Accidentally deleted important text messages and emptied my Recently Deleted folder. Need those messages back for work. Any tips or tools to retrieve them?
Most people wouldn’t call this a feature, but iPhones don’t actually offer a built-in method for recovering permanently deleted texts—or messages that have been deleted and removed from the Recently Deleted folder as well. However, if you’ve inadvertently deleted critical text messages and now need them back for work, there might still be some hope. Here are some steps you can follow along with third-party tools that might help you out:
1. Check your iCloud Backup
If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, your deleted messages may still be recoverable by restoring an older backup. Here’s how you can check:
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Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups
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Pick the relevant backup and see if it predates your message deletion.
To restore:
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Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
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During the setup, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and select the backup you reviewed earlier.
Bear in mind, restoring from a backup will revert your phone to the state it was in when the backup was made, meaning any data added after this backup will be lost.
2. Check iTunes or Finder Backups
If you back up your iPhone to your computer using iTunes (or Finder in macOS Catalina and later), you can similarly restore from these backups.
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Connect your iPhone to your computer.
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Open iTunes or Finder and select your device.
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Go to ‘General’ or ‘Summary,’ then ‘Restore Backup’.
Pick a backup that you believe has the deleted messages. Similar to iCloud backups, restoring from one of these will revert all data to the point in time when the backup was made.
3. Contact Your Carrier
Some carriers keep a record of SMS messages for a certain period of time. You can get in touch with your carrier to check if they can help you retrieve the deleted texts. Note that this typically doesn’t apply to iMessages, only SMS text messages.
4. Use Third-Party Data Recovery Tool
If the above methods don’t work or aren’t feasible for you, using a third-party data recovery tool might be your next best bet. There are several options out there, but ‘Disk Drill
’ has shown good results for many users:
- Disk Drill Data Recovery Software: This tool can recover various types of lost data including text messages. It’s user-friendly, supports a wide range of file types, and runs on both Windows and Mac. You can find more details and download it here.
To use Disk Drill, follow these general steps:
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Download and install Disk Drill.
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Connect your iPhone to your computer and open Disk Drill.
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Scan your iPhone for recoverable data files.
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Look through the results to find the deleted text messages and recover them.
PRECAUTIONS:
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Keep your device turned on and avoid heavy use till you recover the data. The chances of successful recovery get significantly lower if new data overwrites the memory blocks where your deleted messages were stored.
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Understand the risks: Especially if you’re restoring from a backup, make sure to backup your current data as well, in order to avoid losing any other important information.
Appears to be stuck?
Always make sure your device is connected securely, and the computer recognizes it. If things are still not working, be patient. Sometimes these scans take hours depending on the amount of data.
Lastly, if all fails, reach out to professional data recovery services. They can often dive into depths regular software can’t reach, albeit at a higher cost.
Remember, always make regular backups in the future to avoid such scenarios. It’s tough but these small steps can be lifesavers in tricky situations.
Good luck!
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If you’re in a bind with those deleted text messages, you might feel like you’re out of luck. While @byteguru covered a lot, there are still a couple of avenues you could explore.
Firstly, let’s talk about extracting data from an iCloud backup without resetting your iPhone. It’s true you’ll risk losing your current data if you do a full restore. Instead, you can use third-party recovery tools that support iCloud file extraction. Tools like iMazing or PhoneRescue offer ways to browse your iCloud backups and selectively restore files, including your text messages. Keep in mind, success can vary.
Also, if you’ve backed up your messages with alternative cloud services, like Google Drive, you might retrieve them without Apple’s help. Not every iPhone user thinks to sync their messages this way, but it’s worth checking if you’ve ever done this.
On another note, if you regularly use a Mac, and Messages is synced with your iPhone, check there. Sometimes, even if messages are deleted on the phone, they might still be in the Mac’s Messages app.
Now, I’ve noticed some folks swear by recovery tools like Tenorshare UltData. Like Disk Drill that @byteguru suggested—which is indeed solid and detailed at CleverFiles, Tenorshare can also scan your phone for recoverable messages without needing a backup. Do note, though, that the effectiveness can differ and always ensure you choose credible software to avoid data breach risks.
Finally, checking with your carrier is a long shot, but some carriers log SMS messages briefly. Yeah, it doesn’t help with iMessages, but if any crucial text was an SMS, give them a ring. They might have a way to recover it.
Sure, always backing up sounds like a broken record now, but it’s key. Maybe set up automatic backups moving forward to dodge this headache.
Good luck! Data recovery can be tricky, so tread carefully and try multiple methods if you need to.
Hey, if you’re looking to recover permanently deleted texts on your iPhone, you’ve got a few options even if @codecrafter and @byteguru covered a lot. Here’s a quick breakdown:
iCloud and iTunes Backups - What’s often overlooked is the chance you might have incremental backups. If you have multiple backups in iCloud or iTunes, you can pick different dates to restore from without losing too much recent data.
Third-Party Tools Like Disk Drill - Disk Drill is definitely solid, but remember, it can be a bit pricy and the scanning process can be time-consuming. The interface is user-friendly for sure, but don’t expect miracles on every file type. There are other tools like Dr.Fone and Tenorshare UltData that can help, though they share the limitation of potential data overwrites.
Carrier SMS Logs - A long shot but worth trying if any of your messages were regular SMS and not iMessages. Your carrier might retain logs for a short period.
Monitor Messages on Other Devices - If you’re using iCloud to sync messages across devices, maybe an old MacBook or iPad has a copy of your deleted messages still intact. This trick has saved my bacon a couple of times.
Pros & Cons of Disk Drill: It’s robust, covers a range of file types, and supports both Windows and Mac. However, the full version isn’t cheap, and the scan time can stretch into several hours depending on your data volume.
Always back up regularly—set and forget it, you won’t regret it when things go sideways. Good luck!