To retrieve deleted text messages on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, first check the messaging app’s retained items: Samsung Messages has a Trash folder, while Google Messages has an Archive folder. If a message is no longer there, recovery depends on a Samsung Cloud or Google backup made before deletion, or a copy on an accessible phone or Smart Switch backup.
1. Check Samsung Messages Trash
If you use Samsung Messages, open the app, tap More options (the three dots), then tap Trash. Touch and hold the message you want and tap Restore. Samsung says messages can be restored from Trash for up to 30 days. The message must have been retained there; Trash can be disabled. See Samsung’s guide to using Samsung Messages and its message recovery instructions.
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If you do not see Trash, confirm which messaging app is active and check Samsung Messages settings. Menus can vary by software version, region, or carrier; Samsung’s instructions are general Galaxy guidance, not a verified menu-by-menu guide for every S23 Ultra configuration.
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2. Check Google Messages Archive
In Google Messages, tap the profile menu and choose Archived. If the conversation is there, select it and tap Unarchive to return it to the main conversation list. Archived messages are hidden from the inbox, not deleted.
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Samsung’s recovery guidance says that texts deleted from Google Messages are permanently deleted, while archived texts can be returned. If the conversation is not in Archive, check backups in the next sections rather than assuming the app has a Trash folder. Samsung explains the distinction here.
3. Restore from Samsung Cloud, if a backup predates deletion
If Samsung Cloud backed up the messages before they were deleted, use Settings > Accounts and backup > Restore data. Select the relevant device, choose Messages, and follow the restore prompts. Before restoring, check the backup date and confirm that Messages is included. A backup made after deletion may no longer contain the texts. Samsung’s recovery instructions describe this route.
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4. Consider Google device backup before resetting or changing phones
Google device backup can include text messages. To inspect backup settings, go to Settings > Google > Backup. Google describes restoring a previous device backup when setting up a new phone, and Samsung’s recovery guidance describes Google backup restoration during initial setup, including after a factory reset. This is not presented as a simple way to restore one deleted conversation selectively on the phone you are currently using.
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5. Look for a Smart Switch backup or an accessible source phone
Smart Switch may help if the texts still exist on an accessible old phone or were included in a backup previously saved to a computer or external storage. Samsung lists Messages as transferable content, but supported items can vary by connected device. Use Smart Switch to transfer from the source phone or restore the existing backup; it cannot reconstruct texts if no copy remains. See Samsung’s Smart Switch content compatibility information and message recovery instructions.
Which route applies to your messages?
| Where the messages were | What to try | What must be true |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Messages Trash | Restore the message from Trash | Trash retained it; Samsung says recovery is available for up to 30 days. |
| Google Messages Archive | Unarchive the conversation | The conversation was archived rather than deleted. |
| Samsung Cloud | Restore Messages from Settings | A relevant backup exists and includes the messages from before deletion. |
| Google device backup | Restore during device setup | A suitable backup exists; this is a device-setup restore, not a selective single-thread restore on the current phone. |
| Smart Switch or another phone | Transfer or restore from the retained copy | The message still exists on a source device or in an earlier backup. |
If none of those checks finds a copy
If a text is absent from Samsung Messages Trash or Google Messages Archive, and there is no pre-deletion backup or accessible source phone, the official recovery guidance cited above does not establish a dependable way to retrieve it. Do not rely on a carrier, repair shop, cable, or third-party recovery utility to restore a message when no retained copy is available; the cited guidance does not support that promise.
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