How to Recover Deleted Messages on Mac

              Deleted Messages on Mac

Macs are normally incredibly efficient computers, but accidents do happen for ungodly reasons. Take, for example, the deletion of iMessages. iMessages was launched by Apple as a free instant messaging service. The fundamental function of iMessage is to transmit text messages. Furthermore, you may use iMessages to transmit images, videos, and contacts to other Apple users for free, anytime, anywhere. You might want to delete older texts or free up some space while using iMessages at times. You may unintentionally erase something important to you as a result.

For good reason, iMessage is one of the most popular ways we interact with others on our Macs. It comes pre-installed with the operating system and has a number of appealing features that make it stand out. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest messaging apps available.

We may erase an iMessage thread by accident, or our iMessages may be scheduled to delete themselves over time. It can be aggravating to lose an iMessage chat with someone we care about, especially if it contains crucial information.

We're guessing you've come here because you deleted iMessages, either intentionally or unintentionally, and now you're wondering how to restore deleted iMessages on Mac. The good news is that you can recover deleted iMessages in a few different ways.

On a Mac, where are iMessages stored?

To recover deleted iMessages, you must first figure out where they are kept on your Mac. By 2016, all iMessages on macOS Sierra and older were saved on the hard disk by default. Because of worries about space utilization, it was modified to match your tastes. If you're running macOS High Sierra/Mojave/Catalina, though, you can choose whether to save iMessages to iCloud or to your hard disk. If the operating system is older than Sierra OS, check to verify if iMessages are saved on the hard drive. To recover your chat history and restore deleted iMessages, go to the Messages folder on your iPhone.

Step 1: You can pick where to save iMessages on your Mac using the iMessage software. Navigate to Preferences > General in the iMessage app.

Step 2: Double-check that "Save history when chats are closed" is enabled. By default, your iMessages will be stored at /Library/Messages if this option is enabled.

Step 3: To open the messages folder directly, open the Finder box and type in /Library/Messages. Now press the Enter key.

Step 4: There are three subfolders in this folder: Attachment, Archive, CloudKitMetaData, and a chat.db file with the chat history.

The photographs, music, and video files you received in your iMessages chat are stored in the attachment folder.

Your data is mirrored in the archive folder.

Step 5: Your conversation has been saved in the chat.db database. To find the deleted messages, open chat.db in TextEdit.

iMessages can be restored using Time Machine

Using the Time Machine app is one of the finest ways to recover deleted iMessages. Your Mac computer has an automatic backup system built in that allows you to retrieve a variety of files. Because it restores the full database, you can't pick and choose which messages to recover.

It is not difficult to recover recently deleted texts. However, if you're seeking for a way to recover deleted iMessages on Mac from a long time ago, you'll find that you'll be able to recover a lot of undesired messages in addition to the ones you need. You can erase these messages later if you like.

This article will show you how to use Time Machine to recover deleted iMessages on a Mac.

Step 1: To make this process go as smoothly as possible, sign out of all your iMessages accounts and close the iMessages app.

Step 2: Launch the Time Machine application on your Mac. Select 'Go'>'Library' in the finder box by holding down and pressing the Option key.

Step 3: In the library area, look for a file with the chat.db extension (which is a copy of the deleted iMessages). It was made the day before the messages were removed from the system.

Step 4: Select the "Restore" option to begin the recovery of your iMessages.

Step 5: The Time Machine will restore your data to the last version you saved. Any newer messages that were not backed up by the Time Machine will be lost.

iCloud can help you recover deleted iMessages on your Mac

iCloud is another option for recovering deleted iMessages. Apple appliances provide cloud-based storage that backs up your files. It reduces the amount of storage memory required on physical devices, and analyzing lost data via cloud storage is simple.

To restore your backed-up iMessages from iCloud, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: To ensure the safe recovery of your data, sign out of all iMessages apps and accounts. Shut down the iMessages app. This will allow iCloud to rewrite your app's messages.

Step 2: In the finder app, tap "Go" to access your iCloud library.

Step 3: Look for a file titled messages from the day before the files were erased in the iCloud backup.

Step 4: From the message file, restore the backed-up iMessages.

How to Recover Deleted iMessages from an iPhone or iPad on a Mac

Apple users who own a Mac computer are more likely to own additional Apple gadgets such as iPhones or iPads. Because all of these devices are linked by the same Apple ID, it can assist with data recovery.

Your iMessages will appear on other devices if they are turned on and connected to Wi-Fi. Check your iPad or iPhone to see if the messages you mistakenly erased are still there.

Recover iMessages on Mac with 4DDiG Even without Backup

The preceding options are only useful if you've already backed up your iMessages. But what if you haven't made a backup of your data? Third-party software is your best hope for recovering deleted iMessages without a backup. There is software available on the market that can assist you in recovering iMessages that have not been backed up.

Tenorshare 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery is an example of professional and user-friendly software. It can recover any type of material from your Mac's hard disk or an external drive, including photographs, audio, movies, documents, and more.

Is it possible to recover deleted iMessages on a Mac? Here's how you can use 4DDiG to achieve it:

The app supports 550+ file formats and gives you complete control over formatted, corrupted, or missing data on your Mac.

It recovers data from your Mac's hard drive and any connected external storage devices that you've recently lost.

Whether you need to recover a Word document due to a virus assault or a program failure, the 4DDIG Mac Data Recovery will help.

Aside from recovering Word documents, the software can also recover deleted images, movies, audio, emails, online pages, and other types of media.

The software is also completely safe and compatible with a variety of devices, including cameras, iPods, memory cards, SD/CF cards, music players, and more.

4DDIG's Steps for Recovering Deleted iMessages

Step 1: Decide on a location. Launch 4DDiG after installing it on your Mac. Select the hard disk as the place where the files were lost. To locate the files, use the scan button. Disable SIP to gain access to Mac files if you're using macOS High Sierra or later.

Scanning and previewing is the second step. 4DDiG will search for deleted files, which may take some time. After the scanning is finished, you can inspect the individual files.

Step 3: Get Your Mac Files Back. By pressing the "Recover" button, you can find a location to save the restored data.

Note: Don't save the files to the same partition where they went missing. This can result in long-term loss of data.

Conclusion

It can be aggravating to lose iMessages on your Mac, but there are several options for recovering them, as seen above. To ensure that your iMessages are always saved, you should have an external hard drive and backup your PC, or use iCloud on your iPhone.

Even if you didn't have a backup, you can still restore deleted iMessages and get them back onto your Mac.