Text message recovery

Delete a message or conversation

When you delete a message or conversation, you can't get it back. So make sure that you save important information from your messages.

It isn't as easy as you think it is...

Though restoring from iTunes backup is an option but you need to restore the entire iPhone (only messages restoration option does not exist) including all apps, Photos, Videos, Voice Memos, Notes on your iPhone etc...

The question is when did you backup on iTunes and when did you delete it...Read on...

Let us assume...

Date1: Backup date

Date2: Message Deletion Date

Date3: Current Date / Restoration Date

Given that --> Date1 < Date2 < Date3 

1. Risk of restoring on Date3:
   1. You may lose data between the Date1 & Date 3
   2. By default, iTunes creates incremental backup over the existing backup such that you only will have one backup per device on iTunes
   3. If you have taken another backup between Date2 and Date3, then the messages that had been deleted on the device on Date 2 is also deleted on the backup.
   4. If point no. 3 is true the messages or lost completely.
2. Else you have a mitigation process: Create Multiple back-ups on iTunes for the same device.

How to create Multiple Backups for the same device.

1. On iTunes Click on Manage Backups
2. Right Click on a Backup and Click Archive
3. Click Backup Now.
4. You will see a fresh backup will get created See the GIF below

1. Restore from Backup dated Date1 (Archived)
2. Retrieve the message and store it separately
3. Restore from Current Backup Date3

Dilysi55 Said:

"Text message recovery: How can you get text messages that have been deleted. I know my 15 yr old daughter is deleting incriminating text messages and I need to get ahold of them to make my point to her that even though they are deleted there is still a way to get them"

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Troubleshooting Deleted Text Messages:

A. Restore from a Backup:

Restore your iPhone from a backup of it that contains these messages, and you could recover them.

B. Check Message App:

If Messages was enabled on your iPhone along with your Apple computer, then check the Messages app on your Mac to see if it exists in it. You'd start up your Mac, not connecting to the Internet, and open the Massages app. Then proceed from there with retrieving it. Important: Be certain you do not connect to the Internet while booting up, as syncing would delete it. So, power off your router to avoid the connection.

C. Learn to Back Up:

If you have no backup of your iPhone, then take this as a learning experience, knowing to always backup your devices, every-so-often. That way, you and recover from the backup should anything like this go working in the future.