How to Find and Recover Deleted Text Messages on iPhone & Android?

To recover deleted text messages on your iPhone, go to “recently deleted” on the Messages app or utilize third-party recovery tools. For users who back up their devices regularly, you can retrieve lost messages on iCloud.

You can use the Recently Deleted feature in the Messages app to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone. By accessing this folder, you can find and restore recently removed conversations.

1. Go to Message App.
2. Click Edit and then Select Recently Deleted.
3. Then, select the conversation whose messages you want to store.
4. Tap Recover Messages.

To recover deleted text messages using an iCloud backup, ensure your messages are backed up in iCloud. After resetting your iPhone, all the backed-up messages will be restored from iCloud.

1. Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top.
2. Select iCloud and turn on Messages in the app list.
3. Tap iCloud Backup and check whether it has backed up.
4. Go to General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings to restore.
5. After resetting, select Restore from iCloud Backup, and your messages will be recovered.

If the first two methods don't work, you can use third-party recovery apps, like Dr.Fone, iMobie PhoneRescue, and Tenorshare UltData. To recover your messages, you just need to install the software on a computer, connect your iPhone, and follow the on-screen instructions. These apps often require a paid subscription to unlock full features. Also, ensure you choose a reputable app to avoid security risks.

On Android, you can check the recycle bin (older models) to recover deleted text messages, whereas on newer ones, go to the archived section of Google Messages. If you’ve backed up your messages beforehand, retrieve them from the Google Drive backup.

In Google Messages, if you archived the messages, you can recover them from an archived section. However, you can't retrieve messages that are permanently deleted.

Here are the steps if you archived the messages.

1. Open Messages and tap the right corner.
2. Click Archived, and archived messages will appear there.
3. Select the conversation and tap on Unarchived to recover the messages in the message box.

On older Android devices, you can recover deleted messages from the Recycle Bin in the Messages app. You can also view and restore deleted conversations by accessing the Recycle Bin.

To do so,

1. Open Messages and tap on three dots.
2. Tap the Recycle Bin, where all the deleted messages will appear there.
3. Select the conversation you want to recover.
4. Tap on Restore, and then all the restored messages appear in the messages box.

Google Drive allows you to back up important data, including messages. If you’ve already backed up messages before deleting them, you can quickly recover lost or deleted messages on your Android device after signing into the correct Google Drive account.

1. Go to your phone's Settings.
2. Select Accounts and Backup.
3. Choose Backup and Restore.

Recovering deleted SMS messages through your phone carrier is often possible, depending on the carrier's policies and the specific cases. Carriers may retain text message data for a limited period, usually for billing or service purposes, and can sometimes retrieve it upon request. However, this process often requires you to provide proof of identity and may sometimes involve legal procedures. It's essential to act quickly for this procedure, as carriers typically don’t store SMS data for extended periods.

Recovering deleted messages from business texting apps depends on the platform and how the data was managed. Many apps have archive or trash folders where deleted messages may temporarily reside. It’s worth checking these sections first, as you might be able to restore messages without any special tools.

If the app offers cloud backups or if your organization has been exporting messages regularly, you may be able to restore messages from those backups. For team or enterprise accounts, administrators often have access to audit logs or compliance tools that can recover deleted data beyond the user interface.

Here’s the process of recovering deleted messages on some of the popular texting apps:

• In apps like Slack, messages may be retrievable if your workspace admin has enabled message retention or exports.
• Microsoft Teams typically allows retrieval of chat history if the data hasn’t been permanently deleted by retention policies.
• Some apps like WhatsApp Business let you restore chats from Google Drive or iCloud backups — but only if backups were set up in advance.
   

 Note: Not all business messaging platforms offer message recovery unless backups were manually enabled beforehand.

If you're unable to locate a built-in recovery or restore option, it's best to contact your messaging service provider's support team to check if the data is stored server-side or eligible for recovery.

For example, platforms like Calilio may retain communication logs based on your subscription plan or compliance requirements, and their support team can assist you with message recovery if needed.

To prevent losing your text messages, regularly back up the device, enable cloud services, or use an app with archiving features. If you haven't deleted the messages, you can check the recycle bin or trash to retrieve them.

1. Regular Device Backup: Check the devices regularly to see whether the system is backed up properly. This ensures that all text messages and other important files and folders are backed up so you can quickly recover the messages when needed.
2. Enable Cloud Services: For iPhone, you can enable cloud services like iCloud, and for Android, you can enable Google Drive to back up important messages or files.
3. Use Apps with Archiving Features: Apps with archiving features store text messages without deleting them. This allows you to keep important messages so that you can quickly recover them when needed.
4. Check for Recycle Bin or Trash: Check your device's recycle bin or trash folder if you've accidentally deleted messages. You may be able to recover the messages before they are permanently deleted (it usually takes 30 days for messages to be permanently deleted).

Losing important text messages can be frustrating, but recovery is often possible with the proper methods. Whether you're using an Android or iPhone, there are several ways to restore deleted messages, such as checking the messaging app, using backups, or contacting your mobile carrier. Additionally, to prevent future data loss, ensure regular backups and enable cloud services like Google Drive or iCloud.