# FoneLab does NOT work, especially on newer iPhones



## TheTruthAboutFoneLab (Jun 26, 2020)

So many people posting here saying "use fonelab" and I think someone needs to give an honest take on this. 

I have used fonelab on a test phone (iPhone 5) that I sent/deleted some messages on, wrote/deleted notes and contacts etc etc..

It appeared to work. It did recover pretty much ALL of the deleted content on the iPhone 5.

I have just tried the same with an IPhone 11 and it had not recovered ANY deleted content.

I can say with 100% certainty that it has completely failed to find any deleted messages through imessage, sms, whatsapp or messenger.

I'm interested to hear other peoples experiences with this, but I feel the newbies should be warned. This is expensive software that does not work and may in fact lull you into a false sense of security when you find nothing.


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## MattMatt (May 19, 2012)

This is the official site Tech Specifications of Aiseesoft FoneLab


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## TheTruthAboutFoneLab (Jun 26, 2020)

A little further info for those who come across this thread by search or suggestion...

So the issue with fonelab and indeed pretty much EVERY publicly available iPhone recovery software now (inc. iPhone backup extractor etc) is that the phone technology and software has essentially closed the exploit that these programs were previously able to use to some success. 

Early IOS versions had a significant delay in their database refresh and clean up schedules. Basically what this meant was, data that was deleted (messages, photos, call logs etc etc) by a user would be marked on the data base as deleted (or more correctly, marked as no longer relevant or active data and the space available for new data if required, or to be properly cleaned when the schedule occurred in its own time). Early versions generally had plenty of available space for data, so most of the time the "deleted" data would remain available for recovery for sometimes years, or until the scheduled database refresh and reallocation had occurred. Days, weeks, months, even years of "deleted" data might be available depending on the OS version and the phones available disk space and regularity of use. 

So these programs were previously able to pull the sql databases and translate the data marked as deleted back into a viewable format. Like I said above, I have done it with an IPhone 5 for example many times over the years and whilst a real world heavily used phone gave a more limited return (but still did return), the test phone that I use for nothing but testing and therefore has had limited data and daily use is able to recover _everything_ in perfectly clear "as advertised" format. Wish it was still that easy!

New iOS versions clean this database system up in their backend processes almost instantaneously. If a text or call or other item is deleted immediately after its sent or the conversation finished, its likely wiped from the phone within seconds to minutes. Gone for good, irretrievable. 

Current model iPhones certainly run this version and I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this means that if you have been relying on this software for answers these days, you are very likely blissfully unaware of deleted content now. 

I cant see how this issue can be fixed. The phone hard deletes (for general intent and purpose here) the content before you could possibly get a chance to recover it from the phone. 

The only way around this is a live reporting spy app that captures the data in real time, but that's a moral hurdle (and legal one) that really needs some serious consideration to justify crossing.


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## TheTruthAboutFoneLab (Jun 26, 2020)

Here is an article that touches on this in more easy to understand language... hope its OK to link.









How to Permanently Delete Text Messages on Your iPhone


Deleting text messages on your iPhone may seem like a pretty simple task, but it's those really simple tasks that usually end up causing headaches later on. Data can stick around, even if you asked it not to, so there's always a slight chance that embarrassing and incriminating texts you...




ios.gadgethacks.com


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## faithfulman (Jun 4, 2018)

This is accurate as far as I know. Even Fonelab states on their site that as of ios13 retrieving deleted texts etc. are difficult if not impossible to recover.


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## TheTruthAboutFoneLab (Jun 26, 2020)

Its not just Fonelab though, its EVERY one of these "iPhone Recovery" products. Many of them are actually just the same generic clone software of Dr Phone etc, just with the name/logo and other minor user interface graphics changed to appear different. The fact is, no matter what software you use and what it _claims_ it can do, IT CAN'T. 

Admittedly, some of these products have various degrees of success with early iOS versions, but basically every iPhone in use in the world as of right now will have auto updated its iOS version to at least iOS 12 already now (Which may recover an EXTREMELY limited amount of data, so little that anything you do get is probably useless) and it's likely that these have all since auto updated to the latest iOS 13 by now anyway, which will give ZERO deleted data recovery. 

As already said, the phone cleans up the database mere seconds after the user deleting a message and the entry no longer exists. It is completely wiped from the table. 

In any case, the mere process of even running the backup will destroy any data that somehow is left in the phone, because when you plug the phone in and begin the backup process, the first thing that happens is the SQLite tables will merge, forcing it to essentially create a brand new database, which will not include the deleted sections of the pre-merged tables. So backing up the phone wipes any remaining deleted data in order to create the backup, before it backs it up!

If the program claims to work on iOS13 for data/message/whatsapp or any other program recovery, they are point blank lying.

Now

The question is, what does work?


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## faithfulman (Jun 4, 2018)

Okay, okay, I think we get it!

But you did choose the name: @TheTruthAboutFoneLab and then got into Fonelab specifically.

That's why I wrote that Fonelab does state as of ios 13 retrieval of deleted data is unlikely.

Everything you say is true as far as my research. And it is helpful information.

Now do you have any helpful information for folks as for what they can do, even if it isn't phone data recovery?


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

faithfulman said:


> Okay, okay, I think we get it!
> 
> But you did choose the name: @TheTruthAboutFoneLab and then got into Fonelab specifically.
> 
> ...


How about linking your iPad to a modern version iPhone?
At one time this worked, or was helpful.


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## faithfulman (Jun 4, 2018)

SunCMars said:


> How about linking your iPad to a modern version iPhone?
> At one time this worked, or was helpful.


This works, but there are pitfalls:


When the secondary "spy device" is added, it triggers an alert on the main device. 
The secondary device is also viewable as a linked device via the iPhone settings menu.
This always works to view imessages (iPhone to iPhone) on the secondary device, but not always SMS (iPhone to Android) and I am not certain why. 
The biggest issue is that recovery software gave you a look into the past, which cheaters always lie about. 

Phone monitoring of any type cannot give you that "look back" to before the betrayed spouse uncovered the cheating.


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

I have no problem with recovering past speech, past happenings, and past endeavors.

The past is a myth. 

The sense of Time is a phenomenon of higher life forms. 

There is, well, I see it as a 'ring', circular in appearance that has everything that we sense present. All occurrences, past and future are 'in' there. 

Ah, past and future, that illusion.

_THRD_, calls it the Collective Consciousness. He borrowed the term from others, CG Jung, the likely originator added an 'un' to the word consciousness, viz., Collective Unconsciousness. I am sure it has some Buddhist undertones.

The ring is made up of 'Archetypes', again a Jungian term. Everything can be reduced to symbols, subject to mathematical formulas that matter 'must' conform to.

There is not a paper trail available to see, but there are patterns that allow myself and other adepts to go to an earlier time. 

Not time, rather that, seemingly time-felt sense.

I am not human, as you know, and I am rather the exception here. 


_King Brian _of Dublin, prior being from the 6th Dimension.

PS-
Why am I revealing *this in this post? No one will likely 'catch it'. They are busy rooting around in other more mundane threads!


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## Laurentium (May 21, 2017)

SunCMars said:


> Why am I revealing *this in this post? No one will likely 'catch it'. They are busy rooting around in other more mundane threads!


Oh, we are keeping our eyes open


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## SunCMars (Feb 29, 2016)

Oh, your NSA and military intelligence agencies have the means to capture all the data they need. Most phones now are, (point to point) airborne, and satellite driven

Once launched, our phone data and signals are available for the plucking. Encryption is always an ongoing battle. The phone builders cannot continue to reinvent their software to prevent intrusions, without making it flaky, ponderous and slow.


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## resiliencesholdwin (Jun 15, 2020)

Any solutions for Android?


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## TheTruthAboutFoneLab (Jun 26, 2020)

Not sure what the current status of these apps is with Android phones. I actually have both Android and iPhone versions of the software on my laptop for testing purposes, but I haven't tested the android version for many years now. 

I will give it a try on Monday on a Galaxy S7, Note 8, Note 10 and just to get away from Samsung and the Knox security software, I'll give it a test on a Sony Experia. 

Just off the top of my head, I have my doubts as to how successful it will be on a Samsung with Knox, especially if it requires rooting. I also know for a fact that it won't retrieve any kind of details or content of any kind from apps like "Signal Messenger" (this stands for both iPhone and Android), deleted or undeleted, because Signal uses secure containers to store the data (messages etc) and even if it were possible to read the data in those containers (which its not), if the user has any clue about OpSec, they will have implemented the pass phrase to open app requirement, which keeps the data in an encrypted state until that pass phrase is entered each time.


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## Jasel (Jan 8, 2013)

Been on this site and a couple of others like it for like 7 years now. I've lost count how many times I've seen FoneLab recommended. Not once have I ever heard anyone claimed to have used it and it actually worked in all that time. People still keep recommending it though. Go figure. Maybe someone else knows people who it worked for.


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