I got a new 14 Pro yesterday and restored from a backup. My text messages are not entirely populating. They did to a certain point in time in 2021 but basically all message history is missing from many of my texts. I read it can take a while but my phone has been plugged in and connected to wifi for almost 24 hours now and they are not indexing. Any suggestions?
iPhone 14 Pro
Greetings ee_cee,
Can you confirm whether your messages are synced with iCloud? We ask this because if they are, then they are not being restored from a backup. The best way to confirm is on your previous device in Settings > your name > iCloud and see if Messages are enabled.
Another thing to consider is whether your new iPhone has enough storage for the data you’re attempting to move over. You can verify the storage used on your old device in Settings > General > iPhone Storage as well as the storage available on your new device in Settings > General > About.
About missing information after you restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iCloud Backup
Things you can check
• Make sure that you correctly restored your iOS device from iCloud Backup. When you sign in to iCloud, it's not the same as when you restore from iCloud Backup. Learn how to restore from iCloud Backup.
• Make sure that iCloud Backup includes the kind of information that you’re missing. If you restore an iPad from an iPhone backup or vice versa, some data won’t restore.
• If an app asks for your Apple ID password during the restore process, make sure that you enter it. Some apps and services, like the App Store, need your password before they can restore purchased content. If you purchased content on multiple Apple IDs, enter the password for each Apple ID when prompted.
• If the restore process takes a long time to finish, or if you receive an error message, learn what to do.
• You can also check to see if you have any backups on your computer that may contain the data that’s missing.
• Sometimes the restore process may look complete, but your device is still downloading information in the background. To check this, tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. If your device is still being restored, you see “This [device] is currently being restored and will automatically back up when it is done.”
Thanks.
Greetings ee_cee,
Can you confirm whether your messages are synced with iCloud? We ask this because if they are, then they are not being restored from a backup. The best way to confirm is on your previous device in Settings > your name > iCloud and see if Messages are enabled.
Another thing to consider is whether your new iPhone has enough storage for the data you’re attempting to move over. You can verify the storage used on your old device in Settings > General > iPhone Storage as well as the storage available on your new device in Settings > General > About.
About missing information after you restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iCloud Backup
Things you can check
• Make sure that you correctly restored your iOS device from iCloud Backup. When you sign in to iCloud, it's not the same as when you restore from iCloud Backup. Learn how to restore from iCloud Backup.
• Make sure that iCloud Backup includes the kind of information that you’re missing. If you restore an iPad from an iPhone backup or vice versa, some data won’t restore.
• If an app asks for your Apple ID password during the restore process, make sure that you enter it. Some apps and services, like the App Store, need your password before they can restore purchased content. If you purchased content on multiple Apple IDs, enter the password for each Apple ID when prompted.
• If the restore process takes a long time to finish, or if you receive an error message, learn what to do.
• You can also check to see if you have any backups on your computer that may contain the data that’s missing.
• Sometimes the restore process may look complete, but your device is still downloading information in the background. To check this, tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. If your device is still being restored, you see “This [device] is currently being restored and will automatically back up when it is done.”
Thanks.
Hello ee_cee,
Checking directly on your prior iPhone would be the only way to confirm if the iCloud for Messages feature was enabled for that specific device.
If you connected your prior iPhone to a computer in the past, you can use the guidance from this resource to locate any prior backups that may have been made using the computer: Locate backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Take care.
Thank you so much for your response. Is there any way to figure out whether my iMessages were synced to icloud on my old phone? I do not have this phone anymore.
I spoke to a support specialist this morning who gave me some suggestions, including signing out of iCloud. When I did this, I got a message that said "Messages in iCloud not available as iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match". Seems clear this is part of the problem, but I've never had any other Apple devices or Apple ID, so I'm not sure how that could have happened?
I tried toggling off iMessages to iCloud and the messages are still not populating. I can't figure out the touch point for where they drop off - looks like I have everything before April 2018 but that makes no sense as I got my last iPhone in 2021...
I'm so frustrated!
New iPhone and all of my texts won't transfer
