IPHONE
How to recover deleted messages on an iPhone (iOS 27)
In short
In Messages, tap the filter button at the top right and choose Recently Deleted. Tap the conversation, tap Recover, then Recover Messages. Ours said 30 Days, with a note that deletion may take up to 40 days.
6 of 6 steps show a real screenshot from our iPhone 17e. Each step was checked against the maker's own instructions, linked at the end.
Steps
- 1
Tap the filter button
The filter button is at the top right of the Messages list.
- 2
Tap Recently Deleted
Recently Deleted is under Messages and Spam, above Manage Filtering.
- 3
Find the conversation
Each shows the days left: ours said 30 Days and 2 Messages. The note says deletion may take up to 40 days.
- 4
Select it and tap Recover
Tap the conversation so it has a tick, then tap Recover at the bottom left. Recover All does every one.
- 5
Tap Recover Messages
Ours said These messages will be recovered, with Recover 2 Messages.
- 6
Find it back in Messages
The conversation is back in the main list.
If you do not see this option
- Deleted it just now? Ours confirmed: This conversation will be deleted from all your devices, then said deleted messages are moved to Recently Deleted.
- Older than 30 days? Apple says you can recover messages for up to 30 days. Source: Recover deleted messages in Messages on iPhone
If this does not work
- No Recently Deleted in the menu? Tap the filter button at the top right of the main list, not inside a chat.
- Gone from your other devices too? Apple says with Messages in iCloud, recovering on the iPhone recovers it on all your devices.
- A message you unsent is missing? Apple says any message removed with Undo Send is permanently deleted, so it never reaches Recently Deleted and cannot be recovered there.
- An audio message is gone? Audio messages that expire before you save them are not recoverable, according to Apple. Keep the ones you want before they expire.
- Old chats vanished without you deleting them? Check Settings, Apps, Messages, Keep Messages. Apple warns that any option other than Forever removes conversations, with their attachments, automatically after that time.
- A blocked contact is back after recovery? Apple notes a case with conversations that include non-iMessage participants: if you block someone, delete the chat and then recover it, future messages from that contact are not automatically deleted. Check your blocked list again.
Good to know
To stop unwanted senders, see how to block someone in Messages on an iPhone.
A recovered conversation goes back into the main list with its messages and attachments, as if it had not been deleted. Nothing changes for the people in the chat, because deleting never removed it from their phones in the first place. To delete it again, swipe left on the conversation or touch and hold it and tap Delete.
If a conversation is past the 30 days, Recently Deleted cannot help. A backup made before you deleted it may still hold it, but Apple's restore steps start by erasing the iPhone, which replaces everything on it with the backup. Back up first and think carefully before going down that route. To avoid losing chats in future, leave Keep Messages on Forever.
About this guide
- Device
- iPhone
- Shown on
- iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e)
- App
- Messages
- Path
- Messages › Filter › Recently Deleted › Recover
- Real screenshots
- 6 of 6 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 3 official, linked below
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Spotted a mistake? Menus change with updates, and we want every step to match your screen. Email us about this page or use the contact form. We read every report, and fixes are listed on What changed.
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