How to easily recover a deleted SMS on an Android smartphone

Accidentally deleting an important SMS can be problematic, especially if it contained essential information. Rest assured, on Android, a deleted message is not permanently lost. Whether or not you have a backup, there are several solutions to recover it. This detailed guide walks you through the steps to restore your deleted SMS.

A simple gesture, a wrong move, and an SMS disappears. Whether it’s a transaction proof, a temporary password, or a professional exchange, some messages are too crucial to lose. Fortunately, their deletion is not always irreversible. On Android, a deleted SMS remains stored in the phone’s memory until new data overwrites it.

If you’ve enabled a backup, the recovery will be simple and quick. If not, you may have to resort to specialized software that scans the phone’s memory to attempt to recover the lost data. This guide details each method based on your situation for recovering deleted SMS on an Android smartphone.

Also read: Our top 10 apps to install on an Android smartphone

📱 Recover Deleted SMS with Google Drive Backup

If your SMS were saved on Google Drive, you can restore them by resetting your phone. This method is effective after accidental deletion or switching devices, but it requires a complete reset of the smartphone.

Before proceeding, ensure that Google Drive has a recent backup of your messages. To check:

• Open Google Drive on your phone
• Tap the menu (three lines icon in the top left)
• Select “Backups” and look for the one associated with your device
• Check the date and make sure it includes the SMS.

If no recent backup appears, this method won’t work and you’ll need to try another solution. If a backup is available, here’s how to restore your messages:

• Backup your current files, as the reset will delete all unsaved data.
• Go to the phone settings, then System > Reset options > Erase all data.
• Reconnect to your Google account during setup.
• Select “Restore Backup” to recover your data, including your SMS.

Once the process is complete, open your Messages app to verify the recovery. This method erases all recent data and does not allow you to recover only SMS, so it is only useful if an existing backup contains your deleted messages.

🤖 Recover Deleted SMS with Google One Backup

Google One offers more comprehensive and frequent backups than Google Drive, including SMS, MMS, photos, and app settings. The recovery follows the same principle as Google Drive and requires a reset of the phone. To check if your smartphone has recently recorded a backup:

• Open the Google One app on your phone.
• Go to “Manage Backup” and check the list of stored items.
• Verify the “Messages” section, along with the date of the last backup.

If the SMS are listed there, you can restore them by following these steps:

• Backup your important files, as the reset will delete everything not included in the backup.
• In the phone settings, initiate the device reset (System > Reset options > Erase all data).
• Reconnect to your Google account and select Restore from Google One Backup.
• Check your messages once the restoration is complete.

As with recovery through Google Drive, this method will be unusable if you did not enable backup before the deletion of your SMS.

🇰🇷 Recover Deleted SMS on Samsung Smartphones

If you are using a Samsung smartphone, you have a better chance of recovering your deleted SMS than on other devices. Indeed, the Korean firm offers two solutions: the messages recycle bin and Samsung Cloud.

If you’ve just deleted a message, start by checking the recycle bin of the Messages app. Samsung retains deleted SMS for 30 days, after which they disappear permanently. To attempt recovery via this method:

• Open the Samsung Messages app on your phone.
• Tap the three dots in the top right, then select Settings.
• Go to the “Recycle Bin” option and look for the deleted message.
• Tap “Restore” to recover your SMS.

If the message isn’t there anymore, there’s another option: Samsung Cloud. It automatically saves your SMS, provided you enabled this option before deleting your text messages. To check and attempt recovery:

• Go to the phone settings, then select Accounts and Backup.
• Tap “Samsung Cloud”, then “Restore data”.
• Check “Messages” and start the restoration.
• Once the process is complete, open the Messages app to verify the recovery.

If one of these methods has worked, you’ve retrieved your SMS. Otherwise, it means your message has been permanently deleted.

🇨🇳 Recover Deleted SMS with a Xiaomi Smartphone

If you use a Xiaomi smartphone, there is a possibility to recover your deleted messages through local backup. This system, integrated within the phone settings, allows you to restore certain data, including SMS, without the need for an Internet connection. However, this option is only useful if you activated the backup before the messages were deleted.

To check for a backup and attempt to recover your deleted SMS on Xiaomi:

• Open the “Security” app on your Xiaomi.
• Go to “Backup and Restore”, then select “Restore from local storage”.
• Look for a recent backup that contains your messages.
• Start the restore process, then open your messaging app to see if you successfully recovered your messages.

If no local backup is available, your messages may have been saved via Google Drive. In this case, refer to the first method to follow the recovery procedure. To prevent such problems in the future, consider enabling automatic backups on your Xiaomi smartphone. To do this:

• Go to the phone settings and open Additional settings.
• Select “Backup and reset” to access storage options.
• Enable “Data backup” so that your device regularly saves your information.
• Ensure SMS are included in the backup to guarantee their recovery in case of accidental deletion.

🤔 Restore SMS Without Backup Using Dedicated Software

If no backup was made before the deletion of your SMS, all is not lost. You can still attempt to recover through data recovery software. These tools explore the internal memory of the phone to find deleted messages as long as they haven’t been overwritten by new data.

Among the available solutions, FonePaw – Android Data Recovery is one of the most commonly used software. It allows for in-depth analysis of the phone and displays recoverable messages. However, please note that full restoration requires a paid subscription.

Before using the software, specific options need to be enabled on your phone to allow it to access the deleted data.

1. Enable Developer Mode and USB Debugging

• Open the settings of your smartphone.
• Go to “About phone”.
• Tap 7 times on “Build number” until you see a message confirming that Developer Mode has been activated.
• Return to settings, then go to System > Developer options.
• Enable “USB Debugging” and confirm with OK.

2. Install and Configure FonePaw

• Download and install FonePaw – Android Data Recovery software on your computer.
• Launch the software and connect your smartphone to the computer using a USB cable.
• Allow the connection from your phone when the notification appears.

3. Scan and Recover Deleted Messages

• From the computer, select Messages, then click Next.
• Confirm the requested permissions on your phone and wait for the software to analyze the device.
• Once the analysis is complete, the list of deleted SMS will be displayed.
• Select the messages to restore, then click “Recover” to finalize the recovery.

This solution is most effective if you act quickly before the messages are overwritten. Avoid using your phone in the meantime. Additionally, some software may require root access, which can pose security risks. Keep in mind that recovery is not guaranteed to be 100% successful.

⏳ How Long Is a Deleted SMS Recoverable?

A deleted SMS is recoverable as long as it hasn’t been overwritten by new data. With a recycle bin, messages are retained for 30 days. With data recovery software, the longer you wait, the lower the chances become.

🧐 How to Avoid Losing SMS in the Future?

The best solution is to enable automatic backup through an integrated cloud service (Google One, Google Drive, Samsung Cloud, Xiaomi Cloud, etc.). You can also use an app like SMS Backup & Restore to create regular copies of your conversations. Finally, if you want to keep certain messages without saving them in your inbox, use the archiving feature available on many messaging apps.

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