Within a few weeks or months, we receive so many text messages that finding a specific part of a conversation is almost impossible. Scrolling through messages for hours would not even get us close to finding it. How would you feel if we told you there was a better way?
You no longer need to manually search through your text messages and iMessages. With today’s technology, you can now automate the process of searching through your messages and do something that used to take you hours in the past in just a few seconds.
On the iPhone, you can search through your messages in a few different ways. In the first step, go to the messages app and search for them. If you accidentally deleted the message or messages you wanted to search for, there is even a way to do that (with the help of a third-party piece of software). Here are three methods to consider without further ado.
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Searching Messages Directly in the Messages App
Using this method is the easiest way to sort through your texts. There is a native search option within the messaging app, so you won’t need any third-party services, and it will search your entire history. You only need your phone and a keyword to complete the following steps.
You can search for specific texts by doing the following:
- On your home screen, tap the Messages app.
- You can access the search box at the top of the screen by swiping down from the main messages app (not a conversation).
- Using the box provided, you can search for messages containing the keyword(s) you entered.
- If you click on the conversation that features the message, you will be taken directly to that message.
You can search by the user’s contact name or by any keyword. If you’re looking for an address without knowing any of the keywords, try searching for ‘Street,’ ‘Avenue,’ or even the city name. Choose the option that most closely matches your search criteria from the list that appears.
Searching For Deleted Messages
Things become more challenging when conversations containing the messages you are looking for have been deleted. However, you aren’t completely out of luck. We’ll walk you through the steps to search for deleted messages in this section.
You should start by looking at your other Apple devices. Whatever device you have, whether it’s an iPad, an iPhone, a Mac, or even an Apple Watch, that’s where we’ll start. It is not uncommon for a deleted message to remain on another device after you delete it from your iPhone. You can find your missing texts by opening the texting application on any of these devices.
The next step is to check if your messages are backed up to the iCloud (unfortunately, you cannot see them without performing an iCloud restore). To add iCloud to your iPhone, open the Settings app, tap on your name at the top, and then tap on iCloud. Look for the ‘Messages’ option at the bottom of the page. It may be worthwhile to perform a factory reset and restore your last iCloud backup if you have Messages enabled. Still, this is a bit risky since you may lose some other important information.
Finally, there are third-party software programs that can help you retrieve deleted messages. You will need to download and use a computer program to accomplish this. Many different ones are available, such as FoneDog and Dr. Fone. You can eventually find your old messages by downloading the program and following the prompts. When we delete messages from our phones, they actually stay on our phones for a while longer in the background, until space is needed.
It’s just a matter of being cautious about which software you use. The majority of websites promise results and charge a fee for the service. You will also need to grant the software access to all of your personal information. If you decide to try one, be sure to read the reviews and make sure there is a money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Its user-friendly interface is one of Apple’s most recognizable features. However, there is always something new to learn. Continue reading if you have any questions.
The instructions we’ve listed above are pretty much the same for iOS and macOS. You can search for messages on a Mac by opening the text app on your computer and typing in keywords in the search bar.
In contrast to mobile devices, macOS doesn’t give us a preview of the message, so you’ll have to click on each contact until you find the right one. That is, unless you know which contact sent you the message you need.
When you find the message you’re looking for, you may want to save it to your Notes or send it to someone. Fortunately, this is a simple process. Using your iPhone, long-press the text and select ‘Copy.’ Then, go to a new text, your Notes, or wherever you want to store the message, and long-press anywhere in a blank space to select ‘Paste.’
Besides copying and pasting the text, there are a few other things you can do. Simply long-press the message and tap ‘More.’ An arrow icon will appear in the lower right-hand corner if you want to forward it to another user. You can send it to an email address or contact by tapping it and selecting it.
There is no direct way to save a message. The ability to favorite or star a text would be great, but we aren’t there yet in 2021. The message can be forwarded, copied, pasted, and saved in your notes, or a screenshot can be taken and saved in your Photos app.
To save messages to your iCloud, toggle the switch under ‘iCloud’ in Settings.
So there you have it, with one of these three methods you should have no problem finding old messages and conversations. It is also a good idea not to delete messages, since discovering and searching through deleted messages takes quite a bit of time. Another option to avoid the entire text message search process is to save screenshots of important information and messages.