Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted Messages on iPhone and Android

Clara Prescott Published on September 01, 2025Recover Data3-min reading

You know the feeling: you open your Messages app, and scroll, and scroll, and the message you need to see is nowhere to be found. Was it perhaps a heart-to-heart talk, a speech that you required or evidence of the humorous episode with a friend? Losing it can be frustrating, but the story does not have to end there. In this guide, we will show you how to recover deleted messages on iPhone, share ways to do the same on Android, and review the best recovery tools. No matter your device, you will have a clear path to bringing those lost conversations back where they belong.

In this article:

Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Messages on iPhone
Part 2. How to Recover Deleted Messages on Android
Part 3. Software for iPhone Data Recovery
Part 4. Software for Android Data Recovery

Part 1. How to Recover Deleted Messages on iPhone

Unintentionally losing or accidentally deleting a message may be annoying, particularly when it was a significant point or an emotional discussion. Fortunately, Apple allows you to recover your messages by built-in commands, which are usually the most secure and fastest methods one can use. Moving forward, we are going to take a closer look at three efficient methods of how to restore deleted iPhone messages regardless of whether they have been just deleted or saved on a backup.

1. Recently Deleted

If you deleted a message only a short while ago, it may still be in the Recently Deleted folder. This is the fastest way to recover deleted text messages on an iPhone without utilizing a backup. Keep in mind that messages here are stored for up to 30 days before being permanently erased.

Step 1

Open the Messages app on your iPhone.

Step 2

Tap Edit in the top-left corner and pick Show Recently Deleted.

Step 3

Browse the list and select the conversations you want to restore.

Step 4

Tap Recover, then confirm by choosing Recover Messages.

2. iCloud Backup

If your messages are no longer in the Recently Deleted folder, you can still recover them from an iCloud backup. Recovering iCloud backup works well if you have automatic backups enabled before the deletion occurred.

Step 1

Open Settings and tap your profile picture at the top.

Step 2

Go to iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.

Step 3

Check the available backup dates to find one that contains your messages.

Step 4

Reset your iPhone to factory settings, then choose Restore from iCloud Backup during setup.

3. iTunes Backup

For users who always back up their iPhone to a computer, iTunes or Finder on macOS Catalina and later is another option. This can help you recover permanently deleted text messages as long as the backup is from a date before the deletion.

Step 1

Link the iPhone to your PC and open iTunes or Finder.

Step 2

Click the phone icon to view your device information.

Step 3

Select Backups to view older backups and check their dates.

Step 4

Pick the most suitable backup and click Restore Backup.

With this same approach, you are able to recover deleted Voice Memos on your iPhone when you accidentally remove them. Yet this only works if you previously created a backup of it.

Part 2. How to Recover Deleted Messages on Android

When you need to recover permanently deleted text messages, a Google Drive backup can help, provided you had backups enabled before the deletion. Keep in mind that this method requires a factory reset, and MMS files like images or videos are not included unless you have a specific subscription plan.

1. Recently Deleted

If you just deleted a communication, it may be in the Recently Deleted section on your phone. This is the fastest method to recover the deleted messages on Android without cleaning your phone and a backup.

Step 1

Go to the Messages on your Android.

Step 2

Tap the three dots and select Recently Deleted or a similar option.

Step 3

Choose the messages you want to restore.

Step 4

Tap Recover to move them back to your main inbox.

2. Google Drive

Step 1

In the menus, go to the three-line menu > Backup. Depending on the phone, the route can be different. Look in the backups in Google Drive until you find a backup with the messages you want.

Step 2

To avoid the loss of files in the reset, save the ones that matter somewhere on an SD card or an external storage. In the older phones, click Settings > General management > Reset or Settings > Privacy.

Step 3

Do a factory reset and give the device a restart. When configuring, use the Google account you have your backup in. Go to Restore from backup and select the version that contains your deleted messages.

3. Samsung Cloud

Samsung Cloud has another approach to recover deleted text messages on Android, in case of Samsung users. This can prove to be a savior when you lose your Google Drive backup because it is too old or not found.

Step 1

Open Settings and go to Samsung Account.

Step 2

Go to the Samsung Cloud and hit the Restore Data to open all the options available here to restore the backup where the messages you want to retrieve are possible be.

Step 3

After ticking the on for the Messages, tick the Restore button to start the processing.

Part 3. Software for iPhone Data Recovery

In case the recovery options that come with our system are insufficient, we may use third-party applications to get a more comprehensive resolution. Among the good alternatives is imyPass iPhone Data Recovery, which is developed to scan your device, iTunes backups, or iCloud backups to recover lost data, such as chats, photos, contacts, and so on. It is especially helpful when you need to recover permanently deleted text messages that are no longer in the Recently Deleted folder or your latest backup. With its user-friendly interface and deep scan feature, you can quickly preview and restore the exact data you need without performing a full device reset.

Step 1

Click the Download button below to get the official imyPass iPhone Data Recovery installer. Once downloaded, open the file and copy the on-screen tutorial to install it on your computer.

Free Download Free Download

Step 2

Use a trustworthy USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer. Wait a few seconds for the program to detect your device.

Step 3

On the main interface, select a recovery mode: Recover from iOS Device, Recover from iTunes Backup, or Recover from iCloud Backup, depending on where your lost data is stored. This time, choose the Recover from iOS Device. Tick the Scan button. The software will search for deleted or lost files on your device or backup. This may take a few minutes, depending on the amount of data.

Step 4

Once the scan is complete, preview the files found. Tick the boxes for the messages you want to retrieve, then click Recover to save them to your computer.

Part 4. Software for Android Data Recovery

The built-in functions may not always suffice, and in this case, specialized software can come to the rescue. FonePaw Android Data Recovery is another powerful, simplified data insight tool that allows you to access and find data, including messages, images, contacts, and other types of data with relative ease using internal memory and SD card.

Step 1

Download FonePaw Android Data Recovery from the official website and install it on your computer.

Step 2

Open the program and link your Android device to the computer with a USB cable.

Step 3

Allow USB debugging on your Android so the software can recognize it.

Step 4

Pick the file types you like to recover, then click Next to scan your device. Preview the scanned files, select the ones you need, and click Recover to save them to your computer. If you have an iPhone, then try to use the FonePaw iPhone Data Recovery instead.

Conclusion

In the end, knowing how to recover deleted text messages on an iPhone can save you from losing important conversations for good. Even built-in backups, although not as effective as an actual recovery tool, can be used in this situation, since the faster you do something, the better chances you have before the data is safely overwritten. With the proper technique, you could restore those messages and preserve your valuable messages.

Clara Prescott

Clara is an editor from imyPass. She specializes in data recovery. You can find professional tutorials and solutions for recovering lost data from any device. Many users reported that his tutorial is easy and useful.