Retrieve All your Text Messages on Your New iPhone From iCloud (on iOS 16 Too)

Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by Jason Ben


Imagine having just bought Apple's latest model, the iPhone 13 that you have waited patiently all night until it’s fully charged and are now going through the steps of setting it up; loading your Apple account, installing the apps you want, and setting the time, date, and location.

Then, comes the realisation that you are missing something. That familiarity created by what really made your old iPhone unique; Your messages, and along with them, all those special memories, confidential data, and important snippets from your personal life.

Thus, you wonder; is it possible to retrieve all your texts to your new iPhone?

Apparently, it is, and this is how!

#1 Apple's official method: How to Restore your Messages on your new iPhone from iCloud

To begin with, let us try Apple's way. This is the way Apple recommends we retrieve messages and any data from iCloud to any of its iPhones. Unfortunately, this way also involves wiping all the data on your new iPhone.

However, this shouldn't be too much of a problem, since you have probably just set it up and haven't had the chance to fill it with photos and videos. But even if you haven’t, there is a way to back it all up before you move on.

If you are ready, then let's begin:

  • Switch on your iPhone and go to Settings.
  • Then, go to General - Reset and tap on Erase All Contents.
  • Once this is done, you will get back to the set-up screen.
  • Follow the steps until you get to Apps & Data.
  • There, select Restore from iCloud Backup. Then put in your Apple ID and password to log-in to your iCloud account.
  • After that you will see all your backups. Choose the messages along with whatever else you want.

Your iPhone will do the rest automatically. All you have to do is make sure that you stay online for the duration of the restoration process.

#2 How to restore your messages from iCloud.com

This second method depends a little bit on luck as it needs you to live in a region where text messages are automatically stored in the cloud as if it were a regular backup performed by the device itself.

But there is no need to check your region to see if this service is available. All you have to do is go to iCloud.com and check to see if your messages are there.

Here's what you should do:

  • Go to iCloud.com, enter your username and password to log in with your account.
  • You will see a list of apps, among them, there’s a messages icon. Tap it.
  • Search among the text messages and select the ones you want to retrieve.
  • Go to your iPhone, open Settings and tap on your name.
  • Select iCloud and disable Messages.
  • A prompt window will appear. Choose the Keep On My iPhone option.
  • Tap on Merge and wait for a bit. The messages you selected in the previous steps will appear on the screen.

#3 How to retrieve your messages from iCloud with echoshare iOS Data Recovery

Now it's time to move onto the good stuff.

What if there’s a way that you neither have to lose all your data to retrieve your messages from iCloud nor go through a lengthy setup process where you have to fill in all those forms and check all the boxes.

Instead, with echoshare iOS data recovery you can get all your messages back from iCloud in the fastest and easiest way possible. And that is not all:

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  • You can recover lost or deleted Photos, Videos, Contacts, Call Log, SMS, iMessages, Notes, App Data and anything else you can think of. Not just the things you have uploaded yourself.
  • Unlike the traditional iCloud or iTunes backup options, you can actually do a selective restore - only retrieve those important messages to your iPhone and leave the rest behind
  • You can retrieve WhatsApp/Kik/Line/Viber/Facebook Messenger Messages and multimedia.
  • What is more, you will also be able to fix a lot of iOS Errors without losing data.
  • And all that in a very lightweight and easy-to-use app.

So, avoid all the hassle and let echoshare iOS data recovery take care of everything.

  • Download the app on your computer through the buttons below.
  • Launch it and click on iPhone Data Recovery
  • Go to the Recover from iCloud tab and sign into your iCloud account.
  • Then you will see a list of iCloud Backups to choose from. Select the one you want and click Download.
  • The app will download your backup on your computer. Then, all you have to do is connect your iPhone via USB and transfer everything to it.

#4 Alternative: How to retrieve deleted messages without iCloud

Even if you have accidentally deleted your messages before uploading them to iCloud, there is no need for concern. Despite the fact that those messages should be completely gone, there are still ways to retrieve them.

Even though something is deleted there is always a trace left on the device that can be extracted with the right tools.

And the best tool for this is echoshare iOS Data Recovery. It will help you retrieve all your deleted messages whether they are found on the iCloud or the device itself.

Here’s how we’ll do that:

Step 1: Launch the app and connect your iOS Device to your computer.

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Once the program detects your device, it will show you a menu where you can select the file types you want to retrieve. Select messages.

Tip: Before launching the app, download the latest version of iTunes. Do not launch it but it is better to have it on your computer

Step 2: Scan your iPhone for deleted and lost messages.

Click the "Start Scan" button to scan your iPhone for deleted or lost data. This might take a few minutes, depending on how much data you’ll extract.

Step 3: Preview and retrieve the data you found.

Once you are done, you can see all the scanned files. You can check the "Only display the deleted items" option to see only the deleted files found. Then save the data on your computer by clicking the recovery button.

Conclusion

Getting a new iPhone is definitely fun, and for some, even a necessary yearly ritual. However, this fun ends as soon as one realises that they have to retrieve everything, messages, photos etc. to their iPhone from iCloud.

Yet, things are not as difficult as they seem to be. There are plenty of ways to retrieve your messages from iCloud even if you have already set it up. One of them, in particular doesn't even involve the hassle of hard resetting your phone or going through a million steps, and that is echoshare iOS data recovery.

FAQs

1Does iCloud save deleted text messages?
Once you have deleted a message on your iCloud, it is gone for good. iCloud doesn't save deleted text messages. However, there are still ways to retrieve lost and deleted messages.
2Can someone read my texts through iCloud?
iCloud allows you to view all synced messages that you have sent or received, so long as you haven't deleted them. This means that anyone that has access to your iCloud credentials can also see all your messages online.