For this to work, you must have previously activated iMessage on the other device. Without iCloud, you might just find the said thread on the other device. But it also means that iCloud makes sure to delete a message from all the devices. If you use Messages with iCloud, it syncs your messages to all devices, so you have the same view everywhere. But this only works if you use the same Apple ID on these devices and also don’t use Messages with iCloud.

If you accidentally deleted an iMessage thread from your iPhone but also have an iPad or a Mac, or another iPhone even, there’s hope for you. But does it mean they are lost forever? Or is there some hope to salvage some of it? Well, fortunately, there are a few things you can try to recover your messages in case of a mishap. Now, there’s no bin or trash you can recover these messages from. So no wonder it’s a blow if these precious iMessage threads are deleted by accident. One search of the keyword and we can revisit that information any time without having to awkwardly ask for it again. There is a lot of important stuff saved in these conversations too. They fuel our nostalgia, and many of us are clinging to years-old threads just because we don’t want to delete them.Īnd it’s not like they’re only good for a trip down memory lane. You can get it back with these tipsįor a medium that’s not as intimate as other forms of communication, there’s an odd sense of attachment many of us feel for old conversation threads. You of course will now have lost any messages from the time the backup was made, but I'm guessing those old messages were more important.Accidentally deleting an iMessage thread is not the end. Go back in to Containers and do the same for. Pick a suitable date and restore Messages. Go back up and enter Time Machine (Top right side, with the clock rewinding). Rename Messages (Message-old), and go in to Containers and rename in the same way. Open Finder, use Option -> Go (option then shows extra hidden menu option) and select Library. Next, ctrl click iMessages and select Quit (two finger tap). In iMessage, use Preferences -> Accounts, and sign out of everything. If you don't have, and you have shared iMessages on your other iOS devices those deleted messages are probably there still.

Time Machine is brilliant and I highly recommend everybody to have this device. So my updated instructions are:įirstly, you need a Time Machine backup. After following the instructions and not getting anywhere, I figured out that you also have to restore. I've just done this myself on El Capitan.

How to see deleted messages on mac