If you accidentally deleted a text message or conversation on your iPhone or iPad, you can still recover it. However, you need to act quickly, as deleted messages are only stored in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 to 40 days.
To recover deleted text messages, follow these steps:
- Open the Messages app.
- Tap the Edit button in the top-right corner.
- If you previously turned on Message Filtering, tap Filters instead of Edit.
- Tap Show Recently Deleted.
- Select the conversations with the messages you want to recover.
- Tap Recover.
The messages will be restored to your Messages inbox.
Important: You can only recover deleted messages and conversations that you deleted within the last 30 to 40 days. If you delete a message before you update to iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, you cannot recover that message.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind:
- You cannot recover deleted messages if you have already emptied the Recently Deleted folder.
- If you have backed up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud, you can also recover deleted messages from your backup. However, this will overwrite your current data, so it is important to make a backup of your device before you restore from a backup.
- If you are unable to recover your deleted messages, you can contact Apple Support for help.
