Accidentally deleted a text message on your iPhone? This guide covers two effective methods to retrieve deleted messages: from Recently Deleted and from a Backup.
1. Retrieve from Recently Deleted Messages
If you’ve recently deleted a text message on your iPhone, you can easily recover it through the Recently Deleted folder, a new feature available on iOS:
- Open the Messages App: Go to the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Access Recently Deleted: Tap on Filters in the top-left corner, then select Show Recently Deleted.
- Select Messages to Recover: Browse through the deleted messages, select the ones you want to recover, and tap Recover.
- Confirm Recovery: After selecting, tap Recover Message to restore it to your main Messages list.
This method works within 30 days of deletion, after which messages are permanently erased from your device.
2. Retrieve from Backup
If the Recently Deleted folder does not contain the messages you need, you may be able to restore them from an iCloud or iTunes backup. Note that this process requires a recent backup containing the deleted messages:
Restoring from iCloud Backup
- Verify iCloud Backup: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups and check the latest backup date.
- Reset iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Note: This will erase current data on your device, so ensure other data is backed up.
- Restore from iCloud Backup: Follow the setup instructions and select Restore from iCloud Backup, then choose the relevant backup to restore your deleted messages.
Restoring from iTunes/Finder Backup
- Connect iPhone to Computer: Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC.
- Open iTunes/Finder: Open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina or later) and select your device.
- Choose Restore Backup: In the Summary section, click Restore Backup and select a backup that likely contains your deleted messages.
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