Can I see deleted messages on an iPhone?
Yes, you can see deleted messages on your iPhone. Unlike some of the best encrypted messaging apps, iPhone’s messaging app allows users to recover deleted messages by checking the “Recently deleted” folder in their message settings, using iCloud to retrieve backups, or even enabling a third-party app capable of message recovery.
Note: iMessage deletions may sync across devices if Messages in iCloud is turned on.
Before you start message recovery on your iPhone, make sure to take care of these steps:
- Check if you’re on iOS 16 or later by going to “Settings” > “General” > “About” > “iOS version.” The “Recently deleted” folder is available on iOS 16 and above.
- Check Messages in iCloud status by going to “Settings” > your name > “iCloud” > “Show all” > “Messages.” If the Messages app is on, deletions sync across devices, which can remove items from backups, too.
- Make a fresh backup before any restore that erases your device (Finder/iTunes or iCloud) so you can return to your current state if needed. Consider deleting all spam messages that you’ve received (learning how to stop spam texts could be useful, too) to avoid backing them up as well.
How to recover deleted messages from the “Recently deleted” folder
If you have an iPhone that supports iOS 16 version or later, then you can recover your recently deleted messages via the “Recently deleted” folder in your Message app settings. The “Recently deleted” messages folder holds messages for 30 days and allows users to restore texts both individually and in bulk.
- 1.
Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- 2.
Tap on the three bars at the top left of the Messages conversation page and “Recently deleted.” You might also access deleted texts by tapping “Filters” and then “Recently deleted.”
- 3.
Pick the messages from the list, tap on them and then select “Recover” at the lower right corner. Depending on the number of messages you select, you might see “Recover message,” “Recover [a number] messages,” or “Recover all messages.”
NOTE: The Messages app might not show you the content of messages you want to recover, so if you want to retrieve one specific message, make sure to remember the contact number you sent it to for easier recovery.
How to retrieve deleted text messages on an iPhone using iCloud backup
If you’ve missed your chance to recover your deleted messages via the “Recently deleted” function, you can restore your texts using iCloud backup (that is, if your deleted messages were backed up before deletion). However, using this method will require you to reset your iPhone first, so make sure to back up everything that’s of importance.
- 1.
Open “Settings” then go to “General.”
- 2.
Pick “Transfer or reset iPhone” then tap “Erase all content and settings.” Proceed by choosing “Continue.”
- 3.
Once your phone restarts, follow the setup instructions. Once you reach the “Apps and data” screen, select “Restore from iCloud backup.”
- 4.
Sign in to your Apple ID. Then, choose the backup that contains deleted messages. Check the backup date/size to pick the version most likely to contain the deleted texts.
- 5.
Once finished, open the Messages app. If the restoration was successful, you should be able to see your previously deleted texts. If you disabled Messages in iCloud before the restore, keep it off until you confirm the messages are present.
Important: Restoring from an iCloud backup replaces your current device data with the backup’s data. Create a fresh backup first so you can revert if needed. If Messages in iCloud is enabled, turn it off and choose to keep messages on your device before restoring. Otherwise, deletions may sync back and remove recovered messages again.
How to recover deleted messages using Finder or iTunes
Since Apple has discontinued iTunes on macOS devices, iPhone backup, sync, and restore functionalities have moved into Finder instead. That means Finder can also help you find the options to recover your deleted messages (however, only if the user has a backup made before deleting the message). Users with older macOS versions can also use iTunes, which (like Finder in the latest Macs) acts as a tool for users to access and restore iPhone backups.
Reminder: Restoring a backup via Finder/iTunes replaces current data on the device with the backup’s data. Make a fresh backup first.
Here’s how you can recover deleted messages using Finder or iTunes:
- 1.Open iTunes or Finder (if you’re using macOS 10.15 or later) on your computer.
- 2.Plug your iPhone in to your computer using a USB cable.
- 3.If you’re using Finder, click on your iPhone under “Locations” in the left column, and then click the “General” tab. If you’re using iTunes, click the device icon at the top left corner, and then choose “Summary” from the left sidebar.
- 4.Click “Restore Backup.”
- 5.When a new window pops up, pick a backup with the messages you want to recover.
- 6.Select “Restore” to retrieve deleted messages.
- 7.Once done, your deleted text messages should be visible on your iPhone.
Restoring deleted messages through iTunes or Finder may sometimes trigger a “not enough storage” message. Before attempting to restore deleted texts, it might be wise to check how to clear your iPhone’s system data and any unnecessary files from your device.
Other methods to recover deleted messages on iPhone
Besides using backups or recently deleted message folders, users can also exploit other tactics that may help recover deleted iPhone messages. Here’s how they work.
Contact your network provider
If you don’t want to bother yourself with backups or deleted message folders, you can contact your network carrier. Some network providers may keep SMS records for a limited time. However, this tactic may not work on messages sent through iMessage.
Important: Carriers almost never provide message content to consumers and often require a warrant (or some other legal tool) for message disclosure. Even when records exist, they usually include phone numbers, timestamps, and message direction (sent/received) only. In addition, since iMessage is end-to-end encrypted, recovering messages through carriers is not an available option.
Are third-party apps a reliable option?
Reputable third-party apps do the backup scanning for you and extract deleted messages (if they still exist in a backup or database snapshot). However, regardless of how convenient they are, it’s critical to make sure that you’re using a trusted third-party provider. Before opting for any message-retrieving apps, make sure to check out user reviews and the app’s data privacy policy.
In addition, most tools cannot recover messages that aren’t present in a backup or on-device database (especially on modern iOS). Many simply parse existing iCloud or Finder/iTunes backups. So, if you choose to rely on third-party apps, be cautious with data access permissions.
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