Retrieving deleted text messages - sms

I'm fairly certain SMS messages are not stored on the SIM card and SMS messages are not synchronized with any application on your computer but these are saved to a backup file created by iTunes during the sync process if any data on the phone has changed since the last sync which is stored with this backup file.

To recover all, you must perform a Restore selecting with an existing iPhone, not a new iPhone.

Allan,
I am having the very same problem. I deleted an SMS message on my iphone several days ago. I desperately need to try and figure out how to retrieve. I read your response to the other guy above, but I am still not sure how to go about retrieving this. My iphone has been sync'd at least once since I deleted. Is there any hope I can still retrieve?? THanks so very much for your assistance.
Jon Massey

The SMS files are stored in the back up of the iPhone. There is a piece of software out there, Syphone, that can extract the SMS files from that backup. It is OSX only for the time being.

http://www.micromat.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=190

That is your ONLY chance of retrieving that message.

Message was edited by: Ansuz82

Hey thanks so much. Unfortunately, i have a PC with frigging Vista OS. Too bad there isn't a version for windows.
JM

I'm willing to be they are working on a Windows version. For now, however, this is the only hope you might have.

One more question. If I buy or borrow a mac to download the syphone software, will I still be able to retrieve considering all of my prior "sync'd" info is on my PC. When I have tried to sync some old songs from and old PC of mine I used with an old iPod, I lost all of the data I had sync'd with the iphone from my new tablet PC????

You would not be able to do this the best of my knowledge.

That SMS has been deleted. Gone from your iPhone forever. The only hope was that the backup of the iPhone (done by iTunes automatically) had a backup of that SMS message.

Connecting it to a mac would only back up the current version of your phone, which does not have the message.

One idea though, and I would love input on if this would work: Could he take the back up file, move it to a Mac and use Syphone to extract the message that way?