There are a few options worth exploring here. First off, @techchizkid covered some good ground, especially with checking for archived messages. Archiving is often overlooked but can be a quick fix if you’re lucky.
That said, one thing that wasn’t mentioned is checking if Messenger synced those messages to Facebook’s servers. Sometimes, when messages are deleted from your phone, they might still exist on Facebook’s website due to sync delays or discrepancies. To check this, log into Facebook on a desktop, navigate to the messages section, and see if those crucial messages are still stashed there.
Regarding iCloud backups, a fair bit of caution is needed. Overwriting your iPhone’s current state by restoring from an older backup might set you back in other areas. Always ensure you have a backup of the current data before performing such actions, or else you might lose more recent information which might be as important as those messages you’re trying to recover.
Talking about third-party tools, Disk Drill (https://www.cleverfiles.com/) is definitely a solid option, but you might find it a bit intimidating if you’re not technically inclined. Another tip is to try these tools in trial mode first to see if they can locate the messages before committing to any full-version purchase. Always check user reviews and ensure it’s legitimate software as there’s a lot of sketchy stuff out there.
Lastly, about Dr. Fone and iMobie PhoneRescue, while their interfaces might be a bit more complex, they’ve been around for quite a while and have decent success rates. Sometimes complexity isn’t that bad if it’s helping with meticulous tasks like data recovery.
Avoid getting too repetitive with restores and erases as that can indeed lead to permanent data loss. You wouldn’t want to end up with more headaches than you started with. If the messages are super critical, and none of these methods work, consulting a professional data recovery service might be your last resort. Just make sure the potential costs are worth the value of the lost messages.