How To Recover Deleted Text Messages On Android And iPhone

Jul 18, 2022

Have you MISTAKENLY deleted a vital text message on your android or iPhone? Perhaps you marked and DELETED all your texts before realizing it!

It’s okay; we have been there. And don’t fret; there is hope yet. How so?

Retrieving your deleted messages is possible. But often, that depends on your backup habits.

If you maintain regular backups, retrieving your deleted messages will be straightforward. Otherwise, the chances are slim.

But even without backup, there are still a few steps to take. In this article, we’ll share them all with you.

And for easy comprehension, we will split this step-by-step guide into two main categories:

  • Recovering deleted text messages for Android
  • Recovering deleted text messages for iPhone

That said, let’s delve in!

How To Recover Deleted Text Messages On Android Phones?

There are generally two ways you can recover deleted text messages on androids:

  1. Using Google backups
  2. Using third-party apps

Google Backups

Like Gmail, Google can also backup messages. However, don’t assume your texts are backed up yet – make sure you check.

Here is how:

  1. Go to your Google Drive
  2. Click on the three dashes at the top left corner
  1. Scroll down and select “Backups.”
  2. You’ll see the name of your android – click it.
  3. Ideally, you’ll find your SMS as one of the backed-up items.
  1. But say there is no data backed up for your SMS messages. Then, the Google option can’t help.

Now, let’s assume your case is number 5. Then, don’t fret when you lose your messages. But know this:

To restore your messages from Google Backups, you need to “factory reset” your android. In other words, you’ll erase all your data.

That said, if you’re okay with resetting your android phone to factory settings to recover deleted messages, follow these steps:

  • Factory reset your android 
  • Go to settings, then click on the “backup and restore” option
  • Tick the data you want to restore and start the process
  • And voila, you’ll get your messages back!

Pro tip: you don’t necessarily have to erase your data to recover deleted messages. Instead, you could restore them on a spare phone.

Third-party Apps

If you’ve not backed up your message on Google or don’t like the option, using third-party apps can work for you.

Fortunately enough, there are several third-party applications you can use. However, we’ll trim the long list to just three – the best.

FonePaw App

The FonePaw app is arguably the most beginner-friendly and widely used third-party application to retrieve your deleted messages. However, you will need a computer.

That said, here is what you must do:

  • First, download and launch the “Android Data Recovery” on your PC
  • Now, download and install FonePaw on your android
  • Next, connect your android to the PC
  • Afterward, enable “debugging” and select the data you’d like to scan
  • Lastly, preview the data (your deleted messages) and restore them

Also read: How to Text From Your Computer

Dr. Fone App

This app is similar to FonePaw. The only difference is that you don’t need a computer here – your android will suffice.

That said, here’s what you must do to retrieve your messages using the Dr. Fone app:

  • First, download and install the Dr. Fone app from the Play Store
  • You might need to subscribe to a premium plan to fully unlock the features of Dr. Fone
  • Now, launch the app and select recovery
  • Scroll to the “Messages Recovery,” click on it
  • The app will show the deleted files; from there, select and retrieve your messages

Undeleter App

Often, we recommend the Undeleter app as the “last resort.” In other words, only use this application to retrieve deleted messages when FonePaw and Dr. Fone couldn’t work.

Furthermore, to use the Undeleter app, your device must be rooted. Unfortunately, rooting exposes androids to risk.

That said, if you still want to use the Undeleter app, follow these steps:

  • Visit the Play Store and download “Undeleter Recover Files & Data.”
  • Launch the app and click on restore data/file.
  • Afterward, click on either “deep scan” or “journal scan.”
  • Once the scan is 100%, retrieve the message you want from the list of deleted items.

With androids out of the way, let’s see how to retrieve deleted messages on iPhones.

How To Recover Deleted Text Messages On an iPhone

Unlike androids, retrieving messages on iPhones is straightforward. So, you shouldn’t experience much difficulty here.

Regardless, similarly to Android, retrieving deleted messages on iPhones is possible in two ways:

  • Through backups
  • Through third-party apps

But unlike our recommendation with androids, start with third-party apps when retrieving deleted messages with iPhones. Why?

Backups in iPhones won’t show previews of your deleted messages. There is no way of knowing if the text you’re looking for is even in the backed-up data.

Worst case: you must clear your data to restore through backups.

So, start with third-party apps. And from the lot, we can only vouch for PhoneRescue.

PhoneRescue

While you could try other apps to restore deleted messages on your iPhone, PhoneRescue is the best. It is safe, professionally designed, and (most importantly) flexible.

Unlike other apps, PhoneRescue has 3 recovery routes. With it, you can restore deleted data from:

  1. Your local directory,
  2. Backups, and
  3. iCloud

Furthermore, none of the recovery routes require zero level of expertise. You only need a few clicks to restore your messages.

The best part: PhoneRescue shows the preview of the backups’ contents. That way, you can avoid losing on two fronts: erasing your data and still not finding the message you seek.

That said, here’s how to use PhoneRescue to restore your deleted messages:

  • Download and launch PhoneRescue on your PC.
  • Plug your iPhone into the PC and select “recover from iOS device.”
  • Now, scan the message’s category – and select only the deleted ones.
  • Next, preview to check if the scanned texts are what you seek before retrieving them.

Backups

Before you restore your backups from iTunes or iCloud, verify if your messages are indeed backed up. Otherwise, you would have erased all your data for nothing.

But if you are sure the messages are in the backups (use PhoneRescue to confirm), follow the following steps:

ICloud:

  • Reset your iPhone to factory settings.
  • Now, set up and activate your iPhone.
  • Next, click on “restore from iCloud backup.”

iTunes:

  • Run iTunes on your PC
  • Plug your iPhone to the PC and select “summary.”
  • Find the backup option and click on “restore backup.”
  • Pick any of the backups and start the “restore.”

Voila! Your deleted messages are restored on your android and iPhone devices. Congrats!

Summary

Retrieving deleted messages on any phone is possible. You only need to improve your backup habits and get a third-party app.

And for effectiveness, don’t install a new app while restoring your messages. Nor should you restart your phone unless the process necessitates that.

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