3 Easy Steps to Retrieve Trashed Emails on iPhone

Have you ever accidentally deleted an important email on your iPhone? Don’t panic! Retrieving trashed emails on an iPhone is a relatively simple process. In this article, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to recover deleted emails from your iPhone, whether they were deleted from the inbox, trash folder, or even permanently deleted. Additionally, we will discuss some common mistakes to avoid when attempting to recover lost emails and offer tips for preventing accidental email deletion in the future. By following these steps, you can quickly and easily retrieve your trashed emails and restore your peace of mind.

To begin the email recovery process, open the Mail app on your iPhone. Next, select the “Trash” folder, which is typically located on the left-hand side of the screen. The Trash folder contains all emails that have been deleted from your inbox. If the email you are looking for is in the Trash folder, simply tap on it to open it. Then, tap on the “Move” icon, which is located at the bottom of the screen, and select “Inbox.” This will move the email back to your inbox. However, if the email you are looking for is not in the Trash folder, you may need to take additional steps to recover it.

If the email you are looking for has been permanently deleted, you may still be able to recover it by contacting your email provider. Your email provider may have a backup of your emails that you can access. However, it is important to note that not all email providers offer this service. Additionally, if you have deleted the email from both the Trash folder and the server, it may be impossible to recover it. To avoid accidentally deleting important emails in the future, it is a good idea to create folders in your email account to organize your emails. This will make it easier to find emails that you need and will reduce the risk of accidentally deleting them.

Recovering Emails from the Mail App

If you accidentally delete an email on your iPhone through the Mail app, there are a few ways to recover it. The method you use will depend on whether you have enabled the Trash folder and how long ago the email was deleted.

Checking the Recently Deleted Folder

If you have the Trash folder enabled, deleted emails are moved to this folder instead of being permanently removed. To recover an email from the Trash folder:

Open the Mail app on your iPhone.
Tap on the “Mailboxes” tab at the bottom of the screen.
Scroll down and tap on the “Trash” folder.
Find the email you want to recover and swipe left on it.
Tap on the “Move” button and select the mailbox you want to move the email to.

Using the Search Feature

If the Trash folder is not enabled or the email has been deleted for more than 30 days, you can try using the search feature to find it. To do this:

Open the Mail app on your iPhone.
Tap on the “Search” icon at the top of the screen.
Enter the email address of the sender or a keyword from the email you are looking for.
Tap on the “Search” button.
If the email is found, tap on it to open it.

Contacting the Sender

If you cannot find the email using the methods above, you can try contacting the sender and asking them to resend it. This is not always possible, but it may be worth a try if the email is important.

Searching Within Trash Folders

If you’ve already emptied the Trash folder but still need to recover a specific email, you can try searching within the Trash folders. Here’s how:

1. Open the Mail app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the “Trash” folder in the sidebar.
3. Tap the “Search” bar at the top of the screen.
4. Enter the search term for the email you’re looking for.
5. Refine your search by using the following options:

Option	Description
From	Search for emails from a specific sender.
To	Search for emails sent to a specific recipient.
Subject	Search for emails with a specific subject line.
Date	Search for emails received or sent within a specific date range.
Attachments	Search for emails with attachments containing certain keywords.

6. Once you’ve entered your search terms, tap the “Done” button.
7. The Mail app will display a list of all emails that match your search criteria.
8. Tap on the email you want to recover to open it.
9. Tap the “Retrieve” button to move the email back to your inbox.

Setting Up Email Rules to Prevent Deletion

Create Rules for Specific Senders

Designate specific senders whose emails you wish to protect from deletion. When creating a new rule, select “If the sender is” as the condition and enter the desired email address. Mark the “Never trash it” checkbox in the Actions section.

Rules Based on Subject Line or Body Text

Utilize keywords or phrases in the email’s subject line or body text to prevent their deletion. Add a rule with the condition “If the subject contains” or “If the body contains” and specify the pertinent text. Ensure the “Never trash it” action is selected.

Rules for Messages with Attachments

Protect attachments by creating rules based on specific file types or extensions. Select “If an attachment has” as the condition and specify the desired file type or extension. Mark the “Never trash it” action to ensure the email remains intact, regardless of whether it contains attachments.

Rules for Certain Accounts or Folders

Create rules that apply to specific email accounts or folders. Select “If the message arrives in” as the condition and specify the desired account or folder. Mark the “Never trash it” action to prevent emails from being deleted from that particular location.

Rules for Messages with a Priority Level

Prioritize important emails by setting up rules based on message priority. Select “If the priority is” as the condition and specify the desired priority level (e.g., high, normal). Mark the “Never trash it” action to ensure these emails remain accessible.

Rules for Messages with a Specific Label

Categorize emails using labels and prevent their deletion. Select “If the message has the label” as the condition and specify the desired label. Mark the “Never trash it” action to protect emails with that specific label.

Condition	Action
If the sender is	Never trash it
If the subject contains	Never trash it
If the body contains	Never trash it
If the message arrives in	Never trash it
If the priority is	Never trash it
If the message has the label	Never trash it

Checking Backup Accounts

Google Account

If your iPhone is backed up to a Google account, you can retrieve deleted emails by following these steps:
1. Sign in to your Google account using a web browser.
2. Click “Mail” on the top navigation bar.
3. Click the “Trash” folder from the left menu.
4. Select the emails you want to retrieve and click the “Move to” button.
5. Select a folder from the drop-down menu and click “OK”.

iCloud Account

If your iPhone is backed up to an iCloud account, you can retrieve deleted emails by following these steps:
1. Sign in to your iCloud account using a web browser.
2. Click “Mail” on the top navigation bar.
3. Click the “Trash” folder from the left menu.
4. Select the emails you want to retrieve and click the “Recover” button.

Local Backup

If you have backed up your iPhone to a local computer using iTunes or iCloud, you can retrieve deleted emails by restoring your iPhone from the backup. This will restore all of your data, including your emails, to your iPhone. Keep in mind that restoring your iPhone from a backup will erase all existing data on your device. Therefore, it’s recommended to back up your iPhone to a new location before restoring from an old backup.

Backup Type	How to Retrieve Emails
Google Account	Sign in to your Google account using a web browser and navigate to the “Trash” folder to recover deleted emails.
iCloud Account	Sign in to your iCloud account using a web browser and navigate to the “Trash” folder to recover deleted emails.
Local Backup	Restore your iPhone from a local backup using iTunes or iCloud to retrieve deleted emails.

Utilizing iCloud’s Data Recovery Service

If you have enabled iCloud backup, you may be able to recover your deleted emails through Apple’s data recovery service:

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
Click on the “Settings” icon (gear-shaped) at the bottom left corner.
Select “Advanced” from the left-hand menu.
Scroll down to the “Data Recovery” section and click on “Restore Files.”
Select the date from which you want to restore your emails.
Choose “Mail” from the list of apps.
Review the available email backups and select the one you want to recover.
Click on the “Restore” button.

Reason	Additional Information
iCloud backup is not enabled	This method will not work if you have not previously enabled iCloud backup for your email account.
Deleted emails are not included in the backup	If the emails were deleted after the last backup was created, they will not be available for recovery.
Limited number of backups	iCloud only stores a limited number of recent backups. If you have a large amount of data or have not backed up recently, the emails you need may not be available.

Addressing Email Deletion Problems

If you accidentally deleted an email on your iPhone, don’t worry! There are several ways to retrieve it.

1. Check the Trash Folder

When you delete an email on your iPhone, it actually moves to the Trash folder. To recover it:

Open the Mail app.
Tap the “Trash” folder in the folder list.
Find the email you want to recover and tap it.
Tap the “Move” button and select the folder you want to move the email to.

2. Use the Undo Command

If you deleted an email recently, you may be able to undo the deletion.

Immediately after deleting the email, tap the “Undo” button at the bottom of the screen.

3. Contact Your Email Provider

If you can’t find the deleted email in the Trash folder, you can contact your email provider. They may be able to recover the email for you.

4. Check Your Recently Deleted Folder

If you’re using an email app that supports the Recently Deleted folder, you may be able to recover deleted emails from there.

Open the email app.
Tap the “Recently Deleted” folder.
Find the email you want to recover and tap it.
Tap the “Restore” button.

5. Use a Data Recovery App

If you can’t recover the deleted email using any of the methods above, you can try using a data recovery app. These apps can scan your device for deleted emails and other files.

6. Restore Your iPhone from a Backup

If you have a backup of your iPhone, you can restore your iPhone from the backup to recover the deleted email.

Connect your iPhone to your computer.
Open iTunes.
Click on the iPhone icon.
Click on the “Restore Backup” button.
Select the backup you want to restore from.
Click on the “Restore” button.

7. Check Your Gmail Account

If you’re using a Gmail account, you can check your Gmail Trash folder. Deleted emails are stored in the Trash folder for 30 days.

Open Gmail in a web browser.
Click on the “Trash” folder in the left sidebar.
Find the email you want to recover and click on it.
Click on the “Move to Inbox” button.

8. Check Your iCloud Account

If you’re using an iCloud account, you can check your iCloud Mail Trash folder.

Open iCloud Mail in a web browser.
Click on the “Trash” folder in the left sidebar.
Find the email you want to recover and click on it.
Click on the “Move to Inbox” button.

9. Check Your Other Email Accounts

If you have multiple email accounts, check each account’s Trash folder for the deleted email.

10. Prevent Future Email Deletions

To prevent future email deletions, you can take the following steps:

Tips	Description
Enable the “Confirm Before Deleting” option	This option will prompt you to confirm before deleting an email.
Use a data recovery app	A data recovery app can help you recover deleted emails, even if you don’t have a backup.
Back up your iPhone regularly	Backing up your iPhone will allow you to restore your iPhone from a backup if you accidentally delete an email.

How to Retrieve Trashed Emails on iPhone

If you accidentally deleted an email on your iPhone, don’t worry. You may still be able to retrieve it. Here’s how:

Open the Mail app.
Tap the Trash folder.
Swipe left on the email you want to retrieve.
Tap the Recover button.

The email will be moved back to your inbox.