Texting is a way of life. With messages coming in from friends and family, information sharing with business associates, appointment reminders, and shopping confirmations…
It’s easy to lose track of one that is important. Worse yet, that message may end up getting deleted with the unimportant ones.
If you need to retrieve that message and can’t get a copy or screenshot from the sender, there are a few different ways to attempt a recovery.
You may be able to restore from an iCloud or computer backup or use an outside source like your service provider or an iPhone app.
First, you should determine if the message is really gone or just lost.
Did you know you can search your text messages? You can and it’s easy! Just open the Messages app and, from anywhere on the screen, make a little downward swipe. A search bar will appear at the top and you can search for the missing message.
No luck with the search? Let’s move on to the first recovery method, restoring from your iCloud backup. Using this method means that you’ll lose anything that has been added to your iPhone since the backup.
*iPhone instructions are based on an iPhone 12 Pro Max with iOS 15.3.1. Options may vary if you are using an older iOS.
Check Last Backup Date
Step 1. In the Settings app, tap on your name to open your Apple ID settings.
Step 2. Select iCloud from the list of options.
Step 3. On the next screen, scroll down and tap “iCloud Backup.”
Step 4. Check the time of the last backup, if it is before you deleted the message then proceed to the “Erase iPhone Data” section. If the backup is after deletion, you will need to try one of the other options for recovery.
Before moving on to the next step, it is important to make sure you know your iCloud password. If you’re not confident then from your Apple ID page, scroll to the bottom and sign out and sign back in again to confirm you have to right password.
Erase iPhone Data
Step 1. Back to the main menu of the Settings app, choose the “General” menu.
Step 2. At the bottom of the menu select “Transfer or Reset iPhone.”
Step 3. In the Reset menu, tap on “Erase All Content and Settings.” This may sound scary, but those settings are saved in the backup.
Step 4. On the next menu, you will see a list of items that need to be removed to erase the iPhone. Tap “Continue.” You will be asked to enter your passcode.
Step 5. Your iPhone will automatically start backing up to the iCloud. Tap “Skip Backup” on the bottom to cancel the action.
Step 6. Enter your Apple ID password and select “Turn Off” in the top right corner.
Your phone is essentially brand new again and you will need to go through the same steps you did when you turned it on for the first time. Time for the next step in the process!
Restore from iCloud Backup
Step 1. Turn your iPhone on.
Step 2. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup” and enter your password to sign in to your iCloud account.
Step 3. Choose the backup you want to use. It’s most likely the newest one, but if you do choose one that is older be aware that you may lose other data from your iPhone that was contained in the newer backups.
Recovery complete! Was the message recovered? I hope so, but if not maybe the next method, restore from your computer, will do the trick. First, you need to disable Find My iPhone.
Disabling this feature requires your Apple ID and password and is intended to prevent anyone from restoring their own backup on a stolen iPhone.
Disable Find my iPhone
Step 1. In the Settings app, tap on your name to open your Apple ID settings.
Step 2. Tap on the “Find My” option.
Step 3. Toggle “Find my iPhone” to off. You will be prompted to enter your password.
Restore Using Finder
(macOS 10.15 or later)
Step 1. Connect your iPhone via cable.
Step 2. Open the Finder app.
Step 3. In the Finder sidebar on your Mac, select your iPhone and when prompted, click “Trust.”
Step 4. On the next screen select “Restore from this backup,” choose your backup from the list, then click Continue.
Restore Using iTunes
(macOS before 10.15 or Windows PC)
Step 1. Connect your iPhone via cable.
Step 2. Open the Music app (formerly the iTunes Store) and tap the device icon near the top left of the window. If there’s more than one backed up, you will need to select your device.
Step 3. On the next screen select “Restore from this backup,” choose your backup from the list, then click Continue. If the option shows as grayed out, change your back up preferences from “iCloud” to “This Computer.”
The two above options only work if you have previously synced your iPhone using either Finder or iTunes. If you haven’t synced, or it has been a long time, this option probably isn’t the best choice.
iCloud Recovery
In addition to iPhone and computer backups, you may find what you need at iCloud.com. This won’t work with all phone providers or in all areas but if there is an icon for Texts, then you may be in luck. Click on that and see if your missing message is in there.
If you see the message you need, then select “Turn off Text Messages.” There will be a popup that reads “Keep on My iPhone.” Select “OK” to continue and the turn Text Messages back on and select “Merge.” Hopefully, this will cause the deleted messages to reappear.
Contact Your Service Provider
Not all service providers do this, but some will keep a backup of your data and if it hasn’t been updated, they may be able to restore your missing text. Call them as soon as you realize you’ve lost the message and ask for a representative in technical support.
iPhone Apps
If nothing else works, you can try third-party apps to recover the messages. Most are paid apps, and none are guaranteed to work. Make sure you look at reviews and consider calling your local Apple store to see if they have a recommendation or a preferred app for this use.
None of these methods are simple in time or effort, but if the message is important, they may be your only recourse.
To avoid having to recover an important text, check out our article How to Save Texts on iPhone and Mac!
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Great clear information written with easy to follow instructions. Thank you.