Did you accidentally delete a text message and now you need to get it back? Fortunately, there are several methods to get back deleted text messages, so no need to worry! We'll go over how to retrieve deleted messages using the new iOS 16 method, plus a few other tips and tricks to recover deleted text messages on an iPhone if you have older software. Show
Which Method Is Best for You?
How to Recover Deleted Messages on iPhone in the Messages App (iOS 16)With iOS 16, Apple gave us an ultra-simple way to recover our recently deleted messages! The catch is that you will need to have updated to iOS 16 prior to deleting the text messages you want to recover. With iOS 16, you can recover your deleted text messages 30 days after you erased them (up to 40 days max, depending on the whim of the Apple algorithms). Here's how to find deleted messages on your iPhone and easily recover them in the Messages app:
Now you should see the deleted messages on your iPhone Messages app main screen! Related: How to Unsend iMessage After You’ve Sent It (iOS 16) How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on iPhone with iCloud RecoveryIf you don't have iOS 16 software, iCloud backups are a great way to recover deleted text messages from an iPhone. While it is not as simple as the iOS 16 method, if you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you should be able to use this method to get deleted messages back. If you're not already, you should definitely be doing regular iCloud backups to ensure you're saving your important data! First, Check Your Last iCloud BackupIn order to recover deleted texts on the iPhone, you'll need to ensure that the most recent successful backup occurred prior to the deletion of the messages. If this is the case, you can use the last successful backup to restore deleted text messages. Here's how to check your recent iCloud backup so you know the best way to recover your iPhone deleted messages:
If the iCloud backup predates the time that you deleted messages on the iPhone, you're in luck! Continue to the steps below to restore the deleted messages using the iCloud backup. Note: If the date of the last successful backup is after the messages were deleted from your iPhone, try using the computer backup method next. I don't recommend using the iCloud Recovery option if you're trying to restore an earlier iCloud backup than the most recent. Because the focus of this feature is for people with new iPhones, you may only see the option to restore your most recent iCloud backup when you're setting your iPhone back up. Restore Deleted Messages on iPhone with iCloud BackupNow you'll need to erase your iPhone and restore it with the backup that occurred before the deletion to get back the deleted messages. Here's how to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone:
You may have to sign back in to all of your accounts after the iPhone is restored. Once this process is complete, check to see if you have recovered the deleted text messages on your iPhone. If not, give the next section a try! Restore from Your Computer to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages on iPhoneIf you don't have iOS 16 and the previous iCloud method for recovering deleted text messages didn’t work, there's another way to get back deleted messages using your computer. You should be able to access any saved messages via iTunes, as long as you have been doing regular backups to your computer. If you have, follow the steps below to recover deleted texts on an iPhone. If you do have iOS 16 installed, but are trying to restore messages after they were erased from the Recently Deleted folder, the answer is a bit trickier. The first requirement is that you'll need to have been doing regular backups to your computer. Then, whether you accidentally erased your deleted texts from the Recently Deleted folder or it was automatically deleted from the Recently Deleted folder after 30 days, you can recover the deleted texts by restoring an older backup that happened before you initially deleted the messages the first time. Important: It's possible that you have disabled this feature of the PC / Mac syncing process, so if you don’t have access to your text messages here, that could be why. You may want to update these settings so that going forward it's easier to recover deleted text messages on an iPhone. First, Disable Find My iPhoneThe first thing you need to do is disable the Find My iPhone feature. You cannot restore a Finder or iTunes backup while Find My iPhone is enabled, since this is meant to prevent someone from restoring a stolen iPhone with their own backup. To disable this iPhone setting: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your name at the top. Then tap Find My, select Find My iPhone, and tap the Find My iPhone toggle to turn it off. You'll need to enter your Apple ID and password. Next, connect your iPhone with the computer you usually sync it with. If you have macOS Catalina or later installed, you will restore from Finder using the steps below. If you are running an older version of macOS or have a PC, skip to the next section restore from iTunes. Restore Your iPhone from Finder (macOS Catalina or later) to Recover Deleted MessagesHere's how to retrieve deleted text messages by restoring an iPhone backup from Finder:
This process takes some time, especially if the backup is large. As long as your backup was made after the text messages were sent and before they were deleted, this should recover them for you. Just follow the prompts, and the iPhone will restore to its backed-up state. Restore Your iPhone with iTunes to Recover Deleted Text Messages (PC or macOS Mojave & earlier)If you have a PC or are using macOS Mojave or earlier on your Mac, you can try this method to get back deleted text messages on your iPhone. However, if you have synced with this PC or Mac since deleting your text messages, this process will not work, as iTunes only saves your most recent backup data for a restore. Assuming you have not synced with iTunes since you deleted your text messages, this method should restore your missing messages back to your Messages app!
This process can take a while if you have a lot of data stored on your phone or Mac. Hopefully, you now have access to the deleted messages, but if not, continue reading for more tips to troubleshoot deleted text messages. Other Options: Contact Your Carrier or Use Third-Party AppsContact Your Carrier to Recover Deleted TextsIn some instances, you can recover deleted text messages by contacting your cellular service provider. They will occasionally have access to a backup if it has not yet been overwritten or updated. When you call, you will need to ask for technical support and then ask to speak to a representative, as there probably won’t be accurate menu prompts to take you to the right department. While the representative may or may not be able to help, they may offer suggestions that you have not yet tried. Use Third-Party Apps to Recover Deleted Text MessagesWe recommend this only as a last resort for retrieving deleted messages on your iPhone. There are some third-party apps out there that will help you recover deleted files and text messages from your iPhone, but they can be sketchy. Make sure you read the reviews carefully to help you evaluate the legitimacy of any app you are thinking of using. If you really are in a bind, there are a few that have some good reviews and are popular online. PhoneRescue by iMobie has a platform for both iPhone and Android devices and WonderShare Dr.Fone for iOS also has a free trial and a paid version available online. Again, there are no guarantees that your privacy will be protected, so even trusted sources online should be carefully considered before you jump right in out of desperation. Now that you've learned how to recover deleted messages on iPhone in a number of ways, let us know which one works for you! If you've tried an app for recovering deleted text messages, we'd love to hear about your experience with that, as well. Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox. |