Can you recover deleted messages in iMessage?

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Can you recover deleted messages in iMessage

Quick Answer

Unfortunately, iMessage does not have a built-in feature to recover deleted messages. Once a message is deleted in iMessage, it is gone for good. However, there are a few potential ways to try and recover deleted iMessages:

  • Restore from an iTunes or iCloud backup – If you have an older backup of your iOS device, you may be able to restore deleted messages from that backup.
  • Use third party data recovery software – Some paid software claims it can recover deleted iMessages from iOS devices or from iCloud backups.
  • Retrieve from the sender’s device – If the sender still has the message on their device, they can forward it back to you.

But overall, if you have deleted a message in iMessage, it is very difficult to get it back. So unfortunately, the answer is generally no, you cannot reliably recover deleted iMessages after the fact. The best practice is to be careful about what you delete and make regular backups.

Can You Recover Deleted iMessages from a Backup?

If you have enabled iTunes or iCloud backups for your iOS device, then you may be able to recover deleted iMessages from a backup. Here is how it works:

  • iTunes backups – Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer, open iTunes, and go to the iTunes backup. You can browse the backup files and search for deleted messages.
  • iCloud backups – Log into iCloud.com on a computer and see if there is an option to restore from a previous iCloud backup. This would restore your entire device but may include the deleted messages.

However, there are some significant limitations with using backups to restore deleted iMessages:

  • You can only restore from the most recent backup – If you have deleted messages and made new backups since then, the old messages will be gone for good.
  • Backups do not happen continuously – iTunes backups only happen when you manually connect and backup. iCloud backups happen once per day when plugged in and on WiFi.
  • Very old backups get deleted – Both iTunes and iCloud will eventually delete older backups to save storage space after a few months.

So in summary, a previous iTunes or iCloud backup is your best chance to recover deleted messages on iOS. But it’s not a surefire solution, as your specific backup circumstances play a big role. If you don’t have an older backup that contains the deleted messages, then there is no way to retrieve them.

Can You Recover Deleted iMessages with Data Recovery Software?

There are third-party data recovery apps and software that claim they can recover deleted iMessages from iOS devices or from backups. Some examples include:

  • Fonelab iPhone Data Recovery
  • EaseUS MobiSaver for iOS
  • iMyFone D-Back iOS Data Recovery
  • Dr. Fone – Data Recovery

These types of data recovery tools scan your iOS device or backup files for residual data left behind after deletion. In some cases, they may be able to reconstruct partial or full deleted iMessages.

However, success rates vary widely in practice:

  • Completely overwritten messages are unrecoverable – If new data has been saved over the deleted messages, no recovery is possible.
  • Performance depends heavily on specific circumstances – The more data written after deletion, the lower the chances of recovery.
  • Partial or corrupted recovery is common – You may get fragments of messages rather than complete intact messages.
  • Requires paid software and advanced skills – Expect costs of $40+ and steep learning curves for these advanced recovery tools.

So specialized data recovery software provides some hope for retrieving deleted iMessages. But it is an imperfect, partial solution with no guarantee of recovering your lost messages completely intact. Proceed with measured expectations.

Can the Sender Resend a Deleted iMessage?

If the sender still has the original message in their iMessage history, they can simply forward or resend it to you after deletion. Of course, this requires:

  • You must know who originally sent the deleted message
  • That person still has the iMessage conversation on their device
  • They are willing and able to search their history and share it again

If all those stars align, then having the sender simply resend a deleted message is the easiest recovery method. But more often than not, you won’t know the original sender or they won’t have kept the message.

Some other limitations include:

  • The sender may only have fragments or portions of long conversations
  • Media attachments may not be recovered even if text content can be shared
  • You have to convince the sender to search their history and resend manually

Still, if you deleted a critical iMessage recently, checking with the sender directly about resending the message is a worthwhile first step before resorting to backups or data recovery software.

How Long are Deleted iMessages Stored and Accessible?

Deleted iMessages are not stored by Apple’s servers. Once you delete a message on your end, Apple immediately removes it from their iMessage servers. This means deleted messages cannot be recovered by Apple or your cell provider.

However, that deleted data still exists on your physical device and in backups until it gets overwritten with new data. So deleted messages are only recoverable until:

  • Your next local iPhone backup erases deleted message data
  • Your next iCloud backup overwrites the deleted messages
  • New data physically overwrites the deleted messages on your device’s storage

This time period ranges from a few hours to a several weeks depending on your specific device usage and backup habits. But essentially, your deleted iMessages have a very limited lifespan before they are erased.

Local iTunes Backups

If you backup your iPhone locally via iTunes on a regular basis, your deleted messages can only be recovered until your next backup. iTunes overwrites the previous version completely. So if you backup every day, you have approx 24 hours to recover deleted messages.

iCloud Backups

iCloud backups similarly will eventually overwrite deleted message data, but iCloud maintains your last 3 backups rather than just one. So you may have up to 3 days to recover deleted data if you exclusively use iCloud Backup.

iOS Device Storage

The local storage on your iPhone or iPad will eventually overwrite deleted iMessages with new data. This depends on your storage capacity and device usage. The more photos/videos/apps you add after deletion, the quicker the deleted messages will be permanently gone.

Prevention: How to Avoid Losing iMessages

While recovering deleted iMessages is unreliable, it’s easy to be proactive and prevent message loss in the first place. Here are some tips:

  • Be careful when deleting messages – Double check before purging conversations. Accidental deletion is common.
  • Enable iCloud Backup – Regular iCloud backups give you a window to recover from mistakes.
  • Do occasional local iTunes backups – Provides backup redundancy and options if you delete messages.
  • Export important conversations – Manually save special iMessage threads via email or PDF export.
  • Use a third party iMessage app – Some apps allow you to backup and manage messages.
  • Screenshot meaningful messages – For special texts, snap a screenshot for future reference.

Following best practices for managing and backing up your iMessage data can help avoid situations where message recovery is required. Prevention is always the best medicine when it comes to lost iOS data!

Third Party iMessage Apps and Tools

Rather than relying on the stock Messages app, many users are turning to third party iMessage programs and tools to backup, manage, and recover their messages:

iMazing

iMazing provides advanced backup and management of iPhone and iPad data, including robust iMessage support:

  • Backups retain deleted and edited message history unlike Apple tools
  • Extract any part of conversations as text, PDFs, or spreadsheets
  • Provides cloud syncing and 2FA security for your backups

With full control over your iMessage data, recovery of deleted messages is easy via the advanced backup capabilities.

PhoneView

PhoneView by Ecamm Network offers PC and Mac apps for browsing iOS file systems and extracting iMessage data:

  • iMessage conversations stay organized by contact/number
  • Save message emails, PDFs, printouts, or export to Excel
  • Supports media attachment extraction

PhoneView provides granular control over exporting and saving your iMessages externally.

iExplorer

iExplorer lets you browse and manage apps, messages, files and data from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch:

  • Extract entire iMessage threads or only specific texts
  • Recover previously deleted iMessage history
  • Export SMS and iMessages to PDF or spreadsheet

With advanced data recovery powers, iExplorer is ideal for retrieving deleted iMessages post-deletion.

Professional Data Recovery Services

For business or personal users with critical deleted iMessage data, turning to professional iOS recovery services may be warranted. A few top providers include:

DriveSavers

DriveSavers offers advanced engineering and clean room recovery for all devices and messages:

  • In-lab data recovery service
  • 95%+ success rate for iOS devices
  • Recovers deleted iMessages and SMS texts
  • Free evaluations

Desert Data Recovery

Desert Data Recovery features Apple certified engineers and security focused protocols:

  • Air-gapped cleanrooms
  • Bypass locked screens
  • Recovers all message types
  • Free shipping both ways

Ace Data Recovery

Ace Data Recovery touts a 97% message recovery success rate:

  • Remote diagnostics to minimize service time
  • Direct access to iOS data chips via specialist tools
  • Returns device within 3 business days
  • Free shipping

While pricey, professional iOS data recovery can salvage deleted iMessages when all else fails.

Concluding Thoughts

To wrap up, while recovering deleted iMessages is very difficult and unreliable using Apple’s own tools, there are some options to potentially get messages back after accidental deletion:

  • Restoring from an iTunes or iCloud backup offers a small window of opportunity.
  • Third party data recovery software may work, but often yields partial and fragmented results.
  • Resending from the source is an option if timing and circumstances permit.
  • Alternate iMessage apps provide ways to export and backup messages for greater control.
  • Professional recovery services provide high success rates but at steep costs.

The bottom line is preventing iMessage loss via vigilant backups and management is far preferable to dealing with recovery. But if you’ve deleted important iMessages, don’t lose all hope yet and explore some of these options before throwing in the towel. With a little effort, you just might get your messages back.