How long do text messages stay on your iPhone?
Unless you take action, your iPhone will keep a permanent copy of all of your messages forever. You can delete an entire conversation by swiping left on it in your iPhone's Messages app. To delete individual messages, tap and hold on the message until you see the pop-up menu, then tap it to get to the trash can.
How long will an iPhone keep text messages?
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, SMS, MMS, Apple Messages for Business, and iMessages are backed up in iCloud and encrypted if you have enabled either iCloud Backup or Messages in iCloud.
Do iPhone messages delete after time?
Automatically delete old messages You can delete messages and attachments that are older than 30 days or a year old, on an ongoing basis. Go to Settings > Messages. Scroll down, tap Keep Messages (below Message History), then choose an option.
How far back can text messages be retrieved?
In the United States, there is no set time limit for how far back text messages can be subpoenaed from phone companies or iPhones by the FBI. The government can subpoena past records going back as far as they exist. Most phone companies keep records for 1-2 years.
How far back can you see text messages on iPhone?
Generally, your iPhone will keep all text messages and iMessages unless you delete them manually or make changes to the retention time. Apple offers users the option to keep text messages for the past 30 days, the past year, or permanently. You can go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages to have a check.
Are my texts saved forever?
Probably not—although there are exceptions. Most cell phone carriers don't permanently save the enormous amount of text-message data that is sent between users every day. AT&T Wireless, for example, says it keeps sent text messages for 48 hours only—after that, they are wiped off the system.
Are iPhone text messages deleted forever?
You can only recover messages and conversations that you deleted within the last 30 to 40 days. If you delete a message before you update to iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later, you can't recover that message.
Are iMessages kept forever?
However, just because you erase texts on Apple and Android products doesn't mean they're gone for good, according to an expert on the Apple Support Community and Business Insider. They will be hidden, but they may still be saved in system data or elsewhere with your cellphone carrier.
Does iPhone save old messages?
The old messages are retained on your old device in its memory until/unless you Erase All Content and Settings on your old device. Unlike other devices, iPhones do not store anything on the SIM card, so it doesn't matter whether your old device has an activated SIM card or not.
How far back does deleted messages go on iPhone?
You can restore messages you deleted for up to 30 days.
How long are my text messages stored?
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. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint do not keep the contents of text messages.
Does iCloud save text messages?
When you set up iCloud for Messages, your messages are stored in the cloud, with only the most recently accessed Messages stored locally on your device. You can see them on any device that's set up for iCloud and Messages, including your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.
How can I get old text messages from years ago on my iPhone?
Scan iCloud Backup for Old Messages Sign in to iCloud and then select the most relevant iCloud backup. Click “Next” to allow the program to analyze the backup for all messages. Step 2. Select “Message” in the next window and then click “Scan” to begin.
How long do texts stay on my iPhone?
If the message is more than 30 days old, it likely won't be there, but there is one more place you can look for it! If you have another Apple device, like an iPad or computer, that's also connected to your account, the message may still live in the inbox on that device.
Do old texts disappear on iPhone?
1. Check the Message History Setting on your iPhone or iPad. On your iPhone choose Settings > Messages and double-check to see if your “Message History” is set to “Forever.” If it is, that's a good sign that your messages will never be automatically deleted.
How many text messages are stored on iPhone?
Apple has now revealed, in Knowledge Base article #306427, that the limit for SMS messages is 1000, adding: “If iPhone indicates your SMS mailbox is almost full, just delete some SMS messages. You can delete a conversation by swiping left or right over a conversation and tapping Delete.”
Do old texts disappear on iPhone?
1. Check the Message History Setting on your iPhone or iPad. On your iPhone choose Settings > Messages and double-check to see if your “Message History” is set to “Forever.” If it is, that's a good sign that your messages will never be automatically deleted.
Is there a way to permanently save text messages on iPhone?
If you want to save your entire message thread, the best way to print out text messages on an iPhone is to use a third-party app called iMazing. This app allows you to export your messages as a PDF file, which you can then print from your computer or save as a digital copy.
Does iPhone save old messages?
The old messages are retained on your old device in its memory until/unless you Erase All Content and Settings on your old device. Unlike other devices, iPhones do not store anything on the SIM card, so it doesn't matter whether your old device has an activated SIM card or not.
How long are my text messages stored?
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. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint do not keep the contents of text messages.
Can old texts be recovered?
The other way to restore your data in this case is to initiate a factory reset. When your phone prompts you to sign into your Google account, use the account you used to backup your data in the first place. Finally, just choose the “SMS Messages” button to recover your texts.
Do cell phone companies keep 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.
Are texts really deleted?
Clearing or deleting your messages on your devices doesn't mean the data is permanently gone, it's just been filed away differently.
How to tell if your girlfriend is deleting texts on iPhone?
If you're suspicious someone is deleting their messages, I'm gonna show you how to see them. All you have to do is go to settings, click general iPhone storage, and click imessage. Finally, you want to click Top Conversations. And here you're gonna see.
Do iPhone messages delete themselves?
Why are my messages disappearing on iPhone? One possible reason is that you set your iPhone to keep the messages for only 30 days or 1 year. In addition, iOS updates may also delete some types of data on the device including text messages. Sometimes, you may also delete your message by mistake but you don't know it.
Do iPhone messages delete permanently?
But staying up to date with iOS doesn't mean your text messages aren't still lingering out there somewhere. Deleted SMS, MMS, and iMessages can be found in your iCloud backup files, iTunes backup files, and even hiding in the Messages app on your Mac computer.