How can I view messages on iCloud?

I have turned on messages in my iCloud settings and message icon does not show up on my iCloud. Want to view messages on iCloud. What do I do?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Jan 27, 2025 6:42 AM

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Jan 27, 2025 7:24 AM in response to susan357

You cannot. Turning on iCloud For Messages stores messages in iCloud and syncs them to other devices, but there is no app or method on the iCloud website to view them there.


Any messages synced to iCloud are by definition also on the devices that have the option turned on.


click here ➜ Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices - Apple Support


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Jan 27, 2025 9:11 AM in response to Phil0124

Im actually noticing when I delete texts manually they dont delete from icloud. I know from research that it takes up to 4 days for texts to delete on the server. I noticed its not doing this. I also know when u have messages in icloud turned off it still saves texts for up to 4 days on icloud. So Im wondering if this is a bug in ios 18. Normally I would notice when texts were deleted on icloud because the icloud goes up and down on its own. It hasnt done this. Just a thought.

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Jan 27, 2025 9:29 AM in response to Phil0124

Yes I know, but I talked to apple and they said even after u delete them from recently deleted manually they stay on the icloud for up to 4 days. Then they go away on its own. Well Im saying im noticing theyre not going away on their own. So maybe its a bug in ios 18. where theyre not being deleted on their own after manually deleting it on recently deleted.

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Jan 27, 2025 9:36 AM in response to countrylizzard

countrylizzard wrote:

Yes I know, but I talked to apple and they said even after u delete them from recently deleted manually they stay on the icloud for up to 4 days. Then they go away on its own. Well Im saying im noticing theyre not going away on their own. So maybe its a bug in ios 18. where theyre not being deleted on their own after manually deleting it on recently deleted.

How would you even know this?


There is no way for you to see what messages are on iCloud, so no way to determine whether they are there or not directly.


You could potentially assume they are there based on used storage, but that's less than a certainty.

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Jan 27, 2025 12:04 PM in response to countrylizzard

countrylizzard wrote:

I legit just said I talked to apple and they told me when u manually delete texts they stay on icloud up to 4 days

Do you understand that "up to 4 days" means "anytime between now and 4 days from now?" That means they could be deleted instantly when you delete them from Recently Deleted.


That doesn't change the fact that you can't go to icloud.com and look at your messages. If you stopped iCloud syncing on your phone then started it up again, it's possible that you might see the messages again in Recently Deleted. But, I wouldn't bet money on it.


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Jan 31, 2025 1:25 PM in response to Phil0124

Because usually my icloud goes down on its own without me manually backing it up. So I talked to apple and they said yea its cuz the texts delete on the server after 4 days after u delete them manually. But so far I havent noticed the icloud going down on its own so Im guessing the texts arent deleted on the server end

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How can I view messages on iCloud?

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