We’ve all been here before. We have all, at one time or another, accidentally deleted important text. Gloria, from Chepachet, Rhode Island, contacted us with this question:
“I accidentally deleted a text message; how do I recover it on my Android phone?”
We’re sorry to hear that you accidentally deleted a text message. Whether you can recover it depends on several factors, including your phone model, whether a backup was made, and the specific email app you’re using. Here are some general methods you can try. (iPhone users, follow these tips.)
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A man texts on his phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Check if the message has been archived (Google Messages)
If you have an Android phone or a Google account, you can use Google Messages as your primary platform for text messages. Here’s how to check if your message has been archived in Google Messages.
SSettings may vary depending on your Android phone manufacturer.
- Open it Google Messages application
- Press your profile icon next to the search icon
- Select Archive
- Long press on messages you want to recover
- Press the unarchive button in the upper right corner
Google mail app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Check Trash (Samsung Messages)
SSettings may vary depending on your Android phone manufacturer.
If you are using a Samsung smartphone, your text messages may be stored in the Samsung operating system folder. Basket for a maximum of 30 days. If you’re using a Samsung smartphone, here’s how to check the built-in trash app to see if your messages are there:
- Open it Messaging app
- Press the three point menu in the upper right corner
- Choose it Basket
- Choose it deleted text messages you want to recover
- Faucet Restore to bring them back to your message list
Samsung messaging app (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Use a third-party recovery app
If you don’t have a backup and your messages are permanently deleted, you may still be able to recover them using a third-party Android data recovery app. You can find Kurt’s picks for data recovery software here. Different apps will have different features, so be sure to pay close attention to which third-party recovery solution is best suited to your needs.
Restore from backup
Google Drive on Android (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
If you backed up your phone to Google Drive, you may be able to restore your backup to recover deleted text messages. Please note that restoring a backup may overwrite existing data on your phone. Here’s how to check if you have a Google Drive backup for your smartphone:
SSettings may vary depending on your Android phone manufacturer.
- Open Google Drive on your smartphone or visit drive.google.com.
- On Google Drive, select the storage option in the lower left corner.
- Press backups to view all Android backups attached to your Google Drive.
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Kurt’s Key Takeaways
Gloria, I hope we were able to help you restore missing Android message. Backing up your data regularly to prevent future data loss is always a good idea. If you own an Android smartphone, I highly recommend using Google Drive to back up your phone; this way you can still access the backup in your Google account. If you can’t find your deleted messages in your phone’s trash or recycling bin, don’t panic. You can still most likely recover deleted data with a third-party program, but check the functionality of any program before paying.
Have you ever experienced significant data loss? What lessons did you learn from this experience? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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