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How can you retrieve accidentally deleted messages?

I need to retrieve messages from my phone for a pending legal matter; I was in such a fluster that I accidentally deleted them. How do I recover them?

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 14

Posted on May 16, 2021 2:49 PM

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Question marked as Apple recommended

Go to Settings/[your name]/icloud. Is the switch for messages ON? If it is there is no way to recover deleted messages.


If it is OFF and you have a backup that was made before the messages were deleted you can restore that backup. Doing so will overwrite everything on your phone, not just those specific messages.

Posted on May 16, 2021 2:51 PM

2 replies
Question marked as Apple recommended

May 16, 2021 2:51 PM in response to DelilahDee

Go to Settings/[your name]/icloud. Is the switch for messages ON? If it is there is no way to recover deleted messages.


If it is OFF and you have a backup that was made before the messages were deleted you can restore that backup. Doing so will overwrite everything on your phone, not just those specific messages.

How can you retrieve accidentally deleted messages?

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