and store important information in a secure location.