How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on iPhone

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Accidentally deleted a text message on your iPhone? Don’t panic — in many cases, you can still get it back. Whether it was a sentimental message or an important thread, there are a few ways to recover deleted texts depending on how your iPhone is set up.

Here’s how to bring back those lost messages.

1. Check the Messages App’s Recently Deleted Folder

Starting in iOS 16, Apple added a Recently Deleted section for Messages.

Here’s how to access it:

  1. Open the Messages app.
  2. Tap Filters in the top-left corner.
  3. Select Recently Deleted.
  4. Choose the message(s) you want to recover.
  5. Tap Recover at the bottom right.

Messages stay here for 30 days before they’re permanently deleted.

2. Restore From an iCloud Backup

If the message isn’t in the Recently Deleted folder, you might still get it back by restoring from a previous iCloud backup — if you had backups enabled before deletion.

Warning: This will replace everything on your phone with the contents of the backup.

Here’s how:

  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
  2. Check the last backup date — make sure it’s before you deleted the messages.
  3. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
  4. Follow the setup prompts, and choose Restore from iCloud Backup.

3. Restore From a Mac or iTunes Backup

If you’ve previously backed up your iPhone to your computer, you can try restoring that backup.

Using Finder (macOS Catalina or later):

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
  2. Open Finder, and select your iPhone.
  3. Click Restore Backup.
  4. Choose a backup made before the message was deleted.

Using iTunes (Windows or older macOS):

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer.
  2. Open iTunes and select your device.
  3. Click Restore Backup and pick the right backup file.

4. Contact Your Carrier

Some mobile carriers store text message data temporarily and may help recover deleted messages upon request. It’s rare, but it’s worth asking.

Give your carrier’s customer support a call and explain the situation.

5. Try Third-Party Recovery Tools (Use With Caution)

There are third-party tools like PhoneRescue, iMobie, or Dr.Fone that claim to recover deleted text messages. These apps often require a computer and access to your backups.

Just make sure to:

  • Research the app thoroughly
  • Read reviews
  • Avoid giving access to sensitive info unless you trust the source

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