You may accidentally erase a text message on your iPhone and need to recover it if you are switching between applications fast or sending messages while engaged in another activity like working, walking, or doing another task that takes your whole concentration. You will be relieved to learn that there are a few different ways you may utilise to assist recover your iPhone text messages if, like me, you occasionally unintentionally erase a message on your iPhone or iPad.
IOS 16
Apple introduced a new function with the introduction of iOS 16 in October 2022 that makes it relatively simple to recover any deleted iPhone texts for up to 30 to 40 days, and beyond that, from your iOS backups.
It is important to note that discovering or recovering a single deleted text message or conversation on the Apple iOS operating system was challenging before iOS 16 was released earlier this year, and it is still difficult if you don’t have iOS 16 installed. You should be aware that the method necessitates a complete reinstall from an earlier backup of your iPhone if you are using an older iOS version that was published prior to iOS 16. There are other third-party software for recovering lost iPhone texts, but it would be preferable to address these in a distinct post because they all have various features, costs, and functionalities.
According to Apple, you can only restore conversations and texts you deleted during the previous 30 to 40 days.
Fortunately, Apple listened to iPhone customers and included a new feature to its most recent iOS 16 mobile operating system that greatly simplifies the process of recovering specific messages or whole conversations that you may have accidentally lost in the Apple messaging app.
Simply follow the methods below as needed to retrieve deleted texts or chats on iOS 16 from Apple.
IOS 16 – retrieve deleted message or conversation
- Start by launching the official Apple Messages programme.
- In the top left corner of your Messages app, select the Edit option. If you have iOS 16 loaded and don’t see this option, you don’t have any recoverable deleted texts. After Apple retains deleted messages for 30 days, you must follow the procedure below to recover them from a recent iOS backup.
- Choose the Show Recently Deleted menu choice.
- Decide which texts you want to retrieve.
- Select the Recover option from the screen’s bottom right corner.
Additionally, Apple gives you the choice of completely deleting or recovering any of your previously deleted messages that haven’t been erased for more than 30 days.
After 30 days from a backup
If you still want to move further, have a recent local backup of your iPhone taken, possibly when you most recently synced your phone with your laptop or PC. There is a possibility you might retrieve your lost iPhone texts if you have set up an automated backup routine to store your most crucial data to the Apple iCloud servers.
First, we’ll go through utilizing a local backup to restore deleted texts from your iPhone. If you’re unclear whether your computer has a local backup, ask. Normally, if you linked your iPhone to iTunes or, in more recent macOS versions, used Finder to synchronize data between your iPhone and Mac via cable, a backup would be made on your Apple Mac computer.
By using this technique, you may restore your iPhone to a time when the message was still on it. The new communications you have received after the backup was taken, however, will be deleted. if you’ve never linked your iPhone to a Mac desktop computer or MacBook. You should go to the third-party message recovery technique below if you would like to restore the message without entirely reinstalling an old backup.
- Use a charging wire to link your iPhone to your PC.
- Launch the “Finder” programme on a newer Mac or MacBook running macOS Catalina or a later version.
- Launch the Apple iTunes app on PCs or older Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier.
- From the option on the left, choose your iPhone.
- Verify the most recent backup’s creation date.
- Choose Restore Backup if the date is earlier than when you erased the message (be aware that this will rollback your phone to that last backup, deleting everything you have installed or received since then). I realize it’s extreme, but there is a way to recover a deleted iPhone message. You’ll need to decide for yourself whether you want to go to such far lengths to get back a single message.
Using Apple iCloud backups
Once more, using this approach will reset your iPhone to a prior backup date and erase any apps you may have installed or messages you may have gotten since the backup was made. Again, this is harsh, I realize, but only you can decide if it is worthwhile to lose any data in order to recover that one message. If you’re ready to go forward.
- On your iPhone, click Settings.
- At the top of the Settings tab, tap on your Apple ID information.
- Click Manage > Storage > Backups under iCloud. A list of all your accessible iCloud backups will be provided by this.
- To restore the deleted message on your iPhone, choose the iCloud backup you want to install again.
- Bear in mind that everything you have received after the backup was taken will be deleted. (Use with extreme care!)
- Restore the factory default settings on your iPhone (read our previous guide)
If you don’t already perform automatic or manual backups of your iOS device, we strongly advise that you start doing so as it will help you avoid future heartbreak and make it much simpler to upgrade your device and retrieve deleted messages. It might not help you much this time, but you will be ready the next time you run into a problem or need to recover data or a message from your Apple devices.
Third-party applications
If you currently don’t do automatic or manual backups of your iOS device, we strongly advise that you start doing so as soon as possible. This will prevent you from experiencing a great deal of pain in the future and make it much simpler to upgrade your device and recover deleted messages. The next time you run into a problem or need to recover data or a message from your Apple devices, you will be ready. This time, it might not be much use to you.
Our simple guide, which demonstrates how to schedule iPhone text messages to send later, may be of interest to Apple phone users who want to know how to delay the time a text message is delivered. We have put together a fast tutorial that walks you through the process of scheduling iPhone text messages to send at a later time and lists many programmes you may use to assist. If you’re interested in learning more, read on.