Tech expert warns your iPhone's deleted messages aren't really gone

We’ve all done it - one inadvertent slip of the thumb and you’ve accidentally deleted a text message that you needed.

No one would blame you for stressing out but before you go into complete panic mode, one tech expert has shared a sage piece of advice that’ll save you any hassle.

Jen Dove - known online as techgirljen - has earned herself a fanbase of nearly 300,000 followers and 1.8 million likes on TikTok by offering up her insight on all things tech related.

There is a way to recover deleted messages (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

And one particularly usual tip she’s lifted the lid on is the fact that when you delete messages on your iPhone, they aren’t really gone.

In fact, Apple gives you up to 45 days from the time of deleting to recover a text if you decide that you actually need it.

Speaking to UNILAD Tech, Jen said: “Messages are kept for up to 45 days on your phone, and they're set in a folder, and a lot of people don't know where to find that folder.

“You can manually go to that folder and delete whatever is in there.”

So, how do you recover a deleted message?

First, you’ll need to go to the Messages app on your iPhone and open up the conversation list.

There’s an Edit button in the top left corner and clicking that will show you Recently Deleted.

From there you can select the conversations whose messages you wish to restore before tapping Recover.

Tech expert Jen offers her insight on social media (TikTok/@techgirljen)

This will take you to a Recover Messages option and clicking it will bring back the message you previously deleted.

It’s important to note that deleting and recovering messages will only change what texts appear for you - it won’t remove them from your recipient’s phone.

If you delete a message using the Undo Send function, this message will be permanently deleted and you won’t be able to find it to recover.

With the hype around the iOS 18 update allowing users to now hide their apps, Jen also shared a little-known hack that’s now available.

She continued: “If you don't want to hide them, let's say you have kids and they're using your phone when you're at a restaurant or whatever, and you have an app or two that you don't want them to access, you can just lock it with Face ID now.”

This can be done by pressing on the app and holding it until the options appear.