Missing messages

[Webcat86]

This might be more of an iCloud question but so far it’s only on the iPhone.

I was deleting attachments from messages earlier and some entire messages, and my phone randomly deleted my entire message history with a contact. I hadn’t been deleting anything from this contact’s messages, which is why it’s so weird. It also removed them from the Pinned section in the message inbox, temporarily then restored them.

Weirdly, the entire message history is still on my iPad despite manually forcing the message sync on both devices multiple times.

Because the phone removed this person and then put them back, I am still a little hopeful it will all be restored. But it’s been a couple of hours now so it’s unlikely - but I feel like it must be a software glitch as its device specific, for now at least.

Does anyone know what may have caused it and if there’s a way to restore the messages?

 

[CharlesShaw]

In the Messages app on the iPhone, if you click on Edit (upper left), Show Recently Deleted you would see the conversation for that contact and can select it and click on Recover All. But keep in mind that it will also recover any of the attachments from that conversation that you have deleted.

 

[Webcat86]

In the Messages app on the iPhone, if you click on Edit (upper left), Show Recently Deleted you would see the conversation for that contact and can select it and click on Recover All. But keep in mind that it will also recover any of the attachments from that conversation that you have deleted.

I looked there but the chat wasn’t there. The phone has seemingly removed it of its own accord, I didn’t delete anything from it

 

[Fred Zed]

Try disabling iCloud sync for messages and then immediately turn it back plug iPhone to power. Then go into the messages app and every few mins look into the recently deleted messages and see it populate. Major issues I had. Lost hundreds of messages. Sometime between iOS 17 and 18 and or iPhone 14 pm to 16 pm upgrade more was lost.

 

[Webcat86]

Try disabling iCloud sync for messages and then immediately turn it back plug iPhone to power. Then go into the messages app and every few mins look into the recently deleted messages and see it populate. Major issues I had. Lost hundreds of messages. Sometime between iOS 17 and 18 and or iPhone 14 pm to 16 pm upgrade more was lost.

Do you mean disable iCloud sync just on the iPhone?

 

[Fred Zed]

Do you mean disable iCloud sync just on the iPhone?

Yes. On the device that you have messages missing. Then turn the switch back on and stay in the messages app plugged into power and watch it sync. Periodically look at the “Show recently deleted” messages. On mine during this process it would populate and as it would I’d “recover all “ and each time during the sync process the recently deleted would populate, I’d rinse and repeat until syn process was completed.

 

[Webcat86]

Yes. On the device that you have messages missing. Then turn the switch back on and stay in the messages app plugged into power and watch it sync. Periodically look at the “Show recently deleted” messages. On mine during this process it would populate and as it would I’d “recover all “ and each time during the sync process the recently deleted would populate, I’d rinse and repeat until syn process was completed.

My concern with this is, I’ve deliberately deleted a lot of messages and message attachments from this phone tonight. I expect they won’t delete from iCloud for 30 days, so if I disable and re-enable iCloud sync, will it bring down all the stuff I actually want deleted?

 

[Fred Zed]

My concern with this is, I’ve deliberately deleted a lot of messages and message attachments from this phone tonight. I expect they won’t delete from iCloud for 30 days, so if I disable and re-enable iCloud sync, will it bring down all the stuff I actually want deleted?

Just select and recover the ones that you didn’t delete if any are found. Worth a bunt.

 

[Webcat86]

Just select and recover the ones that you didn’t delete if any are found. Worth a bunt.

Thanks, this seems to have fixed it! The messages just went back into the chat, not into Recently Deleted.

 

[Fred Zed]

Thanks, this seems to have fixed it! The messages just went back into the chat, not into Recently Deleted.

Keep your eye on those messages as they might disappear again mysteriously. Something is going on with Apples side of the servers is my hunch. Not withstanding making sure having “forever “ selected in messages.