How do I permanently delete messages?

Permanently delete a single message
  1. Open the conversation containing the message you'd like to delete. Click the 3-dot icon at the top right corner of the individual message you want to delete.
  2. Click Delete permanently.
  3. A warning will pop up to confirm the permanent deletion. Click Delete to confirm.


Can text messages be deleted permanently?

Deleting Texts From Your Android Phone

You can delete individual texts or conversations within your messaging app. For individual texts, hover over the text you want to delete within the conversation and select the trash can icon in the top right corner to delete.

How do I permanently delete deleted text messages from my iPhone?

Within a conversation, touch and hold the message bubble to open an options menu. Tap More . Tap the Trash button , then tap Delete Message.


How do I permanently delete messages from my phone?

Here's how: Long-press the message thread you'd like to remove. It will highlight with a checkmark. Tap on the trash can icon at the bottom and confirm.

Can someone else see my deleted text messages?

Myth: When you delete a text, it's gone.

You can recover it or delete it permanently right then and there. That also means anyone can see your deleted messages if they have your passcode. Here's the good news: Text messages you unsend do not appear in the recently deleted messages file.


How to permanently delete messages on Android



Do deleted text messages get stored?

After a month, the Recycle bin permanently deletes the message. Open the Messages app on your Samsung phone. Tap on the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and open the Recycle bin. Check your deleted text messages.

How long are deleted text messages kept?

They sit on the company's server for anywhere from three days to three months, depending on the company's policy. Verizon holds texts for up to five days and Virgin Mobile keeps them for 90 days.

Can police read text messages that have been deleted?

Deleted text messages are usually retrievable from a phone, but before beginning the process, law enforcement officers would need to obtain a court order. Once obtained, officers can use mobile device forensic tools (MDFTs) to extract any data from a device, including emails, texts, images and location data.


Where do messages go when deleted?

The Android operating system stores text messages in the phone's memory, so if they're deleted, there's no way to retrieve them. You can, however, install a text message backup application from the Android market that allows you to restore any deleted text messages.

Are deleted texts stored on Iphone?

In ‌iOS 16‌, Apple has added a new "Recently Deleted" section to its Messages app that aggregates all of the text messages that you've deleted in the last 30 days. That means if you accidentally delete a message and wish to recover it, you can now do so right in the Messages app interface.

How do I permanently delete text messages from iCloud?

Delete texts and attachments in Messages
  1. In a message conversation, touch and hold the message bubble or attachment that you want to delete.
  2. Tap More.
  3. Tap Delete , then tap Delete Message. If you want to delete all messages in the thread tap Delete All, in the upper-left corner. Then tap Delete Conversation.


Can deleted messages be retrieved?

Restore Deleted Text Messages With a Backup

If you have enabled Google Drive backups on your Android phone, you can restore your backup to recover the deleted text messages. The main caveat with using this method is that, to restore your backup, you will have to reset your phone to the factory settings.

Are deleted messages deleted forever?

“Messages can be recovered as long as they are not overwritten.” Note that receiving new messages may also force the deletion of the text messages you're trying to save, so turn your phone on Airplane mode immediately after you realized that important messages were deleted.

Why do deleted messages still show up?

The deleted texts may reappear on Android when the Backup feature of Google Drive is enabled on Android. Due to this, the phone may keep forwarding the copy of deleted text messages to your phone.


Do deleted text messages save to iCloud?

In the Messages app , you can delete messages and entire conversations from your device. With Messages in iCloud, anything you delete from iPhone is also deleted from your other Apple devices where Messages in iCloud is turned on.

How does the FBI recover deleted text messages?

So, can police recover deleted pictures, texts, and files from a phone? The answer is yes—by using special tools, they can find data that hasn't been overwritten yet. However, by using encryption methods, you can ensure your data is kept private, even after deletion.

How long are text messages saved by phone companies?

All of the providers retained records of the date and time of the text message and the parties to the message for time periods ranging from sixty days to seven years. However, the majority of cellular service providers do not save the content of text messages at all.


Can your phone company retrieve deleted text messages?

Carriers have an extensive database to keep messages even after it has been deleted. Hence, you can reach out to your carrier to retrieve deleted text messages from another phone for free. Some carriers do not give direct access to sleeted text messages.

Where are deleted messages on iPhone?

How to Recover Deleted Messages on iPhone in the Messages App (iOS 16)
  1. Open the Messages app and tap Edit in the top left corner.
  2. From the menu that appears, tap Show Recently Deleted.
  3. You'll see a list of all conversations deleted within the last 30 days, with the number of days remaining listed on the left.


How long are texts stored in iCloud?

You can choose to automatically delete your iMessages from your device after 30 days or a year, or to keep them on your device forever. For your convenience, iMessages are backed up in iCloud and encrypted if you have enabled either iCloud Backup or Messages in iCloud.


How long does iPhone keep text messages?

By default, the iPhone keeps all messages forever (or until you manually delete them). If you prefer, tap "30 Days" or '1 Year." If you do, the iPhone will automatically discard your messages after the selected time period.

Can you see all texts on iCloud?

Any messages currently stored in iCloud are now accessible on your Mac, and any new messages you receive on your Mac will be stored in iCloud. Note: If you want to see SMS and MMS messages on your Mac, see the Apple Support article How to forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your iPad, iPod touch or Mac.

How to recover permanently deleted text messages without backup?

To Recover Deleted Messages from Android without Backup
  1. Get DroidKit downloaded and installed, and open it on your computer.
  2. Choose the Deep Recovery from Device. ...
  3. Choose Messages to scan. ...
  4. Make sure your phone is connected and click on the Start button.
  5. The program will automatically check your Android's Root Status.


Can the person who pays for your phone see your text messages?

Your provider or "carrier" keeps records of your cellphone use, including calls and text messages, and even pictures sent from your phone. Almost all cellphone carriers give detailed information about a phone's use in billing statements sent to the owner.

What happens to deleted text messages?

When you delete a piece of data from your device — a photo, video, text or document — it doesn't vanish. Instead, your device labels that space as available to be overwritten by new information.