After factory reset how restore sms and imessages from backups?

[pullman]

My 4S started behaving strangely after the upgrade to 7 so I restored it to factory settings and made a clean iOS 7 installation. However, I first backed up the old installation both to icloud and to my mac.

I then set up the phone like I want it, setting ringtones, installing apps etc, but I don't have my sms and imessages any longer of course (but strangely the contacts were still in the phone after the reset).

I would like to restore the messages but don't know how to do it.

There is one backup in itunes - the one made automatically after the reset was completed. This is the only one that itunes lets me restore. The backup I made before the reset is still listed in Preferences > Devices but there's no option to restore it.

I currently have icloud backup turned off on the phone for fear of over-writing the backup I made before the reset. Before I turned off icloud backup there was no option to restore it. Here's a screenshot of what it looked like

I don't know if it is relevant but when the reset was done the phone received a default name based on my name. I normally call the phone by another name and also changed its name to that when the reset was done.

Any ideas what I can do to get the messages back?

Thanks v much in advance
Philip

 

[Stuke00]

My 4S started behaving strangely after the upgrade to 7 so I restored it to factory settings and made a clean iOS 7 installation. However, I first backed up the old installation both to icloud and to my mac.

I then set up the phone like I want it, setting ringtones, installing apps etc, but I don't have my sms and imessages any longer of course (but strangely the contacts were still in the phone after the reset).

I would like to restore the messages but don't know how to do it.

There is one backup in itunes - the one made automatically after the reset was completed. This is the only one that itunes lets me restore. The backup I made before the reset is still listed in Preferences > Devices but there's no option to restore it.

I currently have icloud backup turned off on the phone for fear of over-writing the backup I made before the reset. Before I turned off icloud backup there was no option to restore it. Here's a screenshot of what it looked like

Image

I don't know if it is relevant but when the reset was done the phone received a default name based on my name. I normally call the phone by another name and also changed its name to that when the reset was done.

Any ideas what I can do to get the messages back?

Thanks v much in advance
Philip

Your contacts most likely restored because you enabled iCloud during the setup process.

I use a program called iTools. Google it. It can open up iTunes backup to export and import things.

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Also, you can only restore from iCloud backup during the initial setup when it prompts you. No way to pick and choose items to restore later, except if you use the above tools I mentioned.

 

[MagWhiz]

As far as I know, the chats aren't on the iCloud backup, only on iTunes'. I could be wrong, anyway. You should have done a iTunes backup before you reset the device, not after.

Also, when iCloud backup is activated the data is automatically downloaded. Or at least that's how it works with my phone. That's why you had the contacts already on the phone after reset.

 

[pullman]

Thanks very much for your help. I did do a backup before the reset - the problem is I can't restore it. I'll check out itools though, hopefully that will let me.

Cheers and thanks again
/p

 

[pullman]

Hmm the itools site doesn't let me download the dmg. Chrome just reports "sending request".

Just so I know - would iTools let me only transfer back my SMS and imessages from a backup, is it that specific?

What if i turn on icloud backup on my phone (since the factory reset it has never been on) but before doing so uncheck everything app except Messages? Could I then transfer them back to the phone?

/p

 

[Woolseyr]

Give these guys a shot. A couple of months ago I bought their decipher text message program to save my sms to my desktop. Works great. You can also recover deleted messages with it although I've never really had to use the recover feature. -Gordon