Jun 23
Recover deleted text message on iPhone
Many iPhone user has been asking the question on how to recover deleted text message on iPhone. We understand some text messages can be deleted accidentally or intentionally, but somehow the need rise to have them back again. It can be frustrating to do so if you decide to use Media storage software to recover those SMS messages, but luckily it’s easier than most iPhone users think.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
If you decide to apply this article, please do so at your own risk. Although we think the steps suggested here are safe if conducted correctly and should not cause any damage to your iPhone, data will be lost if no good back is available. Please insure you run a full backup and test it before attempting any of the steps below.
First of all, it’s important to note that if the deleted text messages were exchanged since the last sync, it’s not possible to recover those SMS message. It’s only possible to recover text messages if they were deleted before the last synchronisation with iTunes. In other words, recovering a text message is only possible if the you didn’t synchronize the iPhone with iTunes after sending or receiving SMS messages.
SMS messages remain on the iPhone after deletion. They are deleted only after sync with iTunes.
In order to recover a deleted text message or messages, run through the following steps:
- Make sure iTunes doesn’t automatically sync with iPhone when connected
- Connect your iPhone to iTunes and Back up buy choosing Preferences > Backup.
- Restore your iPhone by selecting Restore under Preferences. Note that restoring the iPhone will restore the previous iPhone firmware. Your iPhone will be completely erased after the new firmware is installed.
- A message will prompt you to restore your backup. This will allow you to restore any data you have backed up before installing the new fireware.
It’s important to distinguish between iPhone data restore and iPhone firmware restore.
iPhone data restore allow you to restore data you have already backup on iTunes.
iPhone firmware restore is pretty much likely a factory default restore. Where the iPhone firmware will be re-installed and any existing data deleted.
We hope you find the above steps helpful and we’ll appreciate any feedback or comments you may have.
Pretty nice post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
that I have really enjoyed reading your posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Explain in more detail
I have been looking looking around for this kind of information. Will you post some more in future? I’ll be grateful if you will.
hard drive data recovery…
Backing up files continuously is the first defense against data loss, but the software will recover lost, fragmented, deleted, or destroyed files before they are written over with new ones. If you lose an important file, data recovery software can find…
Please help me with this cuestions. Once I open Itunes and conect my Iphone (Ivé made sure it doesn´t automaticlly syncs) i go to preferences and i cant find any way to make a backup in that menu, the only way Ivé been able to backup is by right clicking over the Iphone icon on the left of Itunes and theres the option,´after backing up you say that I need to restore trough the preferences menu again, but theres nothing in that menu to restore, the only way I´ve found to do it is in the main sync window just below the Iphon update theres a restore button, Is this the one you are talking about?
So, you’re saying simply backing up the iPhone, then restoring it, will restore DELETED txt messages, as long as the phone wasn’t synched AFTER those messages were deleted?
Correct. Text messages are only hidden when deleted from iPhone, so restoring the iPhone before synchronizing with iTunes should restore those deleted message.
I have synced the phone so l won’t be able to retrieve any of the deleted msgs deleted before the syncing? can l only retrieve the deleted msgs that were deleted after the phone was synced?
My iPhone has not been synched at all with iTunes – can I recover deleted text messages if no previous backups exist? It seems that you are saying that if you have a previous backup of your iphone, you can restore it and recover those messages.
My deleted messages are from the past few days – no backups anywhere – just the iphone itself -
Can I recover my deleted messages in this case?
Thanks,
Emeril
Can anyone verify this? This will save my life!
This did not at all work!
Did anyone get this to actually work?
Nope, I’m sorry but really you need more detail.
I’m a mac user, and even though I don’t have my settings set up to sync as soon as my iphone is set up, following your vague instructions cause my iphone to automatically sync, which I’m a bit pissed off about to be frank.
Where is this preference>Back up you speak of? The only way I could find it was by alt+clicking on my iphone and backing it up there, and the same for restoring the data, which wouldn’t let me restore it to the firmware as per your instructions suggest it should.
SO i addition to what john said, if i back up the iPhone, then restore it, it will restore the DELETED txt messages, and you will be able to see the deleted conversation back on your iphone under messages, as long as you don’t synch?
The way you have to do this is to: 1) connect your phone to iTunes; 2) cancel the sync immediately so the phone does not synch; 3) on the left side of the iTunes page, go to Devices, find your phone and right click on the icon indicating your phone; and 4) select “Restore from Backup” from the drop-down menu. It will take a few minutes, but your text messages will be restored to what they were at the time of your last synch.
The confusing thing was, how do I restore from last back up? Also, people needed “more details.” So I figured it out, and hopefully this helps others: Before connecting the iPhone, go to Edit>Preferences>Devices and click on “Prevent iPhones and iPods from syncing automatically.” Then, you can connect your iPhone without it syncing (It might say “iPhone is syncing,” but it’ll stop instantly). When iTunes finds it and displays it on the left navigation bar, you can right-click on it and select “Restore from Backup…” The restoration will begin, and that’s pretty much it; now you have your messages (or anything else) back
Oh, by the way, it completely restores it back to how it was at the last backup; meaning that any messages / pictures / whatever will also get deleted! If you want to keep any pictures taken after the last backup, you can simple email them to yourself and either 1) just keep them in your email, 2) keep them on your computer, or 3) download / save them onto your iPhone from your Mail application. Then, with the messages, you can practically do the same (copy + paste onto email), but it won’t save them as a conversation again, just as text.
I called Apple and there is no way to recover text msgs once they’ve been deleted!
[...] sucks. This is something I came across, hopefully it will help: Recover deleted text message iPhone | Apple iPhone News good [...]
probably a stupid questions, but after the restore, are all apps etc erased? and can i save my apps to itunes? apologies if this is an incredibly dim question, but I’m extremely new to this!
Thanks
H
Yes, a restore will delete all apps.
Correct.
Yes, as long as you didn’t synch it should be possible.
I think I’m getting there but not quite. I’d like to be able to retrieve the deleted text messages and also keep the photos, apps that were on the iphone.
1. Before connecting the iPhone, go to Edit>Preferences>Devices and click on “Prevent iPhones and iPods from syncing automatically.”
2. Connect the iPhone without it syncing (It might say “iPhone is syncing,” but it’ll stop instantly).
3. When iTunes finds it and displays it on the left navigation bar, right-click – or double click? -on it and select “Restore from Backup…”
4. The restoration will begin.
5. This will restore text messages that have been deleted between now and the date of the last backup, so they show up as text messages on the iphone again?
6. But this also deletes any photos or apps on the iphone?
so, i did this. made sure not to synch
backed up. restored. no dice.
The above method is great, but only one thing missing / Confusing.
Since and as it is well explained above distinguish between iPhone data restore and iPhone firmware restore, the data restore is obtained by connecting the phone and when it appears on the left of iTunes, this is WHERE you have to RIGHT CLICK and select restore.
No need to reset the whole thing to factory settings, this is confusing, same thing not need to go to Preferences > Backup and the rest.
Good luck, it worked for me. Luds
Your scenario is still unclear on where this will work. If I take a backup (auto synch in itunes turned off) on monday; send a text on tuesday; delete the text on wed; backup on thu – will the text be recoverable from thursday’s text?
There are a lot of posts saying your method wont work, and I think this is because you are assuming the target text was created before the backup; and deleted after – the restore will then basically bring back the text which was not in a ‘delete’ state when the backup was taken. Is that the case? Please clarify.
This actuaaaaaally works!!
well except for the last week since i synced it last!
I think the idea is, those of you who have an iphone should regularly back up your iphone…(i think this happens automatically when you sync) as i deleted and entire years worth of msgs…and they are all back
Hope you all have the luck I did!
It worked! I was very happy and got what I wanted.
Try these guys. They have a tool that lets you access text messages in your iPhone back up files and save them to your computer. Hope it helps!
http://decipher-media.com/iphone-tools/
This did not work. I lost all my pictures and apps! and the messages did not come back up on the phone.
ok same question as above that nobody has seemed to answer. if the iphone has never been backed up, does it need to be backed up and then attached again to cancel the sync and restore from there. or do i need to cancel the sync first or by doing that will it inadvertently delete the carbon copies in the user section?
HAS THIS ACTUALLY WORKED FOR ANYONE????
I JUST TRIED IT AND IT WORKED.
This absolutely worked, and is very easy. Last night, I accidentally deleted my girlfriend’s texts over the past 6 months. The texts are crazy good and I was completely bummed. I don’t sync very oftern but luckily had just done so for my 3G due to the new OS release. The release, by the way, makes my 3G painfully slow. Anyway, just followed the instructions as provided and within 2 minutes my phone was back to where it was 2 weeks ago.
Thanks so much. I am very grateful.
Hi, I have the same question as Emeril No.9 – my iphone has not yet been synced to itunes, is it possible then to retieve deleted messages (both sent AND received) if this has not yet happenned and if so, please can you talk me through this is great detail as I am also very new to this. The conversations I need are from 5 months ago and are extremely important regarding a custody battle – please can you help me? I am desperate for this information ASAP, if possible. Many Thanks.
This post saved me! You should work for Apple tech support! Thanks!