"I accidentally deleted an important message on my iPhone, fortunately, I have made an iCloud backup, but how to recover messages from iCloud?"
As a convenient cloud platform, Apple gives each customer 5GB of free iCloud storage to back up their iOS devices, such as text messages, iMessages, and more. However, retrieving texts from an iCloud backup requires some prior knowledge. This guide will share the how-to with details.
- Part 1: How to Recover Messages by Restoring an iCloud Backup
- Part 2: How to Get Deleted Texts from iCloud by Syncing
- Part 3: How to Recover Messages from iCloud Without Restoring iPhone
- Part 4: FAQs of Recovering Messages from iCloud
Part 1: How to Recover Messages by Restoring an iCloud Backup
Once you turn on iCloud Backup on your iPhone, all your messages will be synced to iCloud automatically including texts and iMessages. Bear in mind that you need the same SIM card when making the backup. Moreover, this way requires you to erase all data and settings on your device.
Step 1 Open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on your name, go to iCloud, and press iCloud Backup. To get deleted texts from iCloud, make sure that iCloud Backup is enabled.
Step 2 Go back to the Settings app, go to General, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone or Reset, and press Erase All Content and Settings.
Step 3 Choose Erase Now, and input your Apple ID password or iPhone passcode, when prompted.
Step 4 When it finishes, your iPhone will boot into the Hello screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device until you reach the Apps & Data screen.
Step 5 Choose Restore from iCloud Backup, and enter your Apple ID and password associated with your iCloud. Then choose the right iCloud backup.
Step 6 After restoring the iCloud backup, complete the setup process. Then you will get the deleted texts from iCloud on your iPhone.
Part 2: How to Get Deleted Texts from iCloud by Syncing
If you do not want to reset your iPhone, you can recover deleted messages from iCloud. However, you need to be patient because it might take hours to complete the process. Here are the steps to get your deleted text messages.
Step 1 Run your Settings app, tap on your profile, and choose iCloud. Make sure to connect your iPhone to a good internet connection. You'd better use a Wi-Fi network but not cellular data.
Step 2 Tap Show All under APPS USING ICLOUD, and choose Messages.
Step 3 Toggle off the Sync this iPhone option if it is on. When prompted, choose Disable and Download Messages to begin recovering messages from iCloud.
Part 3: How to Recover Messages from iCloud Without Restoring iPhone
The downside of iCloud backup is that you cannot view deleted text messages on iCloud. Therefore, it is no guarantee that you can get what you want. Apeaksoft iPhone Data Recovery, on the other hand, lets you open an iCloud backup, preview the data, and extract specific items. It even does not require your iPhone in your hand.
4,000,000+ Downloads
View deleted messages in iCloud backups.
Selectively recover texts from an iCloud backup.
Won't interrupt existing data on your iPhone.
Recover deleted messages without iCloud backup.
Support the latest versions of iOS and iPhone.
How to Recover Messages from iCloud Without Erasing iPhone
Step 1 Download an iCloud backup
Launch the best SMS recovery tool for iOS once you install it on your PC. It is available on Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista. There is another version for Mac users. Choose the Recover from iCloud Backup tab from the left sidebar, and input your Apple ID and password. If you have enabled two-factor authentication, enter the verification code that appears on your iPhone screen.
To find deleted messages on your iPhone without iCloud backups, choose the Recover from iOS Device tab, connect your iPhone to your PC with a Lightning cable, and follow the on-screen instructions to move on.
Step 2 View texts on iCloud
Choose the iCloud Backup option on the window, and hit the Start button. Then you will get all iCloud backup files. Locate an appropriate backup, and click the Download button. Next, select the data types that you want to recover. Here we tick the checkboxes next to Messages and Message Attachments, and hit the Next button. When the download finishes, you will be presented with the preview window. Choose Show Deleted Only from the top drop-down list, and you can view deleted text messages on iCloud.
Step 3 Recover messages from iCloud
At last, select the text messages and iMessages that you want to read later, and click the Recover button at the bottom right corner. Then set the output folder, and hit the Recover button again.
Part 4: FAQs of Recovering Messages from iCloud
Does iCloud backup save old messages?
According to Apple, if you have not toggled on the Messages option in iCloud, your messages will be saved in iCloud Backup. If you use Messages in iCloud, your messages will sync to iCloud automatically so they won't be included in your daily backup.
Can you recover permanently deleted texts on iCloud?
Yes. When you delete texts on your iPhone running iOS 16 or later, they will go to the Recently Deleted folder. You can manually delete them in the folder. Otherwise, they will be removed 30 days later. However, these texts will be saved on iCloud if you have turned on iCloud Backup on your device.
How to recover iMessages from iCloud?
The methods to recover iMessages from iCloud are similar to text recovery. However, you cannot view or select iMessages using the native ways. Therefore, you need a third-party tool if you just want to retrieve iMessages from iCloud backups.
Conclusion
Now, you should understand how to recover deleted messages from iCloud on your iPhone. Before restoring texts from iCloud, you need to erase your handset. Be aware that current data on your device will be gone. Or you can only download the messages from iCloud. Apeaksoft iPhone Data Recovery is an alternative solution to get back your lost messages. If you have other questions about this topic, please feel free to leave your message below this post.
