Have you deleted an important message on your smartphone and now don’t know how to get it back? The situation is familiar to many: an accidental click, a reset, or even the malicious intent of third parties can lead to the loss of valuable correspondence. Fortunately, there are several ways to recover deleted SMS, instant messenger chats and even media files - but success depends on how quickly you act and what tools you use. Android There are several ways to recover deleted SMS, instant messenger chats, and even media files—but success depends on how quickly you act and what tools you use.

In this article we will look at all current methods from standard backup functions to professional utilities that work even without root access. You will learn which data can be returned with a guarantee, and where you will have to rely on luck. Important: some methods require preliminary configuration, so if you have not yet lost messages - make a backup right now.

The content of the article is based on testing on devices with Android 10–14 (including Samsung One UI, Xiaomi MIUI, Google Pixel i stock Android). For owners of phones with custom firmware or old OS versions (below Android 8.0), some of the methods may not work - we will warn you about this separately.

1. Restoring via Google backups

The most reliable way to get back deleted messages is to use automatic backup, which is enabled by default on most modern smartphones. If you've ever signed in Google on your device, there's a good chance that your SMS and app data are stored in the cloud.

To check and restore your backup:

  1. Open Settings → Google → Backup.
  2. Make sure that the function Backup to Google Drive is active and indicates a recent date (for example, "Last backup: 2 hours ago").
  3. If there is a copy, reset the phone to factory settings (Settings → System → Reset) and during the first setup, select restoring from a backup.

⚠️ Attention: This method deletes all current data on the phone and replaces them with the state at the time the backup was created copies. If you added new contacts or files after the last backup, they will be lost. Also, recovery only works for SMS/MMS —chat in instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) are stored separately.

📊 You regularly make backup copies of your smartphone?
Yes, automatically to the cloud
Yes, manually to the computer
No, I never did
I don’t know how it works

2. Recovering SMS through the Messages application from Google

If you use the standard application Google Messages (installed by default on Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus and other devices), you have a chance to recover deleted SMS without resetting the phone. Function Archive i Cart works similarly to an email client:

  • 📱 Open the application Messages and tap on the three dots in the upper right corner.
  • 🗑️ Select Trash —deleted messages are stored here for 30 days.
  • 🔄 Click on the desired chat, then select Recover.
  • 📤 If the trash bin is empty, check Archive —sometimes messages go there instead of being deleted.

💡 Helpful tip: In the application settings (Messages → Settings → Advanced), you can enable the option Auto-delete from trash after 30 days. If it is disabled, messages will be stored longer.

Make sure you are using the Google Messages app (not Samsung Messages or other)

Check the "Trash" and "Archive" folders

Check the date of the last backup in Google Drive

Connect your phone to Wi-Fi to speed up recovery-->

3. Specialized apps for data recovery

If there are no backups, and messages are critical, you will have to use third-party utilities. There are dozens of apps on the market, but we tested only those without mandatory root access. The best options: really work on Android 12–14 without mandatory root access. Best options:

app Data types root access Free version
DiskDigger SMS, photos, documents Not required Yes (with restrictions)
EaseUS MobiSaver SMS, WhatsApp chats, contacts Needed for deep scanning No (3-day trial)
Dr.Fone (Wondershare) SMS, messengers, media Not necessary No (paid)
GT Recovery SMS, calls, WhatsApp Required Yes (advertising)

🔧 Step-by-step guide for DiskDigger (the simplest option):

  1. Download and install DiskDigger from Google Play.
  2. Launch the application and select Basic Scan (without root) or Full Scan (with root).
  3. Wait for the scan to complete (may take up to 30 minutes).
  4. Tick the required messages and click Recover.
  5. Save the recovered data to the cloud or to a memory card.

⚠️ Attention: The longer you use the phone after deleting messages, the less chance of their recovery. New data overwrite deleted memory sectors, so immediately after losing information:

  • 🚫 Do not install new applications.
  • 📵 Do not remove photos/videos.
  • 🔄 Do not update the OS.

4. Restoring chats in instant messengers

SMS is not the only type of messages that can be restored. Popular instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) have their own backup and recovery mechanisms. Let's look at each separately.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp automatically creates backup copies of chats in Google Drive (or iCloud for iOS). To restore correspondence:

  1. Delete and reinstall WhatsApp.
  2. When you first start, enter the same phone number that was used previously.
  3. Follow the system prompts - the application will offer to restore chats from the latest copy.

📌 Key point: Copies are created only when connected to Wi-Fi and no more than once a day. If you deleted the message immediately after the backup, it will not be saved.

Telegram

In Telegram there are two types of chats:

  • 🌩️ Cloud chats (regular dialogues) - stored on servers and restored automatically when you log in to your account on a new device.
  • 🔒 Secret chats - are not backed up and are permanently deleted when the history is cleared.

To return cloud messages:

  1. Log in Telegram on another device (or after reinstallation).
  2. All chats and media files will be downloaded automatically.

Viber

Viber offers backup manually:

  1. Open Settings → Account → Backup.
  2. Click Create a copy and save the file to Google Drive or memory card.
  3. To restore, reinstall Viber and select the option Restore from backup.
What to do if the WhatsApp backup is not is being restored?

If the error “Failed to restore chats” appears when restoring WhatsApp, try the following:

1. Make sure you are using the same Google account to which the copy is linked.

2. Make sure there is enough free space on your phone (at least 2–3 GB is needed).

3. Connect to another Wi-Fi network (sometimes ISP blocking interferes with downloading).

4. Delete the WhatsApp folder manually (/sdcard/WhatsApp/) and repeat the installation.

If all else fails, the copy may have been damaged or deleted from Google Drive.

5. Recovery via ADB (for advanced users)

If you are ready to work with the command line, you can try extracting messages directly from system files Android using ADB (Android Debug Bridge). This method works without root, but requires connecting the phone to the computer.

🛠️ Instructions:

  1. Enable USB Debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About phone → Build number — tap 7 times, then return to Settings → System → For Developers).
  2. Connect your phone to the PC and install ADB (download Platform Tools from Google).
  3. Open a command line in the folder with ADB and run:
adb backup -f C:\backup.ab -apk -obb -shared -all -nosystem

adb restore C:\backup.ab

This command will create a complete backup of data (including SMS), which can then be restored. However:

  • 🔐 Not all manufacturers allow SMS backup via ADB (for example, Xiaomi and Huawei may block this function).
  • 📦 Restoration will replace the current data with phone.

⚠️ Attention: Commands ADB can break the operation of the phoneif entered incorrectly. Do not use this method if you are not sure of your actions.

6. Contacting the telecom operator

As a last resort, you can try to request the SMS history from your mobile operator. According to the law of the Russian Federation ("On Communications", Article 64), operators are required to store data about subscribers for 6 months, but in practice:

  • 📞 MTS, Beeline, MegaFon and Tele2 can provide a printout of the SMS upon official request.
  • 📄 This will require a passport and a written application (sometimes through a notary).
  • ⏳ Request processing time - from 3 up to 30 days.
  • 💰 The service may be paid (for example, the MTS cost is about 500 rubles).

📢 Important: Operators do not store the contents of messages — only metadata (number sender, date, time). If you need the SMS texts themselves, this method will not help.

💡

Before contacting the operator, check the conditions by calling the hotline. For example, Beeline has a feedback form in your personal account, where you can request call and SMS history without visiting the office.

7. When recovery is impossible

Unfortunately, not all messages can be returned. Here are the cases when the chances tend to zero:

  • 🗓️ More than 30 days have passed since the deletion (even Google backups store SMS for a limited time).
  • 🔄 The phone was reset to factory settings without prior backup.
  • 📱 Device stolen or lost - without physical access, recovery is almost impossible.
  • 🛡️ The phone has data encryption enabled (for example, on Samsung Knox), and you do not know the password.
  • 🧹 The function Irreversible deletion (for example, in Signal or Session).

🔍 What to do in such cases?

  • Try to remember if you sent copies of important messages to email or another messenger.
  • Contact the sender/recipient - they may have saved correspondence.
  • If we are talking about legally significant messages (for example, confirmation of payment), request a statement from the bank or service.
💡

The sooner you begin to act after deleting messages, the higher the chances of success. The optimal time for recovery is the first 24–48 hours.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about message recovery

Is it possible to recover messages if the phone does not turn on?

If the phone is physically broken (does not turn on, broken screen), but the internal memory is intact, you can remove the memory chip (eMMC or UFS) and connect it to a special programmer (for example, UFI Box or EasyJTAG). This is an expensive procedure (from 5,000 rubles), which is performed in service centers. Success depends on the phone model and the type of damage.

Do recovery apps work on phones with Android 14?

Yes, but with reservations. Starting from Android 10, Google has tightened the rules for access to data, therefore:

  • Without root apps will only be able to recover those files that have not been overwritten.
  • On Samsung i Xiaomi You may need to disable Knox or MIUI Optimization in the developer settings.
  • Some utilities (for example, Dr.Fone) require a USB connection in mode Transfer files (MTP).
How to protect messages from accidental deletion in the future?

To avoid data loss:

  1. Enable automatic backup in Google Drive (Settings → Google → Backup).
  2. For instant messengers (WhatsApp, Viber), set up a daily backup to the cloud.
  3. Use applications for archiving SMS, for example SMS Backup & Restore.
  4. Regularly export important chats to a file (in Telegram this is done through Export history in the chat settings).
Is it possible to recover messages from secret chats Telegram?

No. Secret chats in Telegram use end-to-end encryption and are not synchronized with the cloud. Once deleted, they disappear irretrievablyeven if you back up the entire phone. The only way to save such messages is to manually take screenshots or export the chat before clearing it.

Is it true that after a factory reset, messages are deleted forever?

Not really. When resetting data to factory settings, data are not physically erased. - simply deletes links to them in the file system. Specialized apps (for example, R-Studio or Autopsy) can restore fragments of information, but:

  • This requires rootrights and deep knowledge.
  • Success depends on how much new data was written after the reset.
  • For SMS, the chances are extremely low - they are stored in a database that is overwritten during the reset.

If the reset was made a long time ago (a week or more ago), recovery is unlikely.