How far back can deleted text messages be recovered?

All of the providers retained records of the date and time of the text message and the parties to the message for time periods ranging from sixty days to seven years. However, the majority of cellular service providers
cellular service providers
A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a wireless service provider, wireless carrier, cellular company, or mobile network carrier, is a provider of wireless communications services that owns or controls all the elements necessary to sell and deliver services to an end user, including radio spectrum allocation, ...
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do not save the content of text messages at all.
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How far back can text messages be retrieved?

Most newer Android devices will let you view all your text messages but older models may limit you to viewing just the last 30 days' worth of messages. What is this? In some instances, you can delete messages as old as 3 months. In some other carriers, you can go beyond 6 months.
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Can I recover text messages from years ago?

If you are currently using a wireless backup service, check when the last backup was made. If the most recent backup was made before you accidentally deleted the texts, you can restore that backup to your phone and the text messages will be restored to your phone as well.
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Can deleted text messages ever be retrieved?

“Messages can be recovered as long as they are not overwritten.” Note that receiving new messages may also force the deletion of the text messages you're trying to save, so turn your phone on Airplane mode immediately after you realized that important messages were deleted.
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Are deleted text messages gone forever?

But even if your deleted text messages are off your carrier's server, they may not be gone forever. When you press the delete button on your phone, the data that make up your message don't disappear in an instant. Instead, the code is marked with a sort of tombstone that indicates which data can be overwritten.
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How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on iPhone: 5 Ways (2021)



How long do phone companies keep records of text messages?

Some phone companies also keep records of sent text messages. They sit on the company's server for anywhere from three days to three months, depending on the company's policy.
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Where do text messages go when deleted?

The Android operating system stores text messages in the phone's memory, so if they're deleted, there's no way to retrieve them. You can, however, install a text message backup application from the Android market that allows you to restore any deleted text messages.
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Can my cell phone provider retrieve text messages?

Federal law prevents companies from producing these documents without a court order or subpoena. Text message records must be obtained from a party's cell phone provider. An attorney can obtain a court order or subpoena to get the records directly from the service provider.
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Where do messages go when you delete them on iPhone?

In the Messages app , you can delete messages and entire conversations. You can't recover a deleted conversation. With Messages in iCloud, anything you delete from iPhone is also deleted from your other Apple devices where Messages in iCloud is turned on.
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How can I retrieve deleted text messages from my cell phone?

Download the Android Data Recovery app on your PC.
...
How to restore deleted messages on Android
  1. Open Google Drive on your phone.
  2. Open the menu by clicking on the three lines button at the top left corner.
  3. Now, select 'Backups'.
  4. Check if your data has been backed up.
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How do I recover Imessages from years ago?

  1. Connect your iPhone to the PC with which you sync it. iTunes should open (if not, open it manually).
  2. You should see your iPhone in a box, top righthand corner. Select it.
  3. Now choose 'Restore backup'.
  4. All the data you previously backed up will now replace the data on your phone. It will take a few minutes.
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How long do deleted texts stay on the cloud?

Deleted messages are moved to the Trash mailbox. When you delete a message, it's saved in your Trash for 30 days, after which it's permanently erased.
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How long are deleted iMessages stored?

Go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages and make sure it is set to Forever. The other options are 30 Days and 1 Year, after which your messages are deleted automatically.
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How long are text messages saved in the cloud?

What happens to messages stored in the cloud after 90 days? If the messaging app on your smartphone states that messages will be stored for up to 90 days, that means that messages older than 90 days will be removed from the cloud backup but will remain on your smartphone.
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Are text messages saved in iCloud?

Answer: According to What iCloud Backup Includes from Apple, iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages are included in iCloud backup. So the messages on your iPhone, no matter they are text messages, SMS messages, MMS messages, iMessages, all are included in the iCloud backup.
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Can you recover deleted texts on iPhone without backup?

How to recover deleted text messages from iPhone without backup: Use USB cable to connect your iPhone to your Mac and launch Cisdem iPhone Recovery on Mac. Choose "Recover from iOS Device" option, this iPhone data recovery will detect your device.
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Are deleted messages stored on iPhone?

When a text message is deleted on the iPhone, it doesn't disappear permanently. First, a copy of it is sent to the network provider. Next, the copy in your phone isn't permanently deleted, but rather marked as "deleted" by the iPhone's internal database.
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Is there a way to access old text messages?

One of the apps you can use is Dr. Fone Android Data Recovery, and another is PhoneRescue. Nearly all these apps work pretty much the same way. They scan your phone to find traces of lost messages and then allow you to selectively restore those messages on your phone.
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Is it possible to get a transcript of text messages?

Request Text Transcripts

You can contact your phone company to try to obtain detailed logs of the texts you've exchanged. In some cases, such as when multiple people use the same phone, you may need a court order to access the information for privacy reasons.
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How long do cell phone companies keep records?

T-Mobile holds call records between seven and 10 years, spokesman Viet Nguyen says. MetroPCS maintains separate records and keeps them two years. Sprint holds call logs 18 months, spokeswoman Stephanie Vinge Walsh says. U.S. Cellular holds records one year, according to spokeswoman Katie Frey.
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Do deleted text messages save to iCloud?

You can retrieve deleted text messages on your iPhone by restoring it with an iCloud backup. If you save backups to your computer, you can use iTunes or Finder to recover your iPhone's texts. If all else fails, reach out to your cellular carrier — they may restore deleted messages for you.
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Can my spouse get copies of my text messages?

Obtaining a spouse's text messages can ordinarily be done in two ways. One way might be to send a letter to the cell phone carrier, through an attorney, explaining the need to preserve text messages for a divorce case.
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Can text messages be used in court?

The answer to that is yes. They can be used to 'back up' anything you are trying to prove. So in non molestation order proceedings (i.e injunctions) they can be used to prove that someone has been abusive or threatening or to disprove such allegations.
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Can phone conversations be retrieved?

Phone calls made in the past cannot be retrieved. However, by using third party software, future phone conversations are retrievable. To capture and retrieve future phone conversations, you need an application-enabled SmartPhone, such as the iPhone, BlackBerry or Android.
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How do you permanently delete text messages?

To delete a thread, press and hold on the thread you wish to delete from the main messaging menu. A checkmark will appear on top of the photo icon for your texting thread, and another action bar will appear at the top of the display. Next, tap the trash can icon and confirm by tapping 'Delete. '
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