Forum Discussion
How to see deleted messages on iphone from months ago?
Recovering text messages from months ago using an iTunes backup is possible, but it requires restoring your iPhone to a previous state, which will replace all current data on your device with the data from that older backup. This method is most effective if you have a backup from before the messages were deleted and haven't overwritten it with a newer backup since then.
Before trying this out, you should see the pros and cons of seeing deleted messages on iphone from months ago with the help of iTunes backup.
Pros
Official and Secure: Using an iTunes backup is Apple's official method, ensuring the data you recover hasn't been tampered with or intercepted by third-party servers.
Recovers Original Data: If the messages are in the backup, this method retrieves the original text threads, including metadata like timestamps and sender information, in their native format.
No Internet Required: Since the backup is stored locally on your computer, you don't need an internet connection to access or restore the data.
Potential for Complete Recovery: If you have a backup from the specific date before the messages were deleted, there is a high chance of recovering all of them at once.
Cons
Irreversible Data Loss: The standard restore process erases all current data on your iPhone and replaces it with the old backup. Any photos, messages, or app data created or received after the backup date will be permanently lost unless you have a more recent separate backup.
Backup Overwrites: You must have a backup file from the specific time period you need. If you have backed up your phone regularly since then, the older backup containing the deleted messages may have been overwritten and is gone forever .
Complexity and Time: The process is not instant. Performing a full restore can take an hour or more, and restoring a backup just to view a few old messages is a significant disruption.