A simple guide on how to recover important deleted messages on your iPhone.

Previously, iPhone users had to restore their entire device from an iCloud or iTunes backup to recover deleted messages. However, since iOS 16, Apple has provided a more convenient solution: allowing direct restoration within the app.Message.

This feature allows users to review and recover deleted messages within 30 days of deletion, helping to avoid the risk of unintentional data loss.

To begin, open the app.MessageOn iPhone, tapEditin the upper left corner, then selectShow recently deleted.

Here, you'll see a list of all conversations or private messages that have been deleted in the last 30 days. Each entry will display the sender's name or phone number, the number of messages in the conversation thread, and the number of days remaining before it's permanently deleted.

Please note that you cannot view the message content directly in this list. Instead, you need to rely on the name or phone number to identify the message you want to recover. After recovery, all content will return to its original state in the app.MessageArranged in the correct order of sending and receiving times.

Once you've identified the message you want to retrieve, simply tap to select the conversation thread or message, then tap.Restoreat the bottom corner of the screen. A dialog box will appear, then selectRestore MessagesTo confirm.

If you want to recover all deleted messages, simply skip the step of selecting each item and press Enter.Restore everything- This operation will restore all message data in the list.

Once complete, the recovered messages will reappear in your inbox, in their original chronological order. If you have many new messages, you may need to scroll down to find the old conversation that was just recovered.

A few important notes

Feature “Recently deleted"The system only stores data for 30 days. After this period, the system will automatically permanently delete messages to free up space, and you will not be able to recover them through normal means."

If you frequently need to save important messages, enable iCloud backup to ensure all your data is securely stored in the cloud. You can check this setting by going toSetting→Account name→RCA→iCloud backupand make sure the option is enabled.

Additionally, to prevent risks, users should also avoid clearing messages too quickly or using the "Auto-delete" feature for old messages in the Settings. This helps avoid accidentally deleting important information that hasn't been backed up yet.

Thanks to improvements in iOS 16, Apple has made recovering messages on iPhone more convenient and user-friendly than ever before. With just a few simple steps, you can retrieve important messages without having to restore your entire device.

However, the habit of regularly backing up your data remains the best way to protect personal data, in case you accidentally delete important messages.