Is it possible to view specific backed-up text messages from iCloud without restoring the entire backup?

If they’re not in your recently deleted section, as described below, they are probably not recoverable from iCloud:

How to retrieve a deleted message or conversation

1. In Messages, tap Edit on the conversations page. If you previously turned Message Filtering on, the Edit button doesn't appear. Instead, tap Filters on the conversations page.
2. Tap Show Recently Deleted.

You need iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1, or later to recover deleted messages and conversations. You can only recover messages and conversations that you deleted within the last 30 to 40 days. If you delete a message before you update to iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later, you can't recover that message. See Recover deleted text messages on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Since you’re using iOS 15, this might be relevant:

Delete messages on iPhone

In the Messages app, you can delete messages and entire conversations. You can’t recover a deleted conversation.

With Messages in iCloud, anything you delete from iPhone is also deleted from your other Apple devices where Messages in iCloud is turned on. See Use Messages in iCloud.

Here’s why your messages are probably not part of your daily iCloud backup:

iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages

If you haven't turned on Messages in iCloud, your messages are included in iCloud Backup. If you use Messages in iCloud, your messages automatically sync to iCloud so they aren’t included in your daily backup.

See What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support

iphoneSEuser3 wrote:

ekassos, Thank you so much for your prompt reply!!

My iphone is SE 1st generation. I am not able to update to IOS16. It has just stopped and I'm preparing for a new phone. (I need small phones so it's a used iphone 13 Mini. This is probably temporary, a few years use at best.)

When I look at Text Message page, then Edit page or the front page I do not see option for Deleted Messages. I had checked there first.

When I go to icloud Backup, then Messages, I only have option of whole Message category as one backup to restore, which means a restore of all Messages, not just one person's.

There isn't anywhere else? How about online on Internet at an ICloud site? I've never looked for such a site. Never needed it.

You're saying I need IOS16., Then I guess that puts me out.

Thank you.

No. If you have messages in icloud enabled, iCloud is used primarily to sync your messages across devices, it is not a backup. Anything that you do on any connected device (add, delete, modify) is reflected on all devices. This is separate from your iCloud device backup. You device backup takes a snapshot of your device when backed up. Your most recent backup can be restored to your phone but you'll lose anything new since the last backup was made. Similarly, a new backup replaces the old one so anything newly deleted, then backed up, cannot be restored.