5 Ways to View Old or Deleted iMessage History [iOS 18 Supported]

User Concern

“After upgrading to iOS 18, the iMessage history on my iPhone disappears. I had quite a substantial number of messages, and the viewer now shows none. What should I do?”

Are you looking for a particular message that you sent or received via iMessage? If you use iMessage a lot, you may have a problem browsing through your entire iMessage history to find it.

Or you have deleted important iMessages from your iPhone or iPad by mistake and then regret this decision later on. You may wonder if you can still view the deleted iMessages.

Don't worry! In this article, we will walk you through the steps of how to find old iMessages, as well as how to view deleted iMessage history. Keep reading to find out how.

Is It Possible to View iMessage History?

Yes, you can view your iMessage history with the search bar in the Messages app. If your iPhone is set never to delete messages, all old iMessages will be saved on the device, and you can view them at any time you want.

If you accidentally deleted the iMessages, you may wonder if viewing them is still possible. Well, you can do so if you have backed up your iPhone either with iCloud or iTunes.

However, if you do not have any backup of your iPhone, then viewing the deleted iMessages will be challenging. You should meet two conditions: the iMessages have not been overwritten by new data on your iPhone, and you have the right iPhone data recovery tool.

How Do I Check My iMessage History on My iPhone?

You can easily view iMessage history on your iPhone by using the Message app search box. Simply enter the keyword into the search bar, and all messages containing that keyword will appear.

1. Open the Messages app and drag your finger downwards across the screen to access the search function.
2. In the search bar, type in the keywords of the message or the name of the person you were texting to.
3. Then tap "Search" and look through the search results to find your desired message.

This method usually lets you find and view iMessages. However, it won't show messages you've already deleted. If your iMessages are gone, don't worry - we'll explain how to recover deleted iMessage history in the next section.

How to View Recently Deleted iMessage History on iPhone

Apple offers a built-in safety feature called the Recently Deleted folder, which temporarily stores deleted messages, allowing you to recover them. Here's how to use it:

1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap “Edit” on the conversations page. If Message Filtering is enabled, tap “Filters” first, then select “Show Recently Deleted.”
3. Select the conversation with the messages you want to restore, then tap “Recover Message” or “Recover [Number] Messages” to retrieve your deleted iMessage history.

How to View Deleted iMessage History from Computer

If the message is no longer in the Recently Deleted folder or you're using an older iOS version, you might need a third-party recovery tool. One of the best options is FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. It is user-friendly and lets you view existing data or recover deleted files directly from your iPhone, iPad, or from iTunes/iCloud backups.

Before we explain how to view deleted iMessage history on your PC or Mac, here are some reasons why this tool stands out:

• You can view both existing and deleted iMessage histories on your iPhone/iPad without backup.
• You can also extract and view iMessages in your iTunes and iCloud backup without resetting the device.
• Allows you to view and recover up to 18 different types of data, including photos, videos, contacts, WhatsApp, Viber, notes and many more.
• It is very easy to use, as we shall see shortly and allows for preview and selective data recovery.
• It is also compatible with the latest iOS devices and iPhone models, including iOS 18 and iPhone 16.

Download, install and run FoneGeek iPhone iMessage Recovery software on to your computer and then follow these simple steps to view deleted iMessage history:

Option 1: View Deleted iMessages on iPhone Directly

1. Select "Recover from iOS Device" from the main window and click "Start." Then Connect the iPhone to the computer and click "Next" to continue.
2. When the program detects your device, select "Messages" from the list of data types and then click "Scan".
3. The program will scan the device for both existing and deleted messages. When the scan is complete, you will be able to view the iMessages on the next screen.
4. If you need to keep them, select the files and click "Recover" to save them to your computer.

Option 2: View iMessage History from iTunes Backup

1. Choose “Recover from iTunes Backup” and click “Start,” you will see a list of iTunes backup files on your computer.
2. Select the backup containing the iMessages you want to view and click “Next.”
3. In the next window, choose “Messages” and click “Next” to start scanning the backup for iMessages.
4. Once the scan finishes, you’ll see the iMessages from the backup. Select the ones you want to save and click “Recover” to save them to your computer.

Option 3: View iMessage History from iCloud Backup

1. Launch the program, choose "Recover from iCloud" and click "Start". Sign in to your iCloud account and then choose the relevant backup file. Click "Download" to continue.
2. Select "Messages" as the type of data you would like to view, and then click "Scan" to allow the program to begin scanning the backup for the messages.
3. The program will download the messages from iCloud. When the download is complete, you can view the iMessages on the backup, select some you'd like to save and click "Recover".

More FAQs about iMessage History

Does Apple Keep iMessage History?

Apple does not store a history of your iMessages on its servers. iMessages are end-to-end encrypted and are only stored on your iPhone or iPad. However, if you have iCloud Messages enabled, your iMessage history is backed up and synced across your Apple devices. Apple states that these messages are encrypted and cannot be accessed by them.

How Long Does the iPhone Save iMessage History?

The iPhone saves iMessage history for 30 days by default, but you can modify this through the Settings app. You have the option to keep the iMessages for 30 days, for a year or forever.

If you choose to save the iMessage history forever, the messages will only be deleted when you remove them manually. And if you choose the other two options, the messages will be automatically deleted after that period.

Can I See Deleted iMessage History without Backup?

Yes, you can. If you want to view and recover deleted iMessage history but there is no backup, then you can try third-party data recovery software like FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery. This professional tool can scan your iPhone and recover deleted iMessages as long as the data hasn't been overwritten.

Conclusion

If you want to view your old iMessage history on your iPhone or iPad, this guide will help. In case you've deleted important iMessages by mistake, FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery is of great help to you. It can recover deleted iMessages, photos, contacts, and more from iPhone/iPad with or without backup. If you have any questions, problems or feedback about this program, let us know in the comments section below. Your feedback helps us improve the product and is always valuable to us.