You might have accidentally deleted an SMS or text message that is very important and doesn’t know how to get it back. That is a common scenario that almost everyone has experienced since many of us are using text messages as a mode of communication. But did you know that you can actually recover deleted text on iPhone?
While you might think that deleted messages are inaccessible anymore, that is actually incorrect. There are few things that you can try that might help you recover deleted messages on your iPhone. Read further to know more about the details.
How can I recover deleted text on iPhone?
As mentioned earlier, text messages have been used by most cellphone users as a mode of communication. It allows you to send birthday greetings or a simple chat with your loved ones. There are times that you’ve kept a special message on your phone and you don’t want to delete it. However, things can go nasty and all of a sudden, that message is lost and deleted.
Listed below are the common procedures that would allow iPhone users retrieve their lost message. Just follow the procedures as they might help you recover those important messages that have been deleted on your iPhone.
Time Needed : 10 minutes
- Use iCloud backup to recover deleted text on iPhone
If you’ve enabled backups via iCloud on your device, then that is great. You can actually recover contents that have been removed or deleted on your iPhone like text messages by using those backups.
All you need to do is access Settings from the Home screen of your iPhone, go to iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. You’ll see the backups that have been created on iCloud. Just tap on each one and check which has been saved older. Look for the backup that has been created before the text messages have been deleted as they’ll most likely allow you to recover those deleted text.
Once you find that certain backup, perform a master reset on your iPhone. This process will allow you to set up your device like a new one, and will also let you restore the backup that might contain the lost text messages. To perform a factory reset, just access Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Contents and Settings.
Just follow the onscreen prompts to complete the setup. This process has been proven effective by a few iPhone users, so hopefully it will work on you as well.
- Log in to iCloud to retrieve deleted text on iPhone
There are instances where iCloud backups won’t save all SMS or text messages. But you can still log in to iCloud and check if this will help you restore those missing text messages on your device.
To do this, simply log in to iCloud.com using your username and password. Text Messages option will show if messages have been backed up. Click on it if it does show then search the messages that you’ll need to recover.
Then get your iPhone and access Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Make sure that the Text Messages option is already turned off. If you’ll see a prompt that says Keep on My iPhone, click on it. Then turn on the Text Messages option.
Click on Merge and wait for a few minutes for the deleted text to reappear on your iPhone.
- Use iTunes or Finder backup to restore deleted text
In any cases that you did not back up your files via iCloud but used iTunes instead, then you can use it to retrieve those deleted text messages on your iPhone. This might be worth your time and help you recover those important messages. But be reminded that this process will also overwrite the recent data on your iPhone.
If you would like to proceed, prepare a Mac or Windows computer with the latest iTunes installed. Then connect your iPhone to your computer using the Apple-supplied lightning/USB cable. Allow your iPhone to sync with the computer.
Once synced, you’ll see an iPhone logo appear at the top left-hand corner of iTunes screen. Click on it and choose Restore Backup. Previously backed up data will be restored on your iPhone and will replace the current data on your device. It might take a few minutes to complete the process.
- Contact your network provider
Some network providers will keep messages on their system. You might want to give this a shot and check with them if they have records of your previous messages that you can recover. Just visit their official website or call their customer service to verify this option.
- Use third-party apps to recover deleted text on iPhone
If luck is not on your side and none of the aforementioned options worked in retrieving those text messages, then it’s time to use a third-party app to help in recovering those lost text messages on your iPhone.
You may try using apps such as Enigma Recovery, Data Recovery or WonderShare Dr. Fone for iOS. You can also research other third-party apps that might allow the recovery of deleted text. These apps can help in retrieving deleted text messages since some deleted information will stay on your device unless they’re overwritten.
Though there is no guarantee that these apps will recover those deleted text messages, it might be worth a try.
Tools
- iOS 13.3
Materials
- iPhone
Still unable to recover deleted text on iPhone?
If you’re still unable to retrieve the deleted text on your iPhone, then it might be time to let go. There are things that we really can’t get back and moving on is our only option, just like losing those important text messages.
Contacting Apple Support might be an option. Just let them know about the situation and the procedures that you’ve taken. They might be able to add some additional information or other official recommendations on how to recover deleted text on your iPhone.
I hope that you find this article interesting and helpful. If so, don’t forget to spread the word to your friends and colleagues who might be dwelling with the same situation. We also have our Youtube channel that you can visit anytime for troubleshooting tips and other great instructional videos.