How to find recently deleted text messages when “recently deleted tab” won’t show up

You need to have iOS 16 installed on the phone

The messages must have been deleted......after.....you installed iOS 16

The messages must not have been deleted more than 30 days ago

Recently Deleted will not even show up unless all of the conditions above are met

As I already said.......

Show Recently Deleted will not even show up unless all of the conditions above are met

If you have iOS 16 installed on your iPhone, you have no messages that have been deleted in the last 30 days.

As a test, delete a message that you no longer need.

Now....you will see that Show Recently Deleted appears under Edit

After 30 days, the message will be permanently deleted unless you tap to Recover the message and move it back to the regular list of messages.