How to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages from iPhone

Updated Aug 15,2016 | by Shannon

If you're using iPhone and have the habit of sending and receiving text messages with it. You may have met the problem of missing important text messages or accidentally deleting messages. Now you’re missing information, and you need it. The situation may seem hopeless, but not to worry. Once you remove a message from your iPhone, it pretty much disappears. However, the message doesn't actually get deleted. In fact, there are a few options to recover deleted texts messages. Here, we are going to teach you how to retrieve deleted text messages from phone carrier, how to recover deleted text messages from icloud, and recover deleted text messages from iTunes backup.

Retrieve deleted texts from phone carrier

Like it or not, chances are your phone carrier keeps records of your texts. Is it an invasion of privacy? Maybe, but as of this second, you’re probably glad they keep those records, because as they’re your texts, you have a right to access them. Depending on your carrier, you might even be able to access your texts from whatever online home page you operate your account through. There’s a chance you’ll have to call and deal with some of your carrier’s characteristically stellar customer service, but it’s probably worth getting the information you lost back. However, this method isn’t foolproof: not all carriers keep records of your texts (or maybe you just don’t want to deal with the potential hassle of dealing with a call center representative). If for some reason this approach doesn’t work out, don’t fret. There are still other options to get your texts back, safe and sound.

Retrieve deleted text messages backed up by iCloud

Chances are your device is connected to iCloud, right? Well, if that’s the case, there’s a chance that your phone may have backed up your texts to the cloud storage. However, this doesn’t happen with older models of the iPhone, so you may still be out of luck with this method, but you’ll figure that out after logging into your iCloud account. If there’s no “Text Messages” field to click on, then you’re out of luck (but if you read on, you’ll find one last ditch effort that may just retrieve your deleted texts). If you have a more recent iPhone, then you’ll see the “Text Message” option when you log on. Simply click on the field and look through your stored texts. With luck, you’ll have updated your cloud storage after you retrieved the texts in question, and you’ll find them there, safe and sound. If you haven’t updated your cloud storage, don’t worry, there’s still one more option to try before you admit defeat.

Recover deleted text messages from iTunes backup 

This method relies a little more on your being responsible and regularly backing your phone up to iTunes. If you’ve been on top of backing your phone up, depending on when you lost the texts and when you last backed your phone up, you may be able to get them back by restoring your phone on iTunes to the state you last backed it up from. If you’ve backed your phone up at least once since you initially received the lost texts, then all you have to do is connect to your phone to your computer, go on iTunes and restore your phone from the “Summary” page on iTunes under your phone. 

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