Hey everyone, accidentally nuked an important iMessage thread? It’s not always game over. There are a few ways you might be able to get those messages back, depending on your setup and backups.
Method 1: Recover from iCloud Backup (If Messages in iCloud is Off)
If you’ve got regular iCloud backups and aren’t using Messages in iCloud, you might be in luck. Your deleted messages could be tucked away in an older backup. Keep in mind, restoring from a backup will wipe your current phone, so any new data since the backup will be lost. Be sure this is something you’re okay with.
Okay, here are the steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your name at the top. This takes you to your Apple ID settings.
- Next, tap on iCloud to check out your iCloud settings.
- Select Manage Storage to dive into the details of your iCloud storage.
- Now, tap on Backups to view a list of your device backups.
- Select your current device from the list to see its backup info.
- Check the Last Backup date and time. Make sure it’s before you deleted the iMessage thread.
If the backup is old enough, it’s time to restore your iPhone. Again, this will wipe your current data.
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Go to Settings > General and scroll down to tap Reset.
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Tap on Erase All Content and Settings to return your iPhone to factory settings.
After your phone restarts… -
During setup, choose Restore from iCloud Backup and log in with your Apple ID to bring back your data.
Method 2: Restore from iTunes Backup
If you back up your iPhone to a computer using iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina or later), this is another route to try for recovering those lost iMessages. This method also won’t work if you use Messages in iCloud. Like the iCloud method, this will overwrite your current data.
- Hook up your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes (or Finder).
- Click on the iPhone icon that appears at the top of the iTunes window (or in the Finder sidebar).
- Under Backups, check the date of the latest backup and confirm it was taken before your iMessages went MIA.
- If the backup is good to go, click on Restore Backup to recover your iPhone from this save point.
Method 3: Quick Action - Turn Off Messages in iCloud
If you’re fast enough after deleting the thread, you might be able to stop the deletion from syncing. This works if you have Messages in iCloud enabled. The trick is to turn it off quickly.
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap on iCloud.
- Find Messages and toggle it off.
- Choose Disable and Download Messages when the prompt appears. This will download messages from iCloud to your device, potentially bringing back the deleted thread.
Method 4: Check Your Other Apple Devices
If you’ve got other Apple gadgets (like an iPad or Mac) that use the same Apple ID and don’t have Messages in iCloud enabled, the deleted thread might still be there. Again, this only works if you’re not syncing messages across all devices with Messages in iCloud.
- Check your other Apple devices, open the Messages app, and check for the missing thread.
If you find it, you can keep it there or forward the messages to your iPhone (though forwarding will start a new conversation with yourself).
Recovering iMessages isn’t always easy, but these are some options you can try to recover those important conversations.