How can I restore iCloud backed up text messages to my iPhone?

If you mean you sync messages with iCloud and you deleted a message, they are not backed up and you cannot retrieve a deleted message. iCloud is a real-time syncing service, not an archive.

On your iPhone go to Settings > Your Name, iCloud, Media & Purchases > tap iCloud > If messages are turned on and you deleted a message, it's gone. If iCloud is not turned on and you have a backup you made prior to when you deleted any messages, you can restore your iPhone from that backup, but your phone will be restored to the date the backup was made, meaning any messages sent or received after the date of the backup will be gone.

The OP apparently deleted messages and wants to know how to restore them. If the OP syncs messages with iCloud, they are gone, is the actual answer. If they backup to iCloud, but don't sync messages with the cloud, they can restore their phone from a backup made before the message(s) were deleted.

That's correct. The difference at least for messages is if they are actually synced with iCloud. Just like photos synced with iCloud, when you delete a photo, they are deleted everywhere in real-time. It is confusing for many who believe that iCloud is a true archive service. It isn't. It's a syncing service, which is completely different.

If the messages are still on the laptop, then they can’t be synced with iCloud. They must be included in the backup and restoring a backup would be the way to recover the texts.

I think I fully understand now. Messages deleted from iCloud are deleted on all devices and cannot be restored. In this case Delete really means Delete. If the messages are on the laptop, they aren't synched and must be in a recent back-up which can be restored. Thank you to lobsterghost1 and Demo for clarifying the situation for me. I hope I didn't lead too many in the wrong direction.

So actually, I have been giving hope when there was no hope! I thought they could be in iCloud if they had been synched. Someday, I hope to understand all this! Thanks for your help... Now she says they are on her laptop and she wants to get them back on phone. I have no idea...

I'm sorry but I do not know the answer to that question. Pose it to the community and perhaps someone else will answer.

Thanks, lobsterghost1, for stepping in to help with this one. I think the original post said that the message had been deleted. I am now fully confused!

I did know that. That's why I rarely use iCloud and warn folks against saving photos there. If she deleted it in iCloud, why is it on her laptop?

And here comes Demo to further confuse me. I will say Good Night all and think about all this tomorrow.

👍

"By George, I think he's got it!"

You're welcome! So glad we both learned a lot!