How do I retrieve deleted text messages iPhone without backup

Question

Level 1

12 points

How do I retrieve deleted text messages iPhone without backup

Hey everyone,

So here’s my situation — I’m using an iPhone 16, and last night I accidentally deleted a whole text thread that had some pretty important messages in it. Of course, I didn’t have an iCloud or iTunes backup turned on (yeah, rookie mistake). I already tried checking the “Recently Deleted” folder in Messages, but nothing’s there.

Is there any way to retrieve deleted text messages on iPhone without backup? Maybe something hidden in iCloud sync or another trick that still works on the latest iOS? I’d really appreciate any ideas before I give up — those texts were work-related and kinda critical.

iPhone 16 Pro

Posted on Oct 14, 2025 8:58 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Willorn

Level 1

14 points

Oct 14, 2025 11:59 PM in response to Marigoldad

If you use any third-party messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram), check if they have cloud backups or message history. Sometimes, Apple support can assist in data recovery, but they typically require backups or have limited options for data not stored in iCloud.

Reply

Answer 2

MMck2ins

Level 1

8 points

Oct 14, 2025 11:36 PM in response to Marigoldad

Starting with iOS 16 and later, Apple added a "Recently Deleted" section inside the Messages app, which works like a temporary trash folder for messages deleted in the last 30 days.

How to retrieve deleted text messages iPhone without backup:

(1) Open the “Recently Deleted” folder

Open the Messages app.
Tap Edit (top-left) → Show Recently Deleted. Or, on iOS 17 and later, tap Filters → Recently Deleted.
You'll see any messages or conversations deleted within the last 30 days.

(2) Recover messages from there

Tap the messages you want to recover.
Tap Recover → Recover Messages to restore them to your inbox.

If you don't see the message in Recently Deleted, that means it's already been erased from iPhone.

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 14, 2025 11:55 PM in response to Marigoldad

If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, your deleted messages may still exist in a previous backup. This is one of the best ways to retrieve deleted text messages from iPhone.

Steps:

Go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup.
Check the last backup date — if it’s before you deleted the messages, you can restore it.
Then go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
After the phone restarts, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and sign in with your Apple ID.
This will replace your current data with the backup data (including messages).

Reply