How to recover deleted text messages on Android
Both Google Messages and Samsung Messages now keep deleted chats in Trash for 30 days. After that, a backup is your best chance.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
For years, deleting a text on most Android phones was permanent. That has changed: Samsung Messages has had a Trash for a while, and Google Messages rolled out its own Trash to everyone in 2026. So there is a good chance your messages are still there. Start by working out which app you use, then follow the matching steps.
First, which messaging app do you use?
Most Android phones use Google Messages, including Pixel, Motorola and OnePlus, and many Samsung phones now ship with it too. Older Samsung phones use Samsung Messages. Open the app you text with: Google Messages has a blue icon with a speech bubble, and Samsung Messages has a white speech bubble on a blue or teal background. You can confirm in Settings › Apps › Default apps › SMS app.
How to recover deleted text messages on Android
The fix
Google Messages: Trash
- 1
Open Google Messages and tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
The menu also holds Archived, Spam & blocked and Messages settings, which are covered below.
- 2
Tap Trash.
You see deleted conversations with how long is left before they are removed.
- 3
Select the conversation and tap Restore.
Touch and hold to select more than one. The whole conversation comes back to your chat list; you cannot open or restore single messages while they are in Trash.
The fix
Samsung Messages: Trash
- 1
Open Messages and tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
Make sure you are on the main conversation list, not inside a chat.
- 2
Tap Trash. On some versions it is called Recycle bin.
- 3
Touch and hold the conversation and tap Restore.
Tap All at the top to select everything, then Restore all.
The Google Messages steps are the same on Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus, Samsung and any other phone that uses it. If you do not see Trash in the menu, open the Play Store, search for Google Messages and tap Update. The feature reached all users during 2026, but an old version of the app will not have it.
No Trash in Samsung Messages? It may have been switched off. Open the three dots menu, tap Settings and look for Trash or Recycle bin, and turn it on. It only protects messages you delete from now on, but it means the next accident is easy to undo.
Not in Trash? Check these folders
- Archived: in Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then Archived. Archived chats are hidden from the main list but not deleted. Open the chat and tap Unarchive.
- Spam & blocked: messages marked as spam, or from a number you blocked, go here. In Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then Spam & blocked. In Samsung Messages, check Blocked numbers and spam in the three dots menu.
- Search: use the search bar in the app for a word or name. Sometimes a conversation merged into another thread under a different number.
Before you try anything drastic
- Do not factory reset the phone just to look for messages. Check Trash, Archived, Spam and Samsung Cloud first; a reset is only needed for a Google backup restore.
- Do not clear the messaging app’s storage or data in Settings › Apps. That can empty Trash too.
- Make a note of roughly when the messages were deleted. It tells you which backup, if any, still has them.
After 30 days: restore from a backup
The fix
Samsung Cloud (no reset needed)
- 1
Open Settings and tap Accounts and backup.
You need to be signed in to the Samsung account that made the backup.
- 2
Under Samsung Cloud, tap Restore data.
Connect to Wi-Fi first, since backups can be large.
- 3
Choose your phone’s backup, select Messages and tap Restore.
Check the backup date first. Only messages that were in that backup come back, so pick the most recent one from before you deleted them.
The fix
Google backup (needs a reset)
- 1
Check the backup date.
Go to Settings › Google › Backup, or one.google.com/storage, and see when messages were last backed up.
- 2
Back up anything new you want to keep, such as photos and WhatsApp.
- 3
Factory reset and restore the backup during setup.
Android only restores a Google backup while setting up the phone. See our guide to restoring Android from a Google backup. This replaces what is on the phone, so it is a last resort.
Messages deleting themselves?
- Samsung Messages: open the three dots › Settings › More settings and check Delete old messages. When it is on, the oldest texts are removed once a conversation reaches a set limit.
- Google Messages: open your profile picture › Messages settings › Message organization and check Auto-delete OTPs after 24 hours. It only removes one-time verification codes, not normal texts.
- Storage full: a nearly full phone can fail to save new messages. Keep at least a few gigabytes free.
Using Google Messages on a computer?
Google Messages for web mirrors the app on your phone. Deleting a chat on the computer deletes it on the phone as well, and it goes to the same Trash, so restore it from the phone. The web version is not a separate copy you can recover from.
Texts missing after switching phones
If your messages disappeared when you moved to a new Android phone, they were probably not copied rather than deleted. Keep the old phone if you still have it. Between Samsung phones, run Smart Switch again and select Messages. Between other brands, the new phone copies messages during setup when you choose to copy from your old phone or a Google backup. If you skipped that step, the only way to bring them across is to reset the new phone and set it up again, choosing the backup. Moving from iPhone? iMessages come across with the Switch to Android app during setup.
Photos from deleted texts
Pictures sent in texts are sometimes saved separately. Open Google Photos or Samsung Gallery and look for a Messages album or folder. If you saved a photo from the chat, it is in your gallery, and deleted gallery photos have their own Trash or Recycle bin for 30 days.
Deleted WhatsApp chats are different
WhatsApp does not use your phone’s messaging Trash. Its chats come back only from a WhatsApp backup in Google Drive or on the phone. Check the date in WhatsApp › Settings › Chats › Chat backup, then uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp and choose Restore when asked. Messages sent after the last backup are lost.
What about recovery apps?
Search results for this topic are full of companies selling recovery software. On older Android phones, some could scan storage for deleted texts. Modern Android encrypts storage and keeps each app’s data private, so without rooting the phone, which weakens its security and can void the warranty, these tools usually cannot reach deleted messages. At best, they read an existing backup. Try every free option above first, and never pay before the app shows you the actual messages it found.
How to never lose texts again
- Keep Trash turned on in your messaging app’s settings. It is on by default, but some people switch it off.
- Turn on Google backup in Settings › Google › Backup, or Samsung Cloud backup in Settings › Accounts and backup, with Messages included.
- For important messages, such as receipts, legal or medical texts, take screenshots or forward them to your email.
- Archive conversations instead of deleting them when you just want a tidy list. Archived chats stay searchable and never expire.
Frequently asked questions
How long do deleted texts stay in Trash on Android?
30 days in both Google Messages and Samsung Messages. On Android Go phones, Google Messages keeps them for 7 days. After that they are deleted for good.
Do recovery apps really work?
On modern Android, rarely. Storage is encrypted and apps cannot read another app’s data without root access. Try Trash and backups first, and do not pay before an app shows you results.
Can my carrier give me the messages?
Most US carriers do not keep message content, only dates and numbers. RCS chats are also not stored by the carrier in a form they can hand back to you.
Why can’t I find the Trash folder?
Check which messaging app is your default, update it from the Play Store, and make sure Trash has not been turned off in that app’s settings.
What to try next
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