Is there a way to get deleted messages back on iPhone?

WikiGibbonHugger475
09/03/24 10:48am
I accidentally deleted some messages on my iPhone and would really like to have them back!! Is there any way for me to recover them or are they gone forever? :( An easy solution would be great but I'm open to trying anything

WikiBirdReader355
09/03/24 3:01pm
Deleted messages stay on your iPhone for like a month, but they're just hidden. Check your Messages and click Edit in the top-left, and select the Recently Deleted option to see the texts before they're gone for good. Tap on any conversations you want to save and hit Recover to save them from deletion!

If you permanently deleted the messages, you may be able to find them on an old backup of your phone, but you may be out of luck :/
WikiOcelotTrader472
09/03/24 5:21pm
Yeaaah if they've been deleted for a while they're probably gone. But, you can always try checking another device like a MacBook or Apple watch if you have them--when you delete messages on your phone they often aren't deleted on other Apple devices.
WikiElephantHugger968
09/03/24 9:20pm
What are the different ways I can delete messages on my iPhone?
wikiHow Expert
Josef Storzi
Josef Storzi
Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
09/03/24 11:40pm
You may want to delete messages for a number of reasons such as privacy concerns, to clear storage space, or to otherwise reduce clutter in the messages app. There are three ways to delete messages from an iPhone.

The first is deleting individual messages within a thread. In order to do this, open the specific message you want to delete and press on it with your finger. A small menu will appear. From there click more, then on the bottom left you have a trash can icon. Selecting that icon will delete any of the messages that have a blue checkmark to the left of them. From this page you may also delete the entire messages thread by clicking delete all from the top left corner.

The next way of deleting messages will delete the entire conversation. Navigate to the homepage of your messages app. Use your finger to swipe from right to left. A red trash can icon will appear. Click on it to delete the entire conversation you selected.

The final way to delete messages on your iPhone is bulk deletion. In order to delete multiple conversations at once start by navigating to the homepage of your messages app. Using two fingers press gently on two message threads at the same time. Make sure they are pressed at the same time otherwise whichever is pressed first will enter the conversation page. Once you have completed the last step you will see circles pop up next to all of your message threads. Click on the circles for the messages you wish to delete. Note, when the message is selected the circle will become populated with a blue checkmark. Once you have selected all the messages you want to delete press delete located on the bottom right. You can select all message threads quickly by holding down your finger on one of the blank circles and dragging your finger down in a straight line over the rest of the circles. If done correctly all of the circles you swipe your finger down on will now be selected.

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Anonymous Reader
Anonymous Reader
Reach out to your phone carrier to see if they store any copies of your text messages, and ask them for your records.
Anonymous Reader
Anonymous Reader
Check your other Apple devices you're logged into because they may have older texts you deleted from your phone.
Anonymous Reader
Anonymous Reader
If you don't see your past messages on one device, check a different device where you're also logged in to your Apple ID. The messages may still be visible there.
Anonymous Reader
Anonymous Reader
Take screenshots or download important messages that you don't want to lose so you always have a backup.
Anonymous Reader
Anonymous Reader
If you want to be really secret, type your message in the Notes app and share it with the person you want to talk with. They can type and edit the note so you can see the message. Plus, you can lock notes so they require a password to view them.
Anonymous Reader
Anonymous Reader
When you're changing your notification settings, select "Show Preview" and It will still alert you that you received a text but won't show the message.