Can you export deleted text messages from an iPhone?
Recently deleted messages can often be restored on the iPhone itself from Recently Deleted in the Messages app, for up to 30 days on iOS 16 and later, and older ones may still be in a backup made before you deleted them. Once restored, or from that older backup, they can be exported like any other messages, but no export app can promise to bring back messages that are no longer on the phone or in any backup.
Check Recently Deleted first
Messages stay there for up to 30 days, then iOS deletes them for good. This needs iOS 16 or later.
- Open Messages on the iPhone. In the conversation list, tap Edit (or Filters, depending on your iOS version), then Show Recently Deleted.
- Select the conversations or messages and tap Recover.
Look for an older backup
- A backup on your Mac from before the deletion still has the messages. Do not let a new backup replace it: copy the backup folder somewhere safe first, or open it directly in an export app.
- An iCloud backup from before the deletion also has them, but the only way to use it is to erase the iPhone and restore from it, which replaces everything newer. Think hard before doing that, and ask for help if it matters.
- If Messages in iCloud is on, deleted messages are deleted everywhere, including on your Mac.
What TextExhibit does and does not do
TextExhibit exports the messages that are in the source you choose: the Mac, a fresh backup or an older backup. It does not try forensic recovery of deleted data. If you need that for a serious matter, ask your lawyer about a forensic examiner, and do not keep using the phone in the meantime.
What to keep in mind
- Your carrier usually keeps records of when texts were sent and to whom, not their content, and gets them out only through a legal request.
- The other person still has their copy of the conversation, unless they deleted it too.
Questions
How do I stop this from happening again?
Set Keep Messages to Forever and keep a backup on your Mac. See saving your text messages.
Do deleted iMessages stay on Apple’s servers?
With Messages in iCloud, a deletion syncs to all your devices. Apple does not offer a way to get deleted messages back from iCloud after Recently Deleted is emptied.
Can an app on the iPhone recover them?
No. App Store apps cannot read the Messages database at all, let alone deleted data.
Export the whole conversation
TextExhibit turns a conversation into one PDF with exact times, names and numbers, photos in place and page numbers, on your Mac. Free to preview; $24.99 once to export.