Your iPhone Has a Hidden Feature That Let You Recover Deleted Text Messages Without Having to Restore

 If you’ve accidentally deleted text messages on your iPhone, there are several ways to recover them without having to restore your entire device. Let’s explore these options:

1. Recently Deleted Folder (iOS 17 and later):

   • Starting with iOS 17, your iPhone now has a Recently Deleted folder in the Messages app. This folder temporarily stores deleted messages for up to 30 days.
   • To recover messages from the Recently Deleted folder:
     • Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
     • Tap on Filters in the top-left corner.
     • Select Recently Deleted.
     • Find the conversation or message you want to restore and tap on it.
     • Finally, tap Recover to move the message back into your conversation list¹.

2. Messages App (iOS 16 and earlier):

   • For iPhones running iOS 16 and earlier, you can still recover deleted messages using the following steps:
     • Open the Messages app.
     • Tap on Edit in the top-left corner.
     • Choose Show Recently Deleted.
     • Select the conversations whose messages you want to restore and tap Recover.
     • Confirm by tapping Recover Messages².

3. iCloud Backup:

   • If you have iCloud backups enabled, you can restore messages from a previous backup:
     • Check when your last backup was in Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
     • Erase all content and settings in Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
     • During setup, choose to Restore from iCloud backup and select the backup that contains the messages you want to recover³.

4. Third-Party Data Recovery Tools:

   • Consider using third-party tools like Ultdata to scan and preview deleted messages without restoring your entire phone⁴.

Remember that audio messages that expire before being saved are not recoverable. Additionally, any message deleted using Undo Send is permanently gone. Make sure to act promptly to recover your important messages!