By Luka – The CometSMS November 2025

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It was 2 a.m. in a hostel in Chiang Mai.

I was clearing space on my phone for photos. One swipe. “Delete All Threads” → Confirm.

Gone. 6,200 messages. Two full years.

• The “Flight delayed 3 hours” text that saved my connection in Singapore
• The “Meet me at gate 12” from a friend in Tokyo
• The “Your hostel is overbooked” alert I ignored (and paid for)
• Every “I’m outside” from Grab drivers

Empty inbox. Heart in stomach.

48 hours later? Every text was back.

Here’s exactly how I did it — step-by-step, iPhone + Android, no paid apps, no tech degree.

Save this. You’ll need it one day.

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My 3 Rules Before You Start

1. STOP using your phone — new texts overwrite deleted ones
2. Turn on Airplane Mode — no new messages
3. Follow the steps in order — don’t skip

Let’s go.

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Method 1: iPhone – iCloud Backup (The Magic Button)

This saved me.

Step 1: Check Your Backup

1. Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Manage Storage → Backups
2. Look for a backup before you deleted
   • Mine: “This iPhone – Oct 15, 2025, 1:12 AM”

Step 2: Erase & Restore

1. Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings
2. When phone restarts → “Restore from iCloud Backup”
3. Pick the old backup
4. Wait (mine: 22 minutes)

Step 3: Open Messages

All 6,200 texts back. Photos. GIFs. Voice notes. Like I time-traveled.

Enable now: Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Messages → ON (Syncs forever)

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Method 2: iPhone – Recently Deleted (30-Day Window)

Only works if you deleted <30 days ago

1. Open Messages
2. Tap Edit (top left) → Show Recently Deleted
3. Select threads → Recover

Too late for me — but your lifeline if fresh.

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Method 3: Android – Google One Backup

My friend used this on his Pixel.

Step 1: Check Backup

1. Settings → Google → Backup
2. See “SMS Messages” → Last backup date

Step 2: Reset & Restore

1. Settings → System → Reset options → Erase all data
2. Set up → “Restore from backup”
3. Pick Google One backup
4. Wait (15 minutes)

Step 3: Open Messages

All texts restored. Even the “Your order is ready” from 7-Eleven.

Enable now: Settings → Google → Backup → Turn on

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Method 4: Android – SMS Backup & Restore App (Free)

My go-to for old phones.

App: SMS Backup & Restore (Play Store, free)

1. Install → Open
2. Backup → Select Messages
3. Save to Google Drive
4. After delete → Restore from backup

I recovered 1,800 texts from a 6-month-old file.

Set auto-backup: Weekly → Drive

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Method 5: Computer Scan (Last Resort)

If no backup:

Tool: iMazing (Mac/PC, free trial)

1. Connect phone
2. “Recover from Device” → Scan
3. Export deleted texts to CSV

I found 300 old texts from 2022. Not all — but better than zero.

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My “Never Lose Again” SMS System

Time: 2 minutes/week

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Export SMS to PDF (Keep Forever)

iPhone:

1. Open thread → Tap contact → Info → Share → Print → Save PDF

Android:

1. SMS Backup & Restore → Backup → Share → PDF

I saved my “Welcome to Japan” thread. Still read it when I miss Tokyo.

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Final Truth

Your deleted SMS live on your phone — until overwritten. One backup = one undo button.

I got 2 years back because:

• I stopped fast
• I had iCloud
• I didn’t panic

Do this now:

1. Turn on iCloud Messages or Google Backup
2. Download SMS Backup & Restore
3. Sleep better

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Safe texts, Luka The CometSMS – Because some messages are your story