iCloud Backup Restore iMessage Issues

Question

iCloud Backup Restore iMessage Issues

Several months ago I got a new iPhone and when I restored it from iCloud Backup some of my iMessage threads did not fully restore (primarily photos within these iMessage threads) - I was getting stuck in the "Downloading Messages from iCloud" situation and figured I would eventually tackle another reset and restore in the future.

Today I accidentally deleted a group iMessage thread on accident so decided tonight was a good time to tackle erasing/resetting/restoring my phone given the above two situations.

Several Questions:

I selected an iCloud backup from 3/27 to restore from tonight however it is reflecting text messages and the deleted text is still deleted (all from 4/1) - why is a previous backup reflecting changes beyond 3/27? Shouldn't this set my phone back to what it was like on 3/27?
My iMessage photos that would not restore the first time several months ago still seem to not want to restore this time - why is this? Did I screw myself over by not resetting and trying the restore again several months ago when this first happened? Would iCloud overwrite what did not restore and delete it off of the cloud or is there a possibility they are still in the cloud?
My "iCloud Storage" screen says I have 15.3 GB of Messages however it is showing only 1.2 GB of Backups - does this have something to do with my issue? Shouldn't my Backup size be a sum of all it's parts (i.e. Messages, App information, etc)?

Any help with these issues I am experiencing would be greatly appreciated! Even if I messed something up, an explanation of the situation I am in and why would be amazing.

iPhone XS, iOS 13

Posted on Apr 1, 2020 10:45 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Teddy_B

Community Specialist

Apr 4, 2020 2:35 PM in response to ideclarejordan

Hello ideclarejordan,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you have concerns about messages being restored. I'd be happy to share information that may help.

To address the question about Messages. If you have Messages enabled in iCloud, Messages will not be contained in your iCloud backup. They will instead be synced to iCloud. Any changes you make, such as deleting a message, will delete it from iCloud and all other devices. The message would not be able to be restored from your iCloud backup. You can find more information here: Keep all your messages in iCloud.

You also mentioned a concern about storage. Since message are not contained in your backup, you would see a different amount of storage used for Messages and Backups. You can find more information about iCloud storage here: Manage your iCloud storage.

Take care.

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Answer 2

brenden dv

Community Specialist

Apr 6, 2020 4:42 PM in response to ideclarejordan

Hello ideclarejordan,

Thank you for following up.

Take a look at the information here: Get help with Messages in iCloud.

Also, you may want to navigate to Settings > your name > iCloud > Messages. Turn off Message; then toggle Messages back on again. You'll want to wait at least 48 hours to allow the messages to download.

Take care.

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Answer 3

Apr 4, 2020 5:47 PM in response to Teddy_B

Hi Jameson,

Thank you for the information! I understand now that deleted messages sync immediately so my deleted message is not recoverable. The only remaining issue at this point I am still concerned about are the iMessages within my iCloud that are not downloading from iCloud to my phone. My messages screen still is stuck on the “Downloading Messages from iCloud” - it appears it’s just all of the files and photos from my conversations that are not downloading to my phone - is there a reason these are apparently “stuck” in my iCloud?

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iCloud Backup Restore iMessage Issues

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