Messages disappear on my iphone 4

I have a very similar issue after upgrading to iOS6.

I can see a preview (2 lines) of all the messages that existed before the upgrade, in Messages app. However, as soon as I open it, the contents disappear. When I go back to message list the message that I tried to open moves all the way down and preview also disappears.

I am able to see the preview only after manually closing the Messages app from springboard and then reopening the app.

Weird issue. Can somebody help!! I am unable to view some important messages.

Just happened to me - only texts from today's date are gone, from EVERYONE. I have an iPhone 4 and not running iOS 6.

Update: went back to messages, pulled down on the list to find the search window. The screen froze a bit and then all the messages came back. Weird.

A similar issue happened to me last night. My messages completely froze in the middle of sending a text, then the phone autolocked, I unlocked it and it was frozen at the messages. It eventually went back to the main screen and then when I went to go back to my messages everything was gone. If I search for a contact, it shows that the texts are somewhere in my phone but I can't access them at all - as soon as I try to open the text it sends me to the empty messages app. A friend of mine was trying to text me last night and I wasn't getting any of them, so I'm assuming that the messages are completely messed up. I didn't have nearly as many problems as I have with this phone until it (automatically, I might add) updated to ios6.

I had a similar problem, some messages disappearing but seemingly available in the search bar. The problem was iMessage.

If you have used it in the past but for some reason turned it off those messages sent/received using iMessage will disappear but will return if you go to settings and turn iMessage back on.

It worked for me, hope it does for you. Let me know how you get on.

you do realize this thread has been stoped for 2 years right? Please don't respond to old ones like this one.

What does it matter that the thread is 2 years old??? I'm currently having this same issue and would like to know how to resolve it. Not finding the answer anywhere else. I have an iPhone 4. Turned the phone off…turned it back on…and suddenly several of my text message threads aren't there anymore.

I know this an older issue but my co-worker just had the same problem happen to her (contact was there but messages gone) so that's how I came across this thread. She also has an iPhone 4. Turns out, we went to settings>message>scrolled down to message history and discovered that "keep messages" was set to 30 days instead of FOREVER. Today is 10/28/15 and the conversation she had happened on 9/25/15 so obviously the 30 days has just expired and the messages were deleted. That said, if your messages are disappearing, check this setting. Hope this helps!