Is there any way to retrieve erased text messages from an iPhone version 3.xx (not sure which) It is not password locked. Any help would be truly appreciated!

Brickhouse has an I-phone spy stick that supposedly can retrieve them. Call this #, Susie: 800-654-7966

I don't know if this is still necessary, but ask nelsonak. There is a way. Believe me

can't send a PM to nelsonak - can anyone help? I have the same question - iPhone 3.x the Brickhouse stick will not work ;(

FYI re spystick:

I tested it on my iPhone4 and it worked at retrieving the deleted messages. It didn't work on my WH's phone, I believe because his phone is using all the memory so anything additional that he erased after the TMs I was trying to retrieve would have overwritten them.

If you do get the spystick, be sure to read the directions carefully and make sure to click the option to not allow an automatic sync, that will also overwrite deleted TMs.

spystick will not work on our network ;( or so the info on it's site says.... ;(

The method I used for recovering messages does not involve the phone at all, but the backup files of the phone that iTunes creates when you sync the phone. If you still need help let me know.

nelson, if you don't mind taking the time, it would be extremely helpful for you to go ahead and describe the process. I am certain in the future someone could use this information. Thanks!

Please nelsonak,
Let me know how I can access deleted messages on iphone4.
We use Mac computer at home and he occasionaly syncs his phone.
Also, I have access to his phone. But he might find if I install something there.
Thank you

I can help somewhat.

On a Mac, the backup files are stored in the folder

{User}/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

On a PC (Windows XP), the backup files are stored (I think) in the folder

C:\Documents and Settings\{User}\Application Data\Apple Computer\SyncServices\Local

Look for another folder with an ungodly long gibberish-looking name. In that folder will be one or more files.

On a Mac, you'll have several files with the extension .plist. These are merely configuration files. You'll then have paired files with the extensions .mdinfo and .mddata

This is where my knowledge stops. I don't have an iPhone. But I believe the .mdinfo files contain the information you're looking for. There are many Mac utilities that will open/reveal data in virtually any file, including built-in Unix programs already on the machine.

If this helps, I may be able to find out more information...

Thanks

I will check that folder as soon as I get home

But if the files were immediatelly deleted on the iphone how can they still be recovered in the computer?

Also if My H agrees to install a keyloger on his office computer and have all mail and chats mailed to me. Can he somehow be able to choose what comes to my email?

Please Help,

I use a MAC.

I found 4 folders containing this type of files:
ffa7e1db3d847adf2e9d5c3c679ff1069956cb65
ffc5c38b35ad6192260d492bc88d93476c0e6bb7
ffe6ddb2ac75ba5b561690c59aafdf5b6001bce4
fff4852309b468fe016098b9b2f493b8abbf2202
Info.plist
Manifest.mbdb
Manifest.mbdx
Manifest.plist
Status.plist

but I can't open them :((((

some open pictures

and some open this
t": "purple ", "time": 82.337}, {"text": "rain ", "time": 83.359}]}, {"line_time": 84.156, "lyrics": [{"text": "I ", "time": 84.156}, {"text": "never ", "time": 84.342}, {"text": "wanted ", "time": 84.644}, {"text": "to ", "time": 84.922}, {"text": "be ", "time": 85.108}, {"text": "your ", "time": 85.41}]}, {"line_time": 86.408, "lyrics": [{"text": "weekend ", "time": 86.408}, {"text": "lover ", "time": 87.109}]}, {"line_time": 91.888, "lyrics": [{"text": "* ", "time": 91.888},

or this

. 012_SystemDomainsVersion^WasPasscodeSetXLockdownWVersion[IsEncrypted\BackupKeyBagTDate\ApplicationsS4.0 �
"#,-[ProductType\BuildVersionZDev


Anyone knows how to uncode this files?

Please?

Take a look at this page:

http://decipher-media.com/blog/viewing-deleted-messages-in-your-iphone-backup.html

Also, there is a "donation-ware" application that is said to extract this data to readable format. I can't vouch for it, but you can find it here:

http://supercrazyawesome.com/

For the Mac users: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=667277

Couple posts down someone posted their step by step and I used a process just like that.

The backup extractor program will recover everything on the phone that was there except for emails. Those sync via the IMAP protocol so iTunes does not back up emails.

For PC, I'd reccommend iBackupBot. I haven't tried it myself but have seen many people use it.

Here's a review/instructional: http://www.askdavetaylor.com/review_ibackupbot.html

Thank you so much

Theres 4G of this files

Will try tonight when hes sleeping

Thank you

i need the 'how' to for a PC.... nelsonak please share how!

Would this also show text messages? i really need to see text message and any that have been deleted.

but wait this requires the 'user' to sync often doesn't it - not sure that is happening... but will find out soon enough.

Will_it_ever_end: if possible you should put the keylogger on his PC without him knowing... if he knows he will use other methods or can even turn the keylogger off while doing his dirty work and then turn it back on when he's done! The point of the keylogger is to track what he's doing without him knowing. If he knows it's there, the only purpose it has is scaring him to not do anything on that PC or as I said above, he will turn it off and on when HE wants.

The first part that I have underlined seems to be a playlist that he has created for music that he has stored on the MAc.

The second underlining is part of the lyrics to Prince's song Purple Rain:

I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend, hey
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end

I don't know why the lyrics have been encoded in that way. I do know that when I have copied my music files wrongly, they store as text files and not as music files, rather like your first example. You cannot open the wrongly stored music files, ever.

based on the info provided i looked for the files - the 'newest' one is from Dec 2010 - so not of any use ;(

I tried a 30 day free trial version of OxygenForensic but it does not capture any deleted texts. Justis on the phone right now.

That is all I want to be able to 'find' - deleted texts. I have access to the phone but only for 5-10 min at at time. I can and do look at it often and WS knows it so if he is still in contact he is very very careful to delete msgs quickly.... and by now I'd think that I'd find something but because I'm not finding anything either there isn't any texts, or they have a set 'time/date' for doing it and thus he knows when to look for them, or they are using a different method to communicate. It was all via email or text before D-Day.... I have eblaster running and don't see anything via PC either... so not sure what else to try???

I looked at iBackupBot but it too needs the iPhone files and since I can't find any for this year it would not help. the 'sticks' mentioned don't seem to work on our network/phones.... Telus or Bell in Canada so i'm out of ideas. Does anyone have any other suggestions for recovering texts on an iPhone (3GS)?

Do you have access to the online account for your cell provider? I know with AT&T here in the states, I can see all the text messages that were sent/received. Can't see the contents of the messages, but can see the dates and times and what numbers they were sent to. That would at least provide a baseline for the amount of texting going on and show what numbers are being texted the most.

The only way you can recover any deleted messages that haven't been synced back to a computer is a full forensic analysis with data recovery on the phone. It is usually costly and time consuming. That assumes the memory the messages occupied hasn't been overwritten with new data.

Hi nelsonak,

yes I have access to the online account but it only shows 'data' or 'text' in the details - so doesn't show what number sent the text or who it was received from ;( so useless.

but looks like the phone might be synced more often to a PC I also have access to. Will the files you referred to earlier on the PC show deleted texts? and if so once I find the 'file' you mentioned how do I open it or view it?

The data written to the backup for iphone 4 is encrypted,and without the password I can't see a way past that. If the data is not encrypted it seems easy to access all the text messages that were on the phone when it was sych'd to itunes. I unencrypted my phone, backed it up to Itunes and then could access all my messages using a program called decipher text message

how did you unencrypt it?

bump

Well I think I found the files but its all jibberish and I can't translate it.

This is very interesting, I need to read every single post from everybody and get my hands on his computer and his iphone. Going on 10yrs of marriage and just found out (Feb 15,2013) he has been talking to two different girls since December. So far I found 2 pictures from one girl. He has been talking to her for about 30 hrs each month and texting the other one closed to 1000 texts a month

Start a thread on the Surviving An Affair forum. You will get a lot of help.