How to see deleted messages on iphone
Saturday, August 5, 2023
How to see deleted messages on iphone
Losing text messages can be extremely frustrating if they contain important data or have special meaning to you. Fortunately, there are several ways to perform iPhone text message recovery. You can use apps like DiskDrill and AnyTrans, or other methods like Recently Deleted, iCloud and iTunes backups without damaging your iPhone. You can even do it through a phone operator!
Each of these methods has some advantages and limitations. In fact, apps work best, especially if you need to retrieve a message you received more than a month ago. So, let's take a look at the most effective methods to recover iPhone messages.
Recover Deleted Messages from Recently Deleted
Messages you delete from iPhone don't disappear instantly. They are moved to some type of trash, where they are stored for 30 days before being permanently deleted. This means you can recover your chats for as little as a month. Yes, that's right, conversations. Your iPhone only allows you to recover these messages, not individual messages.
Restore function is available from iOS 16. If your version is older, update it. Here's how:
Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install.
If you are unable to update, your iPhone may be an older model and does not support this iOS. In that case, this recovery method doesn't work for you, so try another method.
To recover deleted messages using Recently Deleted:
Open message
Click Edit or Filter in the upper left corner of the screen and select View recently deleted messages
Select the conversation you want to restore and click Restore
That's it. Deleted chats will reappear in your message list.
Recover Messages Using
Software A quick and easy way to recover text messages is to use DiskDrill. It finds deleted files of any format on your device.
Here's how to recover deleted text messages on iPhone using DiskDrill:
Install and open DiskDrill on your Mac
Connect your device to your Mac
Select Devices > your device from the left sidebar
Click Find data messages from the right sidebar and wait for the scan to complete
When the process is complete select Messages and click Restore.
Restore messages from an iCloud backup
If your phone doesn't have a Recently Deleted folder or you want to restore messages older than 30 days, try an iCloud backup.
To do this, you need to go through your backups and remember which version can contain the chat you need.
Here's how to restore deleted text on iPhone using an iCloud backup:
Go to Settings > Apple ID
555 Tap iCloud
Then tap Backup iCloud
to iCloud.
Remember that after these steps, the current version of the data on your iPhone will be erased. If you want to keep it, back up your iPhone to your Mac.
Restore SMS from iTunes/Finder
If you're using a Mac running macOS 10.15 or later, your backup will be done through the Finder. For older macOS, iTunes will handle the backup. Here's how to recover deleted messages on iPhone via Finder or iTunes:
Connect your iPhone to your Mac and open Finder or iTunes
In Finder, find your device's name under Locations and click it. In iTunes, click the phone icon and select Summary
If you have a backup of your phone on your Mac, you can restore it by clicking Restore Backup
Note that you will be requires a password for the encrypted backup file, so have it handy if you have encrypted your backups.
This method works like an iCloud restore, so it requires you to back up your iPhone to your Mac beforehand.
More flexible backup management is available in the AnyTrans app. Unlike Finder, iTunes, and iCloud, AnyTrans does not overwrite your Touch backups. You can roll back to any previous backup.
This is a professional backup manager that allows you to create backups from any iOS device and keep your content safe. The application allows you to extract data from old backups created with iTunes or iCloud.
Configure the backup frequency and they will be created automatically without your intervention. This way you will have access to all the backups you need and can access data from almost any time period.
To manage files, follow these steps:
Install and open AnyTrans on your Mac
Connect your iPhone
Choose an action: Backup, Restore backup, or View history to manage your iPhone, iPad, or iPod backups tap
Confirm the actions you need step-by-step to complete a backup or restore.
How to Recover Deleted Content Without Overwriting Your iPhone
The previous original message recovery methods we described require overwriting iPhone. In other words, new files will be written to replace the previous files. If you are not satisfied with this, try extracting messages from icloud.com. It can archive deleted messages. However, this method is not 100% reliable as it is not supported in all countries and not with all mobile operators.
Here's how to retrieve your messages on your iPhone via icloud.com without overwriting your device:
Sign in to icloud.com with your Apple ID
Click the text message icon . If you don't see it, the option is not available to you. Try another recovery method
Find the message you're looking for in the list that opens
Go to your iPhone and select Settings > iCloud
Turn off text messages and select Keep on My iPhone in the window pop-up appears
Turn SMS back on and tap Merge. Just wait for the process to complete and the old messages will appear on your iPhone.
Try connecting to your phone service provider
Another way to lose text messages is to contact your phone service provider. Note that we are talking about SMS, not iMessage.
Providers may keep copies of messages and may have access to them. The procedure can be complicated.
How to recover messages on iPhone via PBX? Contact your operator by phone. Let them know when you got the message, who sent it, and answer any of their questions. Difficulties may arise at this stage. The provider simply does not have a copy of your message because it was sent too long ago. Usually, if they keep the message, it's no more than 3-9 months.
If copies are stored, you will need to take multiple actions to verify your identity and grant multiple permissions.
We therefore recommend using this option only when all other methods have been exhausted and the message is really important.
Additional tips for your iPhone
Check out some additional apps that iPhone users may find useful. They will help you clean up storage space easily and protect your device better.
Gemini allows you to intelligently discard identical or very similar files. The app scans your device and finds all similar files: photos, videos, documents and folders. If you have five photos in your collection taken from the same angle and with the same composition, Gemini will choose the best one and offer to delete the rest.
You won't be able to delete any files by mistake as the app displays them in a convenient preview and you have to make the final decision on whether to delete them or not. However, if you accidentally delete a file, that's okay too. It will not be deleted immediately, but will be moved to the Recently Deleted folder where you can restore it.
Self-study is one of the coolest features of Gemini. The application remembers the files you have selected for deletion and will take your preferences into account in the next scan.
Another app we recommend is StepTwo. It simplifies cloud account verification and management in two steps. Adding a new account and duplicating a code in two steps is easier than ever.
For example, to add a new account, simply scan the account's two-step QR code. You can add as many accounts as you want.
This is especially useful when dealing with Safari. A browser extension that allows you to autofill two-step codes so you can quickly sign in to your account. At the same time, the connection remains secure.
Thanks to StepTwo, your two-step codes are available on all your devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
Best Method to Recover iPhone Messages
Now that we have learned how to recover deleted text messages from iPhone, let's summarize it.
The first option you should try is going to the Recently Deleted folder (Messages > Edit or Filters > View Recently Deleted). If you have iOS 16 or later and the message was deleted less than 30 days ago, you can easily recover the chat.
Most other methods, such as restoring from iCloud or via iTunes, require restoring from a backup and overwriting your iPhone. To use them, you must have a backup of your phone at the time you receive the desired message.
You can also try to find lost text messages on icloud.com by signing in to your account. However, not all countries and carriers allow you to store deleted text there. By the way, you can ask the provider to restore the SMS (some of them store for 3-9 months), but it is very difficult and the chances are low.
The easiest and most efficient way to recover text messages is to use DiskDrill and AnyTrans. The former scans your device and detects deleted files, while the latter restores them quickly and easily from backups. You can find them along with other useful apps like Gemini and StepTwo on Setapp. These, along with over 240 other apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, are consolidated into a single subscription. Free trial for 7 days.