How to Retrieve Deleted Text Messages on Android Phones in 2024?

Ever wondered what if your important text messages get deleted from Android devices? If you encounter such instances, don’t lose hope! There are several manual methods and data recovery software for Android that you can use to restore lost or deleted text messages. While recovering these messages might seem daunting, with the right approach you can simplify this complex process.

This guide will walk you through various approaches to help you learn how to retrieve deleted text messages on Android phones, along with preventive tips to avoid such instances from happening in future.

What Causes Deletion of Text Messages on Android?

Before you learn how to retrieve deleted text messages on Android, it’s important to understand the exact cause of such instances. Some prominent reasons are as follows:

• Accidental Deletion: One of the main reasons why your text messages might get deleted on Android phones is their accidental deletion. You may have cleared important text messages while clearing out your message inbox or by accidentally pressing the delete button.
• Software Updates: Sometimes, updates to the Android OS or specific apps can cause the deletion of text messages. Such instances generally occur when the update process may not properly preserve existing data, resulting in corruption or deletion of files.
• Malware or Viruses: Malicious software, like viruses or malware can corrupt or delete data on your Android device, including text messages.
• Factory Reset: Performing a factory reset on an Android device will delete all its content, including text messages. Whether you have to factory reset your phone intentionally or unintentionally, it is important to have an adequate backup of all its files and folders.
• Synching Errors: If you have synced messages with cloud services or other devices, any problem in the synchronization process can cause data loss, including the deletion of text messages.

Quick Methods to Recover Lost/Deleted Text Messages on Android

When you delete a text message on your Android phone, it isn’t immediately deleted from its storage. Instead, the space it occupies is made available for new data. This means you can easily recover lost messages until new data overwrites it. So, here are some commonly used methods, including Android in-built, backup options, or Android data recovery software etc. to recover your deleted messages:

Method 01: Check the Trash/Recycle Bin Folder

Nowadays, message applications contain an in-built Recently Deleted or Trash folder which stores your deleted messages for 30 days after deletion. Before you apply any other recovery workaround to restore your lost text messages, it is good to check the Trash folder first. All you have to do is:

• Launch the default messaging app from where your text message is deleted.
• Click the three-horizontal hamburger icon to open additional options.
• Locate the Trash or Recycle Bin option. This might be under “Settings” or “More.”

• Go through the list of deleted messages and select the one you need to recover.
• Lastly, click the “Restore” or “Recover” option to move the selected messages to your inbox or their original location.

Method 02: Recover Deleted Text Messages with Backups

If you have enabled Google Drive backup on your Android phone, you can use it to easily recover deleted text messages. Here’s how to retrieve deleted text messages on Android phones using Google Drive backups:

• Firstly, check if your Google account has SMS backups enabled. For this, go to Settings > Google > Backup and check if SMS messages are listed under the items to be backed up.
• Now, you need to factory reset your phone. Before you proceed with this step, make sure you have adequate backup of your important data.
• Go to Settings > System > Reset > Factory data reset. Confirm the reset process and wait till the process gets completed.
• After completion of the reset process, go through on-screen instructions to set up your device.
• Sign in to the same Google account that you’ve used for backup when asked. During the setup process, you will be asked to restore data from Google Drive backup, and select the most recent backup of your text messages.
• Once the restoration process is completed, open the default messaging app and check if your message is restored.

Method 03: Use Android Data Recovery Software

If you don’t have any backup of deleted text messages, you can try using a professional data recovery software for Android devices. Tools like Stellar Data Recovery for Android allow you to recover lost or deleted files of any type, including photos, videos, documents, text messages, etc. Whether your SMS or message is deleted due to accidental deletion, device formatting, virus attacks, or any other reasons, this amazing software is the best choice for easy and quick recovery.

• The Stellar Data Recovery for Android tool supports the recovery of lost data from devices with Android® version 6 to the latest Android® Version 14.
• The software is compatible with multiple Android devices, including Samsung®, OnePlus®, Oppo®, Xiaomi®, etc.
• This Android data recovery deep scans your phone and restores lost or deleted data directly from the internal memory, even without backup.
• Allows you to preview the recoverable files after completion of storage scanning.

Here’s how to retrieve deleted Text messages on Android Phones using the Stellar Data Recovery for Android software:

Step 1: Download and install the Stellar Data Recovery for Android tool on your Windows or Mac device. Connect your Android device to that computer using a USB cable.

Step 2: Launch the software and from the homepage, select the “Recover Android data” option from the left pane and the type of data you need to restore from the right pane. In this case, select Messages and click Next.

Step 3: From the next window, click the Scan button and wait till the scanning process is completed.

Step 4: Once the scanning is finished, preview the recovered data and select whatever you need to restore. Click the Save button to save selected files at the desired location.

Preventive Tips to Avoid Deletion of Text Messages on Android

Here are some additional tips that you can consider to avoid deletion of text messages on your Android phones:

• Regular Backups: Make a habit of creating regular backups for your SMS messages using Google Drive or a reliable backup app to ensure you can restore them when required.
• Enable App Permissions: Check and ensure that your text message app has the necessary permissions to access and store messages properly, avoiding potential data loss.
• Update Software: Keep your Android OS and messaging app up to date to the latest versions to benefit from security patches and enhanced stability.

Wrapping Up

Hope, the above-mentioned methods help you know how to retrieve deleted text messages on Android phones in 2024. Whether you are using backups, built-in Trash folder, or any third-party data recovery software for Android devices, each method has its pros and cons. Go through the steps mentioned in these recovery workarounds carefully to restore your lost messages. Also, consider taking the aforementioned preventive measures to protect your valuable messages from sudden deletion and minimize the risk of data loss in the future.