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How to retrieve recently deleted text messages

how do I get text messages I just deleted

emachine s700, Windows ME

Posted on Apr 19, 2008 7:52 PM

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25 replies

Apr 19, 2008 8:09 PM in response to Heather61976

In two words, you can't - with an exception depending on if these text messages were done since the last time your iPhone was synced with iTunes.

SMS messages available on your iPhone are included with your iPhone's backup, which is created and maintained by iTunes.

If you sync your iPhone in the morning and exchange some SMS throughout the day, and then sync your iPhone again in the evening, all SMS exchanged throughout the day will be included with your iPhone's backup updated when syncing again in the evening.

If the SMS that you deleted were exchanged prior to your last iPhone sync with iTunes, you can restore your iPhone from your iPhone's backup to recover these messages.

Don't sync your iPhone before restoring, or these messages will be permanently lost.

If these SMS were exchanged and then deleted from your iPhone since the last time you synced your iPhone with iTunes, there is no way to recover them.

Message was edited by: Allan Sampson

Apr 21, 2008 11:04 AM in response to Allan Sampson

Regarding your response to Heather61976 about the text messages...I need to find a way to get a paper copy of a text message that was sent to me. Its from someone who is trying to sue me and I have proof to hold against them in the text message, but I need it on paper. Can I go into itunes and retreive it that way as you mentioned above? Its currently still in my phone as well. I tried Xeroxing but that didn't work. I just need a way to show the text and the number it came from...Please help!!!!

Apr 22, 2008 6:51 PM in response to HMF415

It's funny how I'm from Apopka as well. But anyway I don't know how to retrieve the sms's from itunes but there's a program called Syphone, you can google it and download it (i believe it's only for Mac), and it retrieves all the text messages in your iphone after everytime you sync with your computer (itunes of course), and it also has a button where you can Export it to a certain format to print it out.

Apr 30, 2008 3:41 PM in response to Allan Sampson

Hello Allan,

You mentioned that if I restore the iphone before synching, the deleted SMS messages will be on the iphone after being restored, is that correct? Do you know of any programs that's compatible with Iphone to retrieve deleted SMS messages? Is there any way I can retrieve the messages manually through Itunes? I would appreciate it if you could help me out. Thank you very much. By the way, I'm running windows vista.

Apr 30, 2008 3:59 PM in response to howie07

You mentioned that if I restore the iphone before synching, the deleted SMS messages will be on the iphone after being restored, is that correct?


If the deleted SMS messages were exchanged since the last sync, no.

If the deleted SMS messages were exchanged before the last sync, yes.

Any SMS exchanged since the last sync that are not deleted will be included with the iPhone's backup during the next sync.

Do you know of any programs that's compatible with Iphone to retrieve deleted SMS messages?


I'm not aware of any data recovery utility for a Mac or Windows PC to recover such deleted data from the iPhone's flash drive.

Is there any way I can retrieve the messages manually through Itunes?


None that I'm aware of.

May 1, 2008 12:11 PM in response to Allan Sampson

Hello Alan,

Sorry, I'm a newbie to this, I want to make sure everything goes smoothly. When I want to restore the iphone, do I have to hold down the "home" and "sleep" button and wait for the apple icon then click restore, or do I just go ahead and click "restore" When I had the SMS messages in the backup file, it was with firmware 1.1.3, do I still need to restore it to 1.1.3? Itunes keeps asking me to install firmware 1.1.4? thanks again for your help.

May 1, 2008 12:19 PM in response to howie07

To Restore an iPhone, you select Restore under the Summary tab for your iPhone sync preferences with iTunes.

Restoring will install the current firmware version which is 1.1.4.

The first step with a Restore is your iPhone is completely erased, followed by the current firmware version being installed, followed by a prompt to restore from your iPhone's backup, or as a new iPhone or not from the backup.

Is there a reason you don't to install the current firmware version?

Doing so does not affect your iPhone's backup which is created and maintained separately by iTunes. Just like installing an iTunes update does not affect your iTunes library, installing a firmware update does not affect an existing backup for your iPhone.

How to retrieve recently deleted text messages

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