How long are text messages saved for?

The text messages are stored in both locations. 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. Verizon holds texts for up to five days and Virgin Mobile keeps them for 90 days.
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Are text messages saved forever?

Android - Quick steps to forever save text messages

Accept the prompt to Backup. All your text messages will start backing up to Gmail and can save them forever.
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How far back will iPhone save text messages?

How Far Back Can Text Messages be Retrieved on iPhone? As we mentioned above, you can easily scroll to the first message on iMessage only if conversation history is kept on your iPhone. It means that you can retrieve text messages on iPhone even 4 years ago or longer.
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How far back can you get text message records?

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 do not save the content of text messages at all.
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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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Apple: How long are text messages saved in the iCloud server? (3 Solutions!!)



Can cops recover deleted text messages?

Keeping Your Data Secure

So, can police recover deleted pictures, texts, and files from a phone? The answer is yes—by using special tools, they can find data that hasn't been overwritten yet. However, by using encryption methods, you can ensure your data is kept private, even after deletion.
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Are my messages gone forever?

Clearing or deleting your messages on your devices doesn't mean the data is permanently gone, it's just been filed away differently. Yes they can, so if you've been having an affair or doing something dodgy at work, beware! Messages are laid out on the SIM card as data files.
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Are text messages really deleted?

Even if a device is present, a text can be permanently deleted, especially on an iPhone. If a device is restored to factory settings, all data is removed from the phone.
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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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How long are Imessages stored?

More of a revelation was the fact that Apple stores the information for 30 days. Choosing how to send messages is tricky and has caused Apple problems in the past, especially when a user switches from iPhone to Android.
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Where do deleted texts go?

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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How do I permanently delete text messages so they can't be recovered?

Deleting Texts From Your Android Phone

You can delete individual texts or conversations within your messaging app. For individual texts, hover over the text you want to delete within the conversation and select the trash can icon in the top right corner to delete.
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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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How long do deleted messages stay in iCloud?

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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Can text messages be used in court?

It is now well-established by the court that SMS, MMS and e-mails are admissible.
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Can FBI read your text messages?

A recently discovered FBI training document shows that US law enforcement can gain limited access to the content of encrypted messages from secure messaging services like iMessage, Line, and WhatsApp, but not to messages sent via Signal, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WeChat, or Wickr.
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Can police read your texts without you knowing?

Authorities can get access to unopened email messages from the last 180 days, but they must get a warrant, first. The police may obtain your opened and unopened messages that are 180 days old or older with a subpoena. But they have to let you know once they've requested this access from the provider.
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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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Is it possible to get a transcript of text messages?

If you want to create a transcript of SMS conversations, you need to use third-party applications to extract them. Apps to export messages and create SMS transcripts are available for iPhones, Android devices and Windows Phones.
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Can I get a history of text messages?

The first way is to look in your cell phone messaging inbox and outbox. Unless you erase a message, your phone keeps track of all your text messages. The other way to see your text message history is to log in to your online account on your cell phone provider's website.
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How do I permanently delete messages from my phone?

Delete individual text messages
  1. Open the Voice app .
  2. On the bottom, tap Messages .
  3. Tap the conversation.
  4. Touch and hold the message you want to delete. Optional: To delete multiple messages, touch and hold the first message, then tap more messages.
  5. In the top right, tap Delete .
  6. Tap Delete to confirm.
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Does iPhone save deleted text messages?

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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How do I permanently delete texts from my iPhone?

Open up a conversation. Tap and hold on any message within. Tap on "More" when the pop-up options appear. Tap on "Delete All" in the top left, then "Delete Conversation" to confirm.
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Can someone else see my deleted text messages?

Deleted text messages are truly GONE. Nobody can access them. Unless you have a program installed that archives/backs up messages. In that case, deleting them from your phone won't delete them from the backup.
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