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
- Find your backup in Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
- Choose the proper backup (dated before the message deletion).
- Reset your iPhone to factory settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone).
- During setup, choose to restore from an iCloud backup and select the relevant backup.
Using Finder/iTunes Backup
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac/PC with the backup.
- Open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC).
- Select your iPhone and choose Restore Backup. (In Finder, it’s under the General tab.)
- This will replace your iPhone data with the backup data.
Trying iCloud Merge (Success Varies)
- Log into iCloud.com and see if “Text Messages” is available (indicates messages are backed up).
- If yes, search for the messages and turn off Messages in iCloud on your iPhone (Settings > your name > iCloud).
- 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.