# How to recover deleted text messages on an Android Phone?



## Susie42 (Sep 23, 2013)

How do I recover deleted text messages from an android phone?


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## GusPolinski (Jan 21, 2014)

Make/model/provider/Android version?


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## pyroman5000 (Sep 25, 2015)

I have much, much experience with the android operating system, down to the very kernel and file structures. For the majority of phones, it's possible but very tricky.

*Unfortunately*
Most versions of the android operating system don't keep deleted messages in storage, to save space, so there's no easy way to just tap through a few menus and see whats been deleted. There exist third-party apps that will keep backups of all messages, and silently keep a copy even after they've been deleted, but it only works for messages sent/received after the app has been installed.

*Check PC backups*
If the phone has a windows/macos app that keeps the phone backed up, there's a chance the messages can be stored away in there, but obviously it will only contain messages as recent as the last time the phone was synced.

*Free space recovery* for emergencies
Most recoveries revolve around scanning the phones free space, searching for recently deleted messages. These methods are slow, unreliable, and work best only immediately after the message was deleted. Basically, when a message is deleted, the system deletes the file in which the message was stored. Most systems don't go through the time-consuming process of making sure the file is actually deleted, but rather marks it as deleted and hides it. The next time a file needs to be saved (whether its a picture or an app update), if it needs that space it will quickly take it, and the deleted file will be gone forever. These recovery processes involve plugging into a PC, getting low-level access to the phones file system, and using clunky poorly-written windows applications.


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## Susie42 (Sep 23, 2013)

PM sent to you.


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## Susie42 (Sep 23, 2013)

pyroman5000 said:


> I have much, much experience with the android operating system, down to the very kernel and file structures. For the majority of phones, it's possible but very tricky.
> 
> *Unfortunately*
> Most versions of the android operating system don't keep deleted messages in storage, to save space, so there's no easy way to just tap through a few menus and see whats been deleted. There exist third-party apps that will keep backups of all messages, and silently keep a copy even after they've been deleted, but it only works for messages sent/received after the app has been installed.
> ...


PM sent to you!


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## Purple*Orchid (Aug 7, 2016)

You can

1. Install a key logger on said phone. They are virtually undetectable. Will record everything and will be sent remotely to an email.

2. Call the phone provider to get call and text logs from 3 months back (I believe) but you have to be named on the account to do so, but I'm not exactly sure what you will get with text logs. I don't know if u get the actual text messages or the date/time and number they were sent from/to?

There is really no way to get them back once deleted.


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## KJ_Simmons (Jan 12, 2016)

90% of the spy programs out there are crap and/or money traps.

Dr. Share Wonderfone is free and can "kind of" retrieve deleted texts, but you may only see bits and pieces of the original text. It could still give you an idea of the volume of texts to a number though. But you could just get that from your service provider.


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## AnnLilles (Apr 25, 2017)

Different software has different advantages and disadvantages. You can read this page https://www.cleverfiles.com/android-data-recovery.html It can scan the internal memory and recover your lost sms and contacts from Android. What's more, Disk Drill can restore media files like music, photos, videos easily.


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