Can I retrieve a lost text message draft on my iPhone 12 Pro Max?

Unfortunately, if you were typing a long text message and your iPhone lost power before you could send it or save it, there’s no built-in way to recover that draft.

iPhone doesn’t automatically save drafts of text messages. If the message wasn’t sent and the Messages app was closed (like in the case of a power outage), the drafted message would be lost.

For the future, if you’re drafting a longer message, it might be better to compose it in the Notes app or another app that automatically saves your work as you type. That way, even if your phone unexpectedly shuts down, you won’t lose your work.

Please also consider keeping your phone charged to avoid such power-related issues while working on something important.

RickFalls wrote:

Unfortunately, the phone doesn’t have to lose power for us iPhone users to lose a text. if you leave it sitting too long or navigate to another app, there’s a good chance it will disappear.

how could they possibly not know? Unforgivable, ridiculous — and disrespectful if not downright arrogant that they don’t fix the problem.

That's the way the iPhone works. If you switch away from an app, it is suspended. If the system needs more memory, it will pull it from any suspended apps. Messaging apps are not email or word processing apps. They were never designed to draft long documents. If that's something you that regularly do, create the message in something like Notes. It's very easy to share the note back to Messages. You don't even have to copy and paste.

Messages doesn’t have a draft function. If you start a message and then switch to another app, if iOS needs more memory, it may pull it from Messages. This would cause the message you were working on to be deleted.

Messages is not intended for long form communication. That’s what email is for. But, if you really want to use Messages to send something long, draft it in Notes and then share or copy/paste it back to Messages.

No. The draft was in the text box without it being sent. If it does not still exist in the text box, then it is gone permanently.

Axel F.

Kyndall829 wrote:

I was typing a very long text. I wanna know how I can retrieve it. A phone call came on and it went away.

As has already been explained, you cannot retrieve it.

Messaging apps were not designed for very long texts. If they are something you regularly do, draft the text in Notes then share it to Messages. Or, don't answer calls while you're in the middle of drafting a text.

MmmmJa wrote:

Legit shocked they don’t have an auto recovery feature for drafted text.

You can let Apple know what you'd like to see here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Meanwhile, if you make a habit of using Messages for more than short messages that you finish all at one go, I'd suggest you compose them in app more suited to that such as Notes. You can easily share your completed message back to Messages using the Share function.

vvckinzs wrote:

You can check the iMessages from iCloud. In most cases, the unsent messages will be lost during a restart.

Messages does not have a draft function. If the unsent message is gone, there is no way to retrieve it.

EllenSellers wrote:

I was writing a very long, sensitive message on text (iPhone 14 Pro) .... It had taken me 5 1/2 hours to compose because as I said it is sensitive. I had to read and reword and add to it. I was done with it and before I hit send my phone rang for FaceTime

You're using the wrong tool for the job. Text messaging programs were designed to send short messages, not long epistles. If you do want to use Messages to send longer messages, I would recommend you compose them in Notes. You won't run into the same problem if your composition is interrupted. It's very easy to share a note to Messages. Or copy and paste.

kath0429 Said:

"Lost draft of long text messages: I was writing a long text, I lost power and the draft is gone. Can I retrieve it?"

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What to Consider:

A. Restore from Today's Backup:

Restore your iPhone from a backup of it that contains these messages, and you could recover it.

B. Check Messages App:

If messages was enabled on your iPhone along with your Apple computer, then check and see if the Messages app is enabled on your Mac to see if it exists in it. You'd start up your Mac, not connecting to the Internet, and open the Massages app. Then proceed from there with retrieving it. Important: Be certain you do not connect to the Internet while booting up, as syncing would delete it. So, power off your router to avoid the connection.

Legit shocked they don’t have an auto recovery feature for drafted text. Was in middle of composing a long and very important emotionally significant text that was an intense process to even begin drafting was traumatic and then the battery dies and ten minutes later (literally plugged it in to power as the screen was shutting off) it still hasn’t powered back on and I’m goggling to try and find the slightest hope that it’s still going to be there but instead one after another posts from 2015 through to 2024 reporting the same thing happening are met with no solution from Apple and I’m now just utterly distraught and riddled with anxiety at having to begin it again from scratch when the accursed iPhone actually decides to power back up. If Microsoft word and Adobe CSS can do it, if google docs can do it, I don’t see why 10 years of user complaints and queries later Apple still does nothing about this.

Just moved from Android and found out iPhone does not have this feature, it was very useful. There were many times I wanted to write a thought-out text message that I did not want to send at that particular moment. This feature allowed me to go back to my text message at any time. Hopefully, Apple integrates this feature at some point.

Unfortunately, the phone doesn’t have to lose power for us iPhone users to lose a text. if you leave it sitting too long or navigate to another app, there’s a good chance it will disappear.

how could they possibly not know? Unforgivable, ridiculous — and disrespectful if not downright arrogant that they don’t fix the problem.

One way that I’ve learned to avoid that problem is to copy and paste the draft into your “Notes” app on your IPhone before navigating away from your “Message”! Believe me, it’s less of a hassle than losing the message entirely.

Albertne1 wrote:

I was sending Donnell a lengthy text message when I loss the entire content and can’t retrieve it. Is there a way to retrieve the original text ?

No.

The fact that Apple and iPhones do not auto save long, thoughtful (group) texts has me grumpy! Now, I’m preferring to draft detailed communication in iNotes FIRST!!! Really inexcusable and very UN user friendly!!! Ooouuufff! (That’s French for fill in your own profane words!). 😆