Deleted messages retrieval

If you are saying that Recently Deleted does not appear......either you deleted the message....before....you installed iOS 16 or it has been more than 30 days since the message was deleted.

When iOS 16 is installed......After 30 days, a deleted message is automatically and permanently deleted. It's gone for good.

Recently Deleted will not even appear unless it has been less than 30 days since the message was deleted. If you cannot see Recently Deleted, there are no messages that meet the qualifications.

As a test, delete a message that you no longer need. Now.....you will see the Recently Deleted option appear when you tap Edit in Messages.

You need to have iOS 16 installed on your phone. Do you?

If so, a message that has been deleted in the last 30 days will appear in Recently Deleted, where to can tap to restore the message. Details here:

Recover deleted text messages on your iPhone or iPadAppleOfficial Apple Support › en-us