Recovering accidentally erased SMS is not as difficult as it might seem. For this, many programs and applications have been developed that need to be understood.
Deleted Items Folder
It so happens that messages can be restored without resorting to third-party programs and utilities. If the “Deleted Items” or “Trash” folders are provided on your phone, then you won’t have to struggle for how to recover deleted SMS messages on Android (Samsung or Sony often place these folders on their phones). You can also connect the smartphone to the computer and search for the backup folder.
Unfortunately, such luck rarely happens. In most cases, the data recovery process still takes some time. Fortunately, there are enough ways, and at least one, but it should help.
What you need to restore
There is one more thing you need to know: it will become almost impossible to restore SMS if a number of conditions are not met:
- SMS messages should be stored on the SIM card, and not in the device’s memory.
- After deleting messages, the phone with the SIM card should not reboot, otherwise the cache memory will be erased, which will come in handy during recovery.
- SMS was deleted not so long ago.
If these conditions are met, then you can safely proceed to data recovery through special utilities.
Also, a special Sim-Reader will not hurt if you have one (which, however, is unlikely, because it is sold mainly abroad). It works in the manner of adapters for memory cards. It looks like an ordinary flash drive with a slot into which a SIM card is inserted. The flash drive itself is connected to the computer.
How to recover deleted SMS on Android using Android Data Recovery
If you think that in order to recover data on the phone, you need to be a programmer from God, then you are deeply mistaken. You just need the Android Data Recovery utility, even an inexperienced user can figure it out. In addition, the program is available in a trial free version, which is enough to restore SMS. To work with media files (photos, music, videos) you will have to buy the full version.
So, first you need to download the program from the official site and install it on your computer.
Before recovering deleted SMS on the phone (“Android”), connect your smartphone to the computer via a USB cable. At the same time, in the settings of the Android device , USB debugging must be enabled (put the phone in drive mode).
When you connect the phone to the computer, the first screen may display a window asking for permission to debug. Of course, allow, otherwise the synchronization will not happen.
Run the Android Data Recovery utility on your computer and make sure that the program sees your phone. Select the types of files you want to recover, and click Next. In the next window, select one of two options: “search only deleted files” or “show all files on the device” and click “Next” again.
Depending on your version of Android, a window may appear on the phone screen again, this time asking for confirmation of the utility’s access to the device’s system.
The process will start, and you will only have to wait. When the scan is complete, you can choose which files to recover.
Other SMS recovery utilities
Of course, Android Data Recovery is not the only program of its kind, and there are many alternatives. All of them are very similar in interface and capabilities, differing mainly in distribution conditions (in other words, some are free, others are not). Here is one of them.
PC INSPECTOR File Recovery is a completely free analogue of Android Data Recovery. An ideal utility for recovering media files on a computer or mobile device if you do not want to splurge. However, there are problems precisely with how to recover deleted SMS on Android: Sony and Samsung often do not recognize the program. In principle, problems can arise with smartphones of any manufacturers, so first try Android Data Recovery.
Is it possible to recover deleted SMS on Android through applications?
Suppose you don’t have a computer nearby, and you urgently need to restore a recently deleted SMS message. In this situation, the SMS Backup & Restore application can help you. The application is absolutely free, it is installed through the Play Market.
There is, however, one very unpleasant nuance: in order to restore SMS, the application will need backup copies of the data. Otherwise, nothing will work.
Therefore, it will not be superfluous to install SMS Backup for prevention, who knows when you accidentally erase a very important message. If you regularly back up, which is easily done through the application itself, then you will be ready for anything.
How to protect your data
Since we are talking about prevention, it will not be superfluous to tell you more about backing up your data.
So that in the future you do not have to puzzle over how to recover deleted SMS on Android, take care of the so-called “backup” in advance. There are many applications for this, for example, Titanium Backup.
This application will not only create backup copies of your SMS messages, photos, music, etc., but even save the settings of all applications. Suppose you unsuccessfully updated the firmware, and all the information has been erased. Thanks to Titanium Backup you don’t have to install everything from scratch - you will return everything in just a couple of minutes.
Titanium Backup allows you to backup one or more specific applications or all files and settings at once. To create the first backup, go to the “Backups” tab. Then open the Batch Actions menu and select whether you want to back up your applications or save all the data. Run the process. Backups are saved on the memory card.
Applications for which you are going to make backups regularly, you can mark with special labels through the "Main menu - Filters - Create label". Be sure to also set up automatic scheduled backups.
To use the application, you will need Root rights.