How to retrieve deleted text messages on iPhone 13 or newer (2024)

Are you wondering how to restore or retrieve deleted text messages on iPhone 13 or newer in 2024? Don’t worry, this guide has all the info you need to help you to restore your deleted messages.

At times, you may accidentally delete crucial text messages on your iPhone, or perhaps you may need to retrieve old messages for reference or sentimental reasons. Accidental deletion is common and can happen when you’re trying to free up storage or declutter your inbox.

Luckily, there are multiple ways to retrieve these lost messages with an iPhone. Whether it’s an important work-related conversation, a special message from a loved one, or an important piece of information you need, knowing how to recover deleted text messages on your iPhone can come in handy at any given moment.

In this guide, various methods are listed to retrieve lost messages on your iPhone 13 or newer pretty easily in 2024.

an image of an iphone beside a macbook
(Image via Pixabay)

How to recover deleted text messages on iPhone 13 and newer using iCloud

Retrieving deleted text messages on an iPhone 13 or newer involves using either an iCloud or iTunes backup. If you’ve been backing up your data regularly, you can restore your device to a point before the messages were deleted.

Here are the steps to recover your deleted text messages using iCloud:

  1. Navigate to ‘Settings‘ on your iPhone.
  2. Tap on your name at the top, then tap on ‘iCloud‘.
  3. Scroll down and tap on ‘iCloud Backup‘ to ensure that your phone has been backing up data to iCloud.
  4. If a recent backup exists, go to ‘Settings‘, and then ‘General‘.
  5. Scroll down, tap ‘Reset‘, then choose ‘Erase All Content and Settings‘.
  6. After your iPhone restarts, follow the setup steps until you reach the ‘Apps & Data‘ screen.
  7. Choose ‘Restore from iCloud Backup‘ and select the most recent backup.

Please note that this method will restore your entire device to a previous state, not just your messages.

How to restore deleted text messages on iPhone from iTunes

For those who prefer using iTunes for backups, follow these steps:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.
  2. Select your iPhone when it appears on iTunes.
  3. Choose ‘Restore Backup‘ and pick the most recent backup.
  4. Click ‘Restore‘ and wait for the process to finish.

Just like with iCloud, this process restores your entire device to the state of the last backup.

an image of some apps on an iPhone

How to recover deleted text messages on iPhone without backup or iCloud

If you haven’t backed up your device, you can use third-party software to retrieve your deleted messages. These tools can scan your iPhone for deleted data and retrieve it.

Some examples include Dr.Fone, iMobie PhoneRescue, and Tenorshare UltData. Remember to choose reputable and safe software to avoid data privacy issues.

How long does it take to recover deleted text messages?

The time it takes to recover deleted text messages depends on the method used and the amount of data being restored. iCloud and iTunes restorations can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on your data size and internet speed.

On the other hand, some third-party software recovery times can vary based on the software and the amount of data being recovered.

Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve explored various methods to retrieve deleted text messages on your iPhone. We’ve covered how to restore messages on iPhone 13, recover them using iCloud and iTunes backups, and retrieve them without backups using third-party software.

We also touched on the time it takes to recover these messages. Now, you’re well-equipped to handle text message loss and can recover those important conversations with ease.


That’s everything you need to know about how to retrieve deleted text messages on your iPhone 13 or newer in 2024.

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