How to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android

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Here's how to get all of your deleted text messages back

How to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android
(Image credit: Tim Robberts)

One of the worst modern tech experiences is dealing with deleted data that may not have even been your fault in the first place, so we get the need to recover permanently deleted text messages.

We'll be focusing on the Android side of things in this guide, but because Android can never be simple, we'll be showing you how to recover texts on both the Google Messages app and the Samsung Messages app.

Here's how to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android.

How to recover permanently deleted text messages

For Google Messages:

Step 1) Open Settings on your smartphone.

How to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android

(Image credit: Future)

Step 2) Scroll down to Google Services & preferences.

How to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android

(Image credit: Future)

Step 3) Click Backup.

How to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android

(Image credit: Future)

Step 4) Determine if the last backup held the messages you intend to restore. If the dates add up and you're willing to go down this rabbit hole, you'll have to factory reset your phone and restore from your backup. This can be a bit dicey, so double check to see if you have any other data that wasn't backed up and back them up manually.

How to recover permanently deleted text messages on Android

(Image credit: Future)

Step 5) Taking the plunge? Okay. Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). When your phone restarts, you'll be able to select the backup you wish to restore.

For Samsung Messages:

Step 1) Open Samsung Messages.

Step 2) Tap the three-dot icon.

Screenshots of Settings menus on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

(Image credit: Samsung)

Step 3) Click Trash.

Step 4) Select a conversation and click Restore. Don't see the desired texts? Proceed to Step 5.

Step 5) Go to Settings > Accounts and back up > Samsung Cloud > Restore data.

Screenshots of Settings menus on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

(Image credit: Samsung)

Step 6) Now sift through your backups and see if the dates add up.

Step 7) Once you've found your backup, click the Messages option to restore the deleted texts.

How to recover archived text messages

Messages can be archived on Android in addition to being deleted, so its possible your missing texts are just saved in the Google archive. So this may save you 

Step 1) Open the Messages app

Step 2) Tap on the three-dot icon

Step 3) Click Archived

Step 4) Now scroll through to find chat in question, then press and hold over the chat log

Step 5) Hit the up-arrow at the top to restore the chat

Unfortunately, these methods are contingent upon you backing up data on your phone. But if you're desperate to get those texts and you don't have a back up, you could always phone in the NSA.

Happy recovering!

Rami Tabari
Rami Tabari
Editor

Rami Tabari is an Editor for Laptop Mag. He reviews every shape and form of a laptop as well as all sorts of cool tech. You can find him sitting at his desk surrounded by a hoarder's dream of laptops, and when he navigates his way out to civilization, you can catch him watching really bad anime or playing some kind of painfully difficult game. He’s the best at every game and he just doesn’t lose. That’s why you’ll occasionally catch his byline attached to the latest Souls-like challenge.

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