Losing important text messages can be a frustrating experience, especially when they contain valuable data or sentimental value. Fortunately, there are several ways to retrieve deleted messages on your iPhone. In this article, we’ll explore the most effective methods to recover deleted messages, including Recently Deleted, iCloud backup, and iTunes. We’ll also provide some tips on how to avoid losing important messages and ensure that you can retrieve them when needed.
How to See Deleted Messages on iPhone
The first step in retrieving deleted messages on your iPhone is to see if they are still available in the Recently Deleted folder. This folder is a kind of trash bin where the messages are stored for 30 days before they are permanently deleted. Here’s how to access the Recently Deleted folder:
(Image Credit: Apple Support)
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Tap the “Edit” or “Filters” button in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select “Show Recently Deleted” at the bottom of the list.
This will show you all the messages that have been deleted in the last 30 days. The most recent messages will appear at the top of the list, while older messages will be towards the bottom. If you find the message you are looking for, tap on it, and select “Recover” to restore it to your iPhone.
How to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages on iPhoneleted messages on iphone
If the message you are looking for is not in the Recently Deleted folder, you can try restoring your iPhone from an iCloud backup or iTunes. Both methods will erase all the data on your iPhone and restore it to a previous version, so make sure to back up your current data before proceeding.
Restore Deleted Messages from iCloud
To restore deleted messages from iCloud, you need to have enabled iCloud backup on your iPhone and have a recent backup available. Here’s how to restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your name at the top.
- Select “iCloud” and make sure that “Messages” are turned on in the list of apps.
- Tap “iCloud Backup” and check that your iPhone has been backed up recently.
- Go back to the main Settings app menu and select “General.”
- Scroll down and select “Reset” or “Transfer or Reset iPhone,” depending on your iOS version.
- Tap “Erase All Content and Settings” and confirm that you want to do this. You’ll likely have to provide your iCloud password to turn off Find My.
- Your iPhone will take a few minutes to reset to factory conditions. After that, you’ll be greeted with the iPhone’s initial welcome screen. Go through the first few steps, and on the Apps & Data screen, choose “Restore from iCloud Backup.”
- Sign into iCloud to access your backups, then choose the last backup before you delete the text messages you want to recover.
Retrieve Deleted iPhone Messages with iTunes
If you backed up your iPhone onto a computer instead of iCloud, you can try restoring your iPhone from that backup using iTunes. Here’s how to retrieve deleted iPhone messages with iTunes:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
- Click on the phone icon at the top of the screen and choose “Summary” from the menu on the left.
- Click “Restore Backup” and your old texts should reappear on your iPhone. If they don’t, your backup didn’t include these texts.
How to Avoid Losing Important Messages
The best way to avoid losing important messages is to regularly back up your iPhone. This can be done through iCloud or iTunes. Here’s how to back up your iPhone:
Backup iPhone with iCloud
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your name at the top.
- Select “iCloud” and make sure that “Messages” are turned on in the list of apps.
- Tap “iCloud Backup” and turn it on if it’s not already enabled.
- Tap “Back Up Now” to initiate a backup.
Backup iPhone with iTunes
- Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
- Click on the phone icon at the top of the screen and choose “Summary” from the menu on the left.
- Click “Back Up Now” to initiate a backup.
By regularly backing up your iPhone, you can ensure that your messages are always safe and retrievable.
Retrieving deleted messages on your iPhone can be done through the Recently Deleted folder, iCloud backup, or iTunes. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can retrieve messages that you thought were lost forever. Remember to regularly back up your iPhone to avoid losing important messages in the future.
