How long do iPhone messages last?

By default, the iPhone keeps all messages forever (or until you manually delete them). If you prefer, tap "30 Days" or '1 Year." If you do, the iPhone will automatically discard your messages after the selected time period.

Do iPhone messages ever disappear?

Sometimes iPhone text messages disappear from the inbox after an iOS software update or after a restart, but there are also cases that text messages just disappear from iPhone suddenly. If you have made backups for your iPhone before, you can always recover lost iPhone messages by restoring from iPhone backup files.

How long does text messages stay on your phone?

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. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint do not keep the contents of text messages.

How far back can text messages be retrieved?

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.

How do I look at old text messages on my iPhone?

Open the Messages app in iOS and select the conversation you want to view. Tap once near the clock (or on either side of the camera notch) at the top of your iPhone or iPad screen. A progress indicator appears as the app scrolls up a few messages at a time.

How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on iPhone: 5 Ways (2021)

How can I see messages from 2 years ago on my iPhone?

Why do old text messages disappear?

Text messages can disappear from your Android device when you delete them accidentally, restart the device the wrong way, use outdated firmware, activate the delete option for old messages, or upgrade errors and software bugs.

Are text messages stored forever?

Probably not—although there are exceptions. Most cell phone carriers don't permanently save the enormous amount of text-message data that is sent between users every day. AT&T Wireless, for example, says it keeps sent text messages for 48 hours only—after that, they are wiped off the system.

How long are deleted iMessages stored on iPhone?

The good news for iPhone users however, is that the iPhone tends to store deleted text messages longer than other phones, according to Jesse Lindmar, Assistant Director of Computer Forensics at Sensei Enterprises. He states that messages up to two years old can be recovered, although this happens rarely.

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.

Does iMessage delete After years?

In “Settings,” tap “Messages.” In “Messages,” scroll down and tap “Keep Messages.” By default, Messages is set to keep your SMS text messages and iMessages forever. Tap either “30 Days” or “1 Year” depending on how long you'd like to keep your old messages.

Do iMessages automatically delete?

By default, the iPhone keeps all messages forever (or until you manually delete them). If you prefer, tap "30 Days" or '1 Year." If you do, the iPhone will automatically discard your messages after the selected time period.

Does Apple keep text messages?

For your convenience, iMessages are backed up in iCloud and encrypted if you have enabled either iCloud Backup or Messages in iCloud. You can turn off both iCloud Backup and Messages in iCloud whenever you want.

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.

How do I see old iMessages?

Why can't I see my old iMessages?

If your problem is a little different in that your iDevice isn't searching through any of your texts, then it's quite possible that the Message App is toggled off in Siri & Search. To check, go to Settings > Siri & Search > Messages > and make sure Show Siri Suggestions in App and Show in Search are toggled ON.

Can police recover deleted iPhone messages?

Deleted text messages are usually retrievable from a phone, but before beginning the process, law enforcement officers would need to obtain a court order. Once obtained, officers can use mobile device forensic tools (MDFTs) to extract any data from a device, including emails, texts, images and location data.

Where do deleted iPhone messages go?

There is no trash or recently deleted folder with the iOS messaging app. If you have a backup that would have had the deleted texts in it, you can restore the entire device from that backup. Otherwise, deleted texts are gone.

Can police recover Imessages?

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.

Why did my iPhone delete my messages?

Incorrect settings.

You can go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages to have a check. If it is not Forever, it is the reason that iPhone deleted all messages. And set the option to Forever, please, in case you will lose your messages due to this reason again.

Can you find 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.

Can the police see your texts?

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.

Are iMessages saved?

According to Apple, iMessages in iCloud are updated automatically, so that any message shared on one of your Apple devices will be shared on all of them. Don't worry, though, messages in iCloud are still end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one else (even Apple) can view them.

Does Apple delete messages after 30 days?

That is exactly what is happening. Messages have been deleted after 30 days. The deleted messages are gone permanently.