Recover Deleted Text Messages from an Android SD Card

If you recently deleted a text message conversation from an Android phone by accident and you're frantically trying to recover it, you may be in luck! Since deleting files on Android only marks those files' memory space as available, you have the ability to recover them as long as you don't overwrite the space with any new information beforehand using data recovery software and your computer. Here are a couple of different options for file recovery if you work quickly.

Steps

Recovering Data from an Unrooted Android

1. Turn off your data immediately. If you just recently deleted a text conversation by accident, its memory space likely hasn't been overwritten yet. To ensure the preservation of this memory space, turn off you phone's data and wifi features in the Settings menu. This will prevent future calls, messages, or notifications from taking up space on your SD card where the deleted messages might be lurking.
2. Download an SMS recovery tool. On your computer, search for an SMS recovery tool, keeping in mind your phone's operating system as well as your computer's. You'll find that, though there are virtually endless options for recovery software, only a handful are both reputable and pertinent to newer operating systems. Once you've selected your recovery tool, download it and install it to your computer.
   • A fair amount of the best-recommended recovery tools mandate root access, so stick with the classics. Recuva is a great free file recovery software option with an intuitive interface and easy installation; its wide range of compatibility should put it at the top of your list.
   • 7-Data Recovery Suite is another basic option, though you'll have to use its free trial if you don't want to pay for software--in this case, the trial allows 1 GB of data recovery.
   • DiskDigger is a younger but fantastic alternative to Recuva that recently divorced itself from root-access exclusivity, and it should work on any current operating system.
3. Boot up your SMS recovery software. After you've installed your SMS recovery tool, open it and familiarize yourself with its layout. Most recovery software on the market comes with step-by-step instructions as part of its interface, but if yours is lacking in that department for some reason, you may have to do some outside research.
   • Most recovery software will at least include a tutorial or a "Read Me" file as part of the download package.
4. Plug in your Android's USB. With your SMS recovery software active, hook your Android up to the factory-issued USB charger and plug it into your computer's USB bank.
5. Activate your phone's USB Debugging. On Android 4.2 or newer, go to your Settings menu, find and tap "Developer Options", and select "Enable USB debugging". If you don't have access to Developer Options, go to "About Phone" and scroll down to "Build Number". Tap "Build Number" seven times; a message saying that you have entered Developer Mode should pop up. From here, you should be able to enable USB debugging.
   • On Android 3.0 to 4.1, from the main Settings menu, go to Developer Options and then check USB Debugging.
   • On Android 2.3 or earlier, from Settings, go to Applications, then Development, and then check USB Debugging.
6. Follow your SMS recovery tool's instructions. Since there isn't one specific software version you'll be using, you're more or less at the mercy of your program's accessibility. Once you've activated USB debugging, your software should give you the option to scan any available hard drives; your Android should be one such hard drive. Select your device and let the software do the work.
   • For the purposes of text message retrieval, you'll want to select a "lost file recovery" service if your software gives you several options.
7. Browse your Android's files. After the scan is complete--anywhere from a few seconds to half an hour, depending on the size of your selected files--look through any files your software located. If you're looking for text messages in particular, you're liable to find them in the "data" folder; consider simply selecting this whole folder for recovery.
   • Unless you know exactly what you're doing, leave files such as the system cache alone; otherwise, you run the risk of damaging your phone.
8. Recover the files in question. When you've found the files you want to restore, select these files and click the relevant button (something to the effect of "Recover Files" should do).
   • If your software has an option to back up files to your computer, consider doing this as well--especially for sensitive documents and data.
9. Protect your future messages and data. To keep accidental deletions from happening in the future, consider downloading an Android data backup client like SMS Backup & Restore or Easy Backup & Restore, both of which are free on Google Play.

Recovering Data from a Rooted Android

1. Consider your options. If you've rooted your phone, you have a wider variety of options regarding your course of action: specifically, you can choose between apps that you download to retrieve your text messages from within your digital memory without having to connect to a computer, and any one of many professional-grade recovery software clients. As always, research your options to determine what will be best for your situation.
   • Although you do have the opportunity to download apps to aid in this process, your best bet is always to hook your phone up to recovery software on a computer; keeping your data on to download anything prolongs your exposure to further texts and calls, reducing the likelihood that you will be able to retrieve your deleted message.
2. Turn off your phone's data. As soon as you possibly can, switch over to airplane mode to keep your Android from overwriting disk space with new messages or calls. You can also elect to turn your phone off if you won't be able to connect to a computer for a few hours.
3. Download recovery software of your choosing. Since your phone has root access, you can can use pretty much any SMS recovery software you like; Wondershare and FonePaw Android Data Recovery are both highly-recommended clients that boast compatibility with most Android operating systems to date. Note that, while you will have to pay for the full version of most SMS recovery programs, almost all of them have a comprehensive free trial that should cover you in your time of need.
   • The most commonly-used app for recovering messages is called Undeleter; you will also have to pay for this if you want to recover extensive information, but its low price and immediate availability in the Google Play store make it an attractive option for those on the go.
   • If you don't want to spend money or you're having trouble with software compatibility, try freeware like Recuva or DiskDigger. Both of these are free, easy-to-use platforms that have proven their compatibility with just about every kind of hard drive out there.
4. Install and run your recovery software. If you've elected to download an app for this process, turn off your data now and run the app. Follow the onscreen instructions as they appear--your recovery process should progress very quickly from this point on! If you're using software, however, you'll need to install it to your computer before running. Once the installation is complete, boot up your recovery software.
5. Plug in your Android's USB. With your SMS recovery software active, hook your Android up to the factory-issued USB charger and plug it into your computer's USB bank.
6. Activate your phone's USB Debugging. On Android 4.2 or newer, go to your Settings menu, find and tap "Developer Options", and select "Enable USB debugging". If you don't have access to Developer Options, go to "About Phone" and scroll down to "Build Number". Tap "Build Number" seven times; a message saying that you have entered Developer Mode should pop up. From here, you should be able to enable USB debugging.
   • On Android 2.3 or earlier, from Settings, go to Applications, then Development, and then check USB Debugging.
   • On Android 3.0 to 4.1, from the main Settings menu, go to Developer Options and then check USB Debugging.
7. Follow your SMS recovery tool's instructions. If you've chosen to stick with the recovery software, follow the instructions on your computer screen. Once you've activated USB debugging, your software should give you the option to scan any available hard drives; your Android should be one such hard drive. Select your device and let the software do the work.
   • For the purposes of text message retrieval, you'll want to select a "lost file recovery" service if your software gives you several options (Wondershare and FonePaw both offer alternate media recovery in addition to basic data).
8. Browse your Android's files. After the scan is complete--anywhere from a few seconds to half an hour, depending on the size of your selected files--look through any files your software located. If you're looking for text messages in particular, you're liable to find them in the "data" folder; consider simply selecting this whole folder for recovery, since you can pick and choose which messages you want to keep from within the phone.
   • Unless you know exactly what you're doing, leave files such as the system cache alone; otherwise, you run the risk of damaging your phone.
9. Recover the files in question. When you've found the files you want to restore, select these files and click the relevant button (something to the effect of "Recover Files" should do).
   • If your software has an option to back up files to your computer, consider doing this as well--especially for sensitive documents and data.
10. Protect your future messages and data. To keep accidental deletions from happening in the future, consider downloading an Android data backup client like SMS Backup & Restore or Easy Backup & Restore, both of which are free on Google Play. In all likelihood, you won't be able to reuse your software client's free trial again, so backing up your phone regularly will be the cheapest--and safest--option.

Tips

• As Android continues to implement newer operating systems, some of this software will invariable become defunct. This is perhaps the best reason for you to do your research before downloading a recovery tool.
• In extreme cases--such as your message being linked to a police investigation--your carrier will often cooperate with you to help retrieve messages, since carriers retain data for a short amount of time after you clear it. Be sure to research your specific carrier's data retention policy before contacting them.
• For the most seamless operation possible, use the USB that came with your phone (or a manufacturer-approved equivalent thereof). While this isn't crucial, using third-party hardware during phone debugging is riskier than not.
• If at all possible, choose an easy-to-use, general access program like Recuva or DiskDigger that doesn't require root access and has a minimal interface. Neither of these programs charges you for a download, and they've been proven to work on just about anything with a hard drive.

Warnings

• Make sure your antivirus software is running before you download recovery software. Since Android SMS recovery is an incredibly hot topic on Google, you always run the risk of downloading malware masquerading as a helpful tool.
• If you don't know what a file is, don't touch it! You can severely damage your Android's functionality by altering system files.
• Rooting your Android voids your warranty and, if done improperly, can damage your phone. Don't root your Android unless you're absolutely certain of what you're doing.
• Back up your files often--you never know when something like this will happen!

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Be Polite when Texting
• Access Google Backup on an Android
• Make a Calendar Event for Android
• Use Voice to Navigate Roads on Android
• Set up an Android
• Connect Air Pods to an Android Device
• Send SMS Texts to a Signal Contact
• Paste on Android
• Copy Text on Android
• Turn on WiFi on Android

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• Retrieve Deleted Texts