How to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages on Android? (2024)

It is often frightening when we delete an important message by mistake. The good news is that deleted text messages may not be permanently gone. If you enabled Google Drive backup in Messages, you may need to factory reset your Android phone to retrieve deleted text messages on Android. If none of these recovery solutions work, there are third-party Android recovery programs available. Learn how to retrieve deleted text messages on Android in this blog.

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Also Read: How to Check Deleted Messages on WhatsApp

What Are My Options for Recovering Deleted Texts on Android?

All Google Android phones include the Messages software, which has numerous RCS features. RCS is a messaging service with several functionalities. Media of high quality: Files and high-resolution images can be shared. Receipts to be read: Indicate whether someone has read or received your message. Meanwhile, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Samsung and OnePlus have their own messaging apps that they use by default.

If you have enabled Google Drive backup in Messages, you may need to factory reset your Android phone. Then you need to start over to retrieve deleted text messages on Android. If none of these recovery solutions work, there are third-party Android recovery programs available.

Restore messages on Android with the Google app: The message threads in the Messages can be mistakenly archived. Messages that have been archived in the past may also become important again. Whatever your situation, restoring stored text messages is simple. Follow these easy steps to find deleted messages on Android-

  • Open the Messages app on your phone,
  • Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner,
  • Select Archived,
  • Long tap the message you want to recover,
  • Tap the up-arrow icon at the top.
  • If you activated Google Drive backup, you will find the deleted messages. Otherwise, need to rely on third-party data recovery apps to retrieve deleted text messages on Android.

Recover text messages on Android in the Messages Recycle Bin: On Galaxy phones, the default One UI Messages app offers several neat features. When you delete a text message in Samsung’s Messages app, it is archived for 30 days in the Recycle bin. After 30 days, the message is permanently deleted from the Recycle bin. To recover deleted messages from the Recycle bin during the 30-day time, follow these steps-

  • Open the Messages app on your phone,
  • Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner,
  • Open the Recycle bin,
  • Check your deleted text messages,
  • Long tap the message you want to retrieve,
  • elect Restore at the bottom,
  • Now check if the message is restored in your inbox.

Find deleted text messages on Android using third-party data recovery software: The third-party data recovery software includes capabilities like quick scan and deep scan to help you recover deleted data from your phone. To recover text messages, some tools require you to root the smartphone. Subscriptions for additional features are frequently required for services like this, and the results are not necessarily guaranteed. You need to check the authenticity of these apps before installing them on your phones.

Also Read: How to transfer SMS / Text message from one phone to another

Restore Deleted Text Messages with a Backup

To restore deleted text messages with a backup, you must first do a factory reset and then restore your phone from a backup. This means you need to erase all your phone’s data and reset it to factory settings. So, before restarting your phone, be sure that it has been recently backed up. Here’s how to know when your phone was most recently backed up. Follow these steps-

    • Go to ‘Settings’,
    • Scroll down to ‘Google’ services,
    • Choose ‘Backup’,
  • Check the date and time of the last backup,

If your most recent backup contains the message you want to restore, you need to conduct a factory reset and then restore from your backup. Follow these steps-

  • Open the ‘Settings’ app on your phone,
  • Choose ‘System’,
  • Tap on ‘Reset options’,
  • Select ‘Erase all data’,
  • After entering your PIN,
  • Click the “Erase all data” button.

Here is your guide to setting up automatic backup for your Android phone-

  • Go to ‘Settings’,
  • Select ‘Google’,
  • Select ‘Backup’,
  • If this is your first time, turn on Backup by Google One

Also Read: How to block spam text messages on your phone?

Restore Deleted SMS Messages without a Backup

Text messages play an important role in our daily lives. However, there are numerous instances where you may lose important messages from your Android phones. Sometimes you might delete messages by mistake or sometimes the phone’s system crashes. There are third-party data recovery software that you can use to restore deleted SMS messages without a backup. Third-party data recovery software contains features such as rapid scan and deep scan to assist you in recovering deleted data from your phone. Some tools require you to root your smartphone to recover text messages. Subscriptions for additional features are typically required for such services, and the outcomes are not always guaranteed. Before installing these apps on your Android phones, be sure they are genuine.

Also Read:

How to Enable Backups on Your Android Phone?

Follow these steps to enable backups on your Android phone-

  • Open the Google One app on your Android phone,
  • Tap Storage at the bottom,
  • Scroll down to the backup device section,
  • If this is your first backup of your phone,
  • Select Set up data backup,
  • If this is not your first backup, go to View details,
  • Tap Manage backup to see your backup settings.

Here is your guide to setting up automatic backup for your Android phone-

  • Go to ‘Settings’,
  • Click on ‘Google’,
  • Tap ‘Backup’,
  • If this is your first time, turn on Backup by Google One

Also Read: What is SMS (Short Message Service) and how it works?

Conclusion

When you delete text messages from your Android phone, they are briefly saved somewhere on your device. With the help of backup, you can recover deleted text messages. Furthermore, once you have backed up your text messages, they’ll be kept in the backup files.

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How to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages on Android? (2024)

FAQs

Can I recover deleted text messages on Android? ›

Here's how to check for deleted messages: Open your messaging app. Look for the "Recycle Bin" or "Trash" folder within the app's settings. Explore this folder to see if your deleted messages are recoverable.

How can I read deleted text messages? ›

The other way to restore your data in this case is to initiate a factory reset. When your phone prompts you to sign into your Google account, use the account you used to backup your data in the first place. Finally, just choose the “SMS Messages” button to recover your texts.

Are deleted text messages permanently gone? ›

Even when you 'permanently' clear messages, you're simply getting the phone to stop listing it in the deleted items folder. You can't recover such texts on the phone itself, but there are plenty of commercially available software packages you can buy that allow your PC to read data directly from a SIM card.

How far back can texts be recovered? ›

Text Message Retention Periods By Major Carriers
CarrierTypical Retention Period
VerizonText content: 3 to 5 days Text message details (metadata): Up to 1 year Call records and cell tower locations: 1 year
AT&TText content: Not retained Text message details (metadata): 5 to 7 years Call records: 5 to 7 years
6 more rows
Apr 17, 2024

Can text messages be found once deleted? ›

Method 3: Recover deleted texts on Android

Therefore, if you discover you've deleted an important SMS from your Android and need to get it back, stop using your phone immediately. Then, you can use a data recovery software like DroidKit, Dr. Fone, or SMS Backup & Restore to search for the deleted SMS or MMS message.

Where is the Android recycle bin? ›

Is There A Recycle Bin/Trash on Android? No – unlike a Windows or Mac system, there is no Recycle Bin or Trash folder in an Android device. This is because most smartphones have a limited storage capacity that might range from as little as 8 GB to 256 GB.

Where are deleted text messages stored on Android Samsung? ›

Use Samsung Messages Recycle bin
  1. Open the Samsung Messages app.
  2. Tap the three-dot icon to expand an options list.
  3. Select Trash.
  4. Find your text in the recycle bin and long press it to select it. You can tap other text messages if you'd like to restore them.
  5. Tap Restore.
Apr 12, 2024

How to check deleted Messenger history? ›

Check Your Archived Messages
  1. Open Messenger and tap the three-line menu at the top.
  2. Tap Archive.
  3. If the chat was archived, you'll see it here. Tap it to open the conversation and find your "deleted" messages.
Mar 18, 2024

How do you retrieve archived text messages on Android? ›

Restore archived text conversations, calls, or voicemails

Archive . Touch and hold the conversation, call, or voicemail you want to restore. Optional: To restore multiple archived items, touch and hold the first conversation, call, or voicemail, then select more items. In the top right, tap Restore conversations .

When I delete a text message, where does it go? ›

Even if you remove a text message from your phone, it may not be gone. That's because it could be stored on your phone company's servers. Normal text messages go from your phone to your phone company to the recipient. In most cases, that means the phone company retains a copy of messages.

How do I know if my boyfriend deleted messages on Messenger? ›

How to Know if Someone Deleted Messages on Messenger? You cannot tell if someone deletes the messages on their Messenger. Your message will not be affected or deleted, nor will you be notified of what has happened.

Can you tell if someone deleted your text message? ›

Check Backup Files

Both Android and iOS devices often create backup files. Checking these files might reveal deleted messages, especially if they were backed up before deletion.

Can deleted texts be discovered? ›

Yes, it can, not only by law enforcement, but also by anyone who can access to your mobile phone. This is basically about why a deleted message can be retrieved.

Is there a way to retrieve deleted text messages? ›

Your texts are gone forever after deletion unless you back them up to the cloud. If you use a Samsung, OnePlus, or another device running custom Android versions, your message app has a bin. You can activate or deactivate it, but it's best to activate it so that accidentally deleted texts go there.

Can text messages be traced back? ›

Can texts be traced? Generally speaking, it is very easy for the police to determine which phone a text message came from. Where the sender has a contract, typically they will have given their real information to the service provider, and thus it will be easy to find out who owns that phone and service contract.

What app recovers deleted text messages? ›

Use Third-Party Recovery Software:

Programs like Dr. Fone, PhoneRescue, and iMobie PhoneRescue have proven effective in recovering deleted text messages. These software solutions utilize advanced algorithms to scan your device's storage and retrieve deleted messages.

How to find archived text messages on Android? ›

To view your archived conversations, open the main menu of the Google Messages app (usually accessible by tapping on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner) and select "Archived." Here, you can find all the conversations you have archived.

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