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How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on an iPad

Text messages play an important part in people’s daily communication. Imagine when you accidentally deleted text messages such as iMessages, SMS or MMS in your mobile phone, you were eager to get them back for a vital reason. How to recover lost text messages? Don’t be distraught, there are several ways to recover your deleted text messages on an iPad. We will walk you through the solutions from the easiest and most convenient ways. Let’s begin that.

Recover deleted messages on iPad
How to Recover Deleted Text Messages on an iPad

Option 1: Get back your deleted text messages from synced iPhone or Mac.

Requirement:

  1. Besides iPad, you have an iPhone(one or more) or Mac synced with the same Apple ID.
  2. You have turned on the Messages app using iCloud.

Apple lets you sync your iMessages and Text messages via iCloud among your iPhone, iPad and Mac. If you have one more Apple Devices that logon into the same Apple ID and has messages sync enabled, you have backed up your text messages on the other synced devices.

Consequently, you can view your messages on the synced iPhone or redownload deleted messages on an iPad from iCloud.

Steps for Redownloading messages on an iPad:

  1. Go to Settings > iCloud > Messages, toggle the switch from on to off on your iPad. And Later toggle the switch to on.
  2. Wait for the Message app to download Messages from iCloud.
  3. Go to the Messages app to find your deleted messages there.

Option 2: Recover Messages from iTunes or iCloud Backup Visually on Third-party software.

Our expert editors choose the iPhone Data Recovery, which is smart and useful.

To recover text messages on an iPad with the app, you need to free download and install it on your PC or Mac.

If you have one backup either iTunes backup or iCloud backup, you can try this method. Remember that this will overwrite your current data on your iPad.

1. Recover from iTunes backup or iCloud Backup via the above SD iPhone Data Recovery.  Take “Recover from iTunes Backup” for example.

Step 1: Launch the app and head to “iPhone Data Recovery”.

start

Step 2: Choose Recover from iTunes Backup File. Select one of the backups from the list on the right pane.

Step 3: Click Start. The software will scan the backup files of iTunes on your computer, you can preview the messages of your backups and more data when the scanning is complete.

recover deleted messages on iPad

Step 4: Click Recover. And save the recovered messages.

Step 5. Open and view the recovered messages on your computer. The folder will open automatically on your computer when recovery is finished. It’s very easy for you to view the messages as a CSV table or Html local file.

2. Get back your messages via iTunes backup.

Open iTunes or Finder on your computer. Connect your iPad to the computer.

On the iTunes app, locate your iPhone by hitting the iPad icon on the top. On Finder, locate your iPad from the left menu. On the backup section, choose Restore. Then select from one of the most recent related backups. Confirm the choice. This action will cause your iPad data will be replaced by the selected backup.

3. Alternative: Recover iPad messages via iCloud backup.

To recover deleted iPad text messages, first, you need to reset your iPhone.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Later your iPhone will restart and reset, when you catch the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud Backup. Select one of the iCloud backups. Finally, when your iPhone bursts to life, go to the Messages and check the recovered text messages.

Option 2: Recover your deleted text messages on the iPad via iMessage recovery software.

SD iPhone Data Recovery software is capable of recovering text messages, app messages, attachments, contacts, reminders, calendars, photos, and videos from your iPad, or iPhone. We pick this software for its high efficiency and flexibility. This software lets you choose one or more types of files to recover, offering a resolution for no overwriting of your iPad.

To recover text messages on an iPad with the app, you need to free download and install it on your PC or Mac.

The SD iPhone Data recovery software will scan your iPad memory use its algorithm and recover it. The whole process is straightforward with on-screen directions.

Step 1: Launch the app and it will prompt you to connect your iOS devices.

startStart the app and head for the iPhone Data Recovery > Recover from the iOS Device module. Connect your iPad to your computer with a USB cable.

launch connectStep 2: Choose text messages and Start Scan.

The app will scan and list your files like a file explorer. Choose categories of files from the left pane and preview them on the right window. Besides deleted text messages, you can also recover deleted contacts, call logs, photos, app messages such as messages conversations on WhatsApp, WeChat, Line, Kik, Viber Messenger, and more. Depending on the size of the files scanned, it will take several moments to about 1 hour to complete.

Please be patient. When it completes, preview the lost messages by clicking Messages on the left directory. Select the specific deleted messages to recover.

recover deleted messages on iPadStep 3: Click Recover. And save the recovered messages.

Step 4. Open and view the recovered messages on your computer. The folder will open automatically on your computer when recovery is finished. It’s very easy for you to view the messages as a CSV table or Html local file.

As the snapshots show above, you can view your recovered messages as a .csv file or as a .html file.

view recovered messages as .csv file

view messages as local html

You can press “CTRL+F” to search the messages you deleted on all the recovered messages files.

Hope the article helps you to recover deleted text messages on your iPad. Make sure you make a good habit of backing up your iPad. Once you delete the data, you can retrieve it with a high success rate. If you want to know more about how to back up your iPad, refer to How to Back Up Your iPad. You may also want to read our articles on iPhone 8 “iPhone is Disabled Connect to iTunes”iPhone Unavailable BypassiPhone Security Lockout,  iPad Unavailable, How to Factory Reset iPhone 13 with ButtonsHow to Factory Reset iPad without Passcode or ComputerForgot iPhone 12 Passcode.

I am the chief editor of softwaredive.com. I have been engaged in software and computer gadgets fields for over 10 years, offering proven guides, tips, and software solutions in data recovery, and multimedia field.

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. If I retrieve my deleted text messages by going into iCloud back up will the messages then appear back on my phone or will I be able to view them in iCloud and not have them automatically appear on my phone? Once I open up my backup does can I select which messages I want to appear back on my phone?

    1. Hi Linda. If you retrieve your deleted text messages by going into iCloud backup(if they are there), the messages will automatically appear on your iPhone(including the other backups). You can’t open and select your messages through the iCloud method, but you can preview and select the messages or other types of files by scanning the backup via the above third-party software we mentioned.

  2. Hi Linda. If you retrieve your deleted text messages by going into iCloud backup(if they are there), the messages will automatically appear on your iPhone(including the other backups). You can’t open and select your messages through the iCloud method, but you can preview and select the messages or other types of files by scanning the backup via the above third-party software we mentioned.

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