We use text messages to pass quick communication across networks and family. However, we end up deleting texts that are already read and often end up deleting even the most important ones. This is the point in time when everyone feels they should be able to get back their texts as quickly.
But you ought not panic because you can still recover all the texts you delete. This is because they are not deleted permanently or forever.
If you use an iPhone and have tons of texts in your phone, you can still get them back.
According to Mark Soto, founder of a Milwaukee-based cybersecurity firm – Cybericus, iPhone messages are stored in SQLite format and are not deleted immediately from the database. Instead, when you delete iPhone messages, you will send them into a free list. The messages are stored in records accessible to iTunes and cloud backup. Mark adds that these formats are accessible to forensic agencies and can be used for investigations.
There are, therefore, several substantive ways to recover text messages. In this article, we show you some of the quick fixes to use.
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Contact Your Service Provider
When you lose messages on your iPhone, the quickest troubleshooter you will most likely think of is your service provider. Just like you can easily get back deleted emails on iPhone, retrieving messages should be easy. Your service provider will often have access to a backup of all your messages. You should therefore talk to them and provide proof of identity before they can assist you to get back your lost messages any time.
Use iCloud Recovery
If you have reached out to your service provider but are unable to help, it would be better to turn to iCloud Backup. Your iCloud Backup should include Apple Watch backups, app data, home screen, device settings, and app organization.
The other items you will likely find in the Backup include music, movies, apps, books, ringtones, passwords, etc. always make sure your iCloud Backup has enough space for all the information you intend to back up. To get this backup working, follow the steps below.
- Turn on iCloud Backup on your iPhone through “settings” > “your name” > “iCloud” > and finally, “iCloud Backup.”
- Link the iPhone to a Wi-Fi to initiate the backup process
Restore Your iPhone Messages From Backup
Step 1: Begin resetting your phone by navigating through Settings, General and Reset.
Step 2: Once you complete the phone Reset, locate the Apps & Data screen and choose to Restore from iCloud Backup.
Step 3: Now, use your Apple ID to sign in to iCloud. Your phone will then back up.
Restore Deleted Messages With iTunes
If you do not have an iCloud backup or your Backup was last done six months ago, you will most likely not be able to get your messages back. However, you may have been using iTunes backup in the meantime. In this case, you will be able to recover deleted messages on iPhone.
If you have iTunes backup, follow the steps below to recover data on your iPhone.
Step 1: Link your iPhone to the PC
Step 2: Launch iTunes and tap on the iPhone icon on its interface to gain access to your iPhone’s management system
Step 3: Go to your device’s summary page and select “Restore Backups”
Step 4: Choose the iPhone backup by data and size, then tap “Restore”
Allow the process to run and complete to bring back your messages. This should take just a few minutes with solid network connectivity.
However, if you cannot get back your iTunes backup or do not have an existing iTunes backup, it would be more helpful to try a different method. We suggest you use third-party software instead.
Recover Deleted iPhone Messages With Data Recovery Software
If you have tried all the methods above but still need to restore your messages, you probably do not have a previous backup system for your messages.
This option may be costlier, especially if you land on vendors with professional data recovery software. Otherwise, we recommend using Disk Drill developed by CleverFiles. Here’s the step-by-step process to recover your iPhone messages with Disk Drill.
Step 1: Visit the official website of CleverFiles and download Disk Drill software.
Step 2: Install the software on your computer
Step 3: Connect the iPhone to your computer
Step 4: Open the data recovery software by double-clicking on the Disk Drill icon to launch it.
Step 5: Locate the scan icon, tap on it and select the iPhone where the messages were lost. You can run a quick or deep scan to try and find your lost messages.
Step 6: When the scanning process ends, preview the files that the software has found through the scan process
Step 7: If you can identify the messages you are looking for in the preview pane, select them and tap on the “Restore” button. You can also choose where your messages are sent to during the restore.
Ask Your Contacts To Forward The Messages
You may have reached a point where you need to be in a position to recover all the lost messages from your iPhone. This could be because you permanently deleted the messages, and they have been overwritten by new messages on your iPhone.
If you find yourself in this scenario, the best approach would be to request your contacts to forward the messages to you. This works best if the messages resulted from a conversation between you and friends or colleagues, and they have kept them from their phones. You can use the same method to recover deleted emails on your iPhone.