Is there a way to recover accidentally deleted group messages?

LP26554312 wrote:

Despite the date on which the messages occurred, if you deleted the messages within 30 days, you should be able to recovery them in Messages>Edit>Recently Deleted or Messages>Filters>Recently Deleted (depending on your app configuration settings). If you deleted them over 30 days ago, there is not a known way to recover them.

Except the OP specifically said they were deleted 40 days ago.

juliaolson wrote:

I accidentally deleted my family's group message and only have texts on my iPhone starting at the end of March. They're not in my recently deleted texts because they're beyond the 40 days. They ARE on my Message app on my MacBook Pro. How do I get these messages back on my iPhone? My phone is backed up to iCloud, but on icloud.com, I don't have any option to choose Messages.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

There is no recovery, since you're syncing message to the cloud and not backing it up.

Despite the date on which the messages occurred, if you deleted the messages within 30 days, you should be able to recovery them in Messages>Edit>Recently Deleted or Messages>Filters>Recently Deleted (depending on your app configuration settings). If you deleted them over 30 days ago, there is not a known way to recover them.

You said that your iPhone is backed up to iCloud. What you could try to do is sync your Messages in iCloud. Your Mac should sync all its messages into iCloud, as should all your other devices. So, threads that exist on some devices but not others should all merge across devices once they're all in sync with Messages in iCloud, but I guarantee it.

To enable Messages in iCloud on iPhone, visit Settings (app) > [Your Name] > iCloud > Show All > Messages in iCloud > Use on this iPhone (turn the toggle on). Then click "Sync Now" if Settings will let you. If the option is greyed out, then iPhone has already started syncing Messages with iCloud. Wait until the process is complete; it may take up to 24 hours.

To enable Messages in iCloud on Mac, visit Messages (app) > Messages (in Menu Bar) > Settings > iMessage > Enable Messages in iCloud (turn the checkmark on). Then click "Sync Now" if Messages will let you. If the option is greyed out, then Mac has already started syncing Messages with iCloud. Wait until the process is complete; it may take up to 24 hours.

If all goes well, you should see the threads across your devices appear on every device, including the thread that's missing on your iPhone.

Hope this helps!

razmee209 wrote:

juliaolson wrote:

I accidentally deleted my family's group message and only have texts on my iPhone starting at the end of March. They're not in my recently deleted texts because they're beyond the 40 days. They ARE on my Message app on my MacBook Pro. How do I get these messages back on my iPhone? My phone is backed up to iCloud, but on icloud.com, I don't have any option to choose Messages.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

There is no recovery, since you're syncing message to the cloud and not backing it up.

OP: "My phone is backed up to iCloud"

This doesn't sound like they said they are syncing Messages with iCloud, but rather that they have iCloud Backup enabled (iCloud device backup). If Messages were already syncing in iCloud, the thread should have been deleted from the Mac when it was deleted from the iPhone, since both would be in sync with iCloud. Since it does not sound like they are, syncing Messages in iCloud on both their Mac and iPhone may help bring the thread back.

LP26554312 wrote:

This doesn't sound like they said they are syncing Messages with iCloud, but rather that they have iCloud Backup enabled (iCloud device backup). If Messages were already syncing in iCloud, the thread should have been deleted from the Mac when it was deleted from the iPhone, since both would be in sync with iCloud. Since it does not sound like they are, syncing Messages in iCloud on both their Mac and iPhone may help bring the thread back.

The only way to get things back from an iCloud back up is to restore the phone from the backup. That will overwrite everything currently on the phone.