"I've been using an iPhone 15 for a while and have accumulated a lot of text messages over time. For privacy and storage reasons, I want to make sure that some of these messages are permanently deleted. I'm aware of the basic deletion process, but I'm not sure if this is enough to ensure that the messages are completely irrecoverable. Can someone guide me through the steps to permanently delete text messages from an iPhone? Also, is there a way to confirm that these messages are indeed permanently deleted and not just hidden or archived somewhere?"
- from Apple Community
Do you have the same question? You clearly deleted your text messages, but they appeared again when you searched with Spotlight? What's the matter? How can I delete these text messages for real? You've come to the right place! In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps on how to permanently delete messages on iPhone. No more worrying about old texts lingering on your device. Let's get started!
The best way to permanently delete messages from your iPhone is using Coolmuster iOS Eraser. It is a professional data-erasing tool designed for iOS devices. With this tool, you can delete various types of data, not limited to messages, from your iOS device. iOS Eraser ensures that previously deleted data is 100% unrecoverable by thoroughly overwriting it, even with the professional iPhone data recovery tool.
It is important to note that while conducting permanent erasure, the app will delete files on your iPhone in passing. It is highly recommended that you back up and restore your iPhone before and after you erase text messages on your iPhone.
Key Features:
Download and install Coolmuster iOS Eraser on your computer. After you download it, would you like to see how it works?
Here is how to permanently delete messages on iPhone using Coolmuster iOS Eraser:
01Install and open the app. Then, connect the iPhone containing the texts to be permanently deleted to the PC via a USB cord. At the sight of "Erase" on the windows below, please tap it to go to the next step.
02Choose the security level for erasing. To delete messages permanently, kindly advise you to choose "Medium Level" or "High Level". After that, Please click "OK" to continue.
03Enter the word "delete" in the blank field for confirmation, then proceed by clicking the "Erase" button. Upon the prompt asking if you are certain about completely erasing your phone data, click the "OK" button to initiate the process.
Video Tutorial:
When you delete texts on your iPhone, these deleted messages, in fact, are not destroyed; they are only hidden in database files. While there are new messages, the new ones randomly cover the deleted messages, and the deleted ones still exist in the database.
As a result, even though these fragmental files were covered by new messages many times, the deleted texts can still be recovered by professional data recovery tools from debris files. There are four ways you can try to erase deleted texts from iPhone.
To ensure the complete removal of your messages, you may need to consider data that may not reside on your iPhone – specifically, your backups. Even older backups might retain copies of text messages you deleted. Therefore, if you choose to restore your iPhone using one of these backups, those messages will also be reinstated.
Step 1. Open the "Settings" app and select "iCloud". Next, click "Manage Storage", located under the "Storage" section.
Step 2. Under "Backups", choose the specific iPhone backup associated with your iCloud account.
Step 3. Finally, press "Delete Backup" and then "Turn Off & Delete" to remove the backup from iCloud.
Step 1. Launch iTunes.
Step 2. Select "iTunes" from the menu bar and then choose "Preferences".
Step 3. Click on "Devices". A list of all devices with a backup stored on your computer will appear.
Step 4. Choose the backup you want to remove.
Step 5. Click on "Delete Backup", located in the bottom-right corner.
Step 6. Confirm the deletion on the pop-up window by clicking "Delete", then press "OK" to exit the preferences.
Regularly syncing your iPhone with iCloud or iTunes ensures that the data you've designated for deletion gets permanently erased. In other words, if you delete a text message on your iPhone and then sync it with iCloud or iTunes, the deleted message will be removed permanently.
After the iPhone is connected to the computer, start iTunes and sync text messages on the iPhone to iTunes. Then, delete them on your iPhone. iTunes will automatically synchronize after detection.
However, because the texts in the original iPhone have been deleted, iTunes cannot detect the messages. Thus, it won't sync iMessage to your iPhone. Namely, iTunes deleted it on the device by default. Here is how to permanently delete text messages from iPhone:
Step 1. Open the iTunes and link your iPhone to your PC. Then, choose your iPhone name from the upper-right corner of the page.
Step 2. Click "Summary" from the upper-left corner and tick "This Computer" below the "Backups" menu in the middle of the interface.
Step 3. Tap "Back Up Now" to back up your iPhone messages, and then hit "Done" in the lower right corner. After that, you can erase your text messages on your iPhone.
Compared with the method to delete text messages from iTunes, it's much easier to delete iMessages from iCloud. Besides, these two means enjoy the same fundamental, which is backing up data first and then deleting texts on your iPhone. Here is how to delete messages on iPhone permanently:
Step 1. Access the "Settings" on your iPhone, select "[your name]", and proceed to "iCloud", then "iCloud Backup".
Step 2. Upon enabling iCloud Backup, click "Back Up Now" to initiate the backup process.
All your data will be lost when you restore factory settings. So, do remember to back up your data before factory restore settings in case other useful data is lost if you don't want to find a new host for your iPhone. Here is how to completely delete text messages from iPhone:
Step 1. Navigate to the "Settings" app and select "General".
Step 2. Scroll down to the bottom and tap on "Reset".
Step 3. Choose "Erase All Content and Settings", and input your passcode if required.
Step 4. Tap "Erase iPhone" and confirm by tapping "Erase iPhone" once more.
Step 5. Wait for your iPhone to complete the wiping process and restart. Proceed to set it up as a new device.
You can implement measures to make it challenging to locate text messages. Deleted messages won't surface in a Spotlight search unless Spotlight is actively searching for them. You have control over the apps that Spotlight includes in its search and those it excludes. Here is how to completely delete messages from iPhone:
Step 1. Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Go to "General" and then "Spotlight Search".
Step 3. Find "Messages" in the list and toggle the switch to disable it.
We introduced five methods on how to permanently delete messages on iPhone in this guide. Of course, if you want to permanently delete messages, leaving zero opportunity to recover, I suggest you use Coolmuster iOS Eraser. As a professional software for data deletion, it offers three erasure levels, which can safely delete your messages in a short time. This is the very app well worth considering taking away your trouble. Thus, why not download it to permanently delete text messages now?
Remind you again that, before the deletion, you need to make a backup for important data, whether you want to permanently delete iPhone messages, delete unwanted files, or release memory for upgrading your iOS system before you donate or resell your iPhone.
Related Articles:
How to Permanently Delete Text Messages on Android?
[Full Guide] How to Delete Messages from iCloud But Not iPhone?
How to Turn Off Recently Deleted Messages on iPhone? Things You Need to Know
iPhone Deletes Text Messages Automatically? Why and How to Recover
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