How to Read Deleted Messages on Android (2025 Guide – 100% Free, No App Needed)

Introduction

In 2025, privacy-focused users and curious minds alike are asking the same question: Can I read deleted messages on Android? The answer is yes—and you don't need any third-party app to do it.

Using a powerful native Android feature called Notification History, you can access deleted messages from apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, and more—even after they've been unsent.

How to Read Deleted Messages on Android in 2025 (Without an App)

1. Open Your Android Settings

Go to your phone's settings from your home screen or app drawer.

2. Tap on Notifications

Scroll and find the "Notifications" menu in your settings.

3. Select Advanced Settings

Tap Advanced Settings or More Settings (may vary by manufacturer).

4. Tap on Notification History

Look for the "Notification History" option. It might say "Off" if you haven't enabled it yet.

5. Enable Use Notification History

Toggle the switch to On. From now on, your phone will store all incoming notification data.

6. Check Your History When a Message Is Deleted

Whenever someone deletes a message (e.g. "This message was deleted"), you can:

Go to Settings → Notifications → Notification History

Find the app (e.g., WhatsApp) and view the full original message content—even if it's been deleted.

Which Apps Does It Work With?

This method works with any app that sends a text-based notification. Popular apps include:

✅ WhatsApp (deleted/unsent messages)

✅ Telegram

✅ Facebook Messenger

✅ SMS/Messages

✅ Some secure messaging apps (Signal, Viber — partially)

Important Notes

Only works for messages you received a notification for. If you muted the conversation or notifications were off, it won't be saved.

It doesn't retrieve messages from before activation. Notification history must be enabled in advance.

Works best on Android 11 and above. Almost all devices in 2025 support this feature.

Only recovers text messages, not media files. This method can only recover text content that appeared in notifications. For recovering deleted photos, videos, voice messages, or other media files, you'll need our RecoverIt app.

Bonus Tip

If you want to take this one step further, you can enable backups or use secure message archiving tools. But for most users, notification history is the easiest and safest method in 2025.

Conclusion

Thanks to Android's built-in notification history, reading deleted text messages is now easier than ever in 2025. Whether someone unsends a WhatsApp message or deletes a Telegram chat—you can still read the text content. No shady apps, no root access—just native tools and smart settings.

Remember that this method only works for text messages. If you need to recover deleted photos, videos, voice messages, or other media files that someone sent and then deleted, download our RecoverIt app for complete media recovery capabilities.

Go ahead and enable this feature now before you miss something important again!