If you've ever been in a relationship where you suspect your partner is cheating, finding proof of infidelity becomes an obsession. You start questioning every outing they make. And if they happen to smile while they're looking at their phone, that becomes a major red flag.
The worst part is that even if you manage to snoop through their device and find nothing, your fears aren't exactly quelled. That's because you may suspect that they've just deleted whatever implicating correspondence you were expecting to find.
But a TikToker named Laurel (@ysabellenmamii) has a bit of "iPhone toxicity" advice that'll fuel your lust for catching your partner in the act. She's posted several videos detailing how you can snoop on their phone activity. But recently, she uploaded a clip that's accrued over 353,000 views.
In it, she explains how to access a settings menu that displays information on deleted text messages.
"While you're busy playing in the settings. Go ahead and go to: General. And then go to iPhone storage," she explains. "Scroll down till you see messages. When you get to messages, you can see their top conversations of who they message the most."
She continues, "And if you hit that review large attachment button, you'll be able to see files that were sent. Or received even if they were previously deleted. Tread lightly with that one."
CNET also details another way of checking deleted texts within an iPhone's Messages app. With the application open, hit "Edit" in the upper left corner of your device's screen. Following this, hit "Show Recently Deleted" and a list of texts that were recently wiped from the phone will be displayed.
But this menu window won't allow you to view the actual content of the messages, just the name/number associated with them. You'll then have to press the "Recover" button on the bottom right of your screen. Following this, "tap Recover Message" on the pop-up screen. Additionally, there's a "Recover All" option that allows you to put all deleted text messaging conversations back into the Messages app.
Afterward, you'll be able to scroll through the conversations and find these deleted convos. They're arranged by the date they were deleted. This means that if a lot of new conversations were started between then, you'll have to do some searching.
But let's say you don't have access to your partner's phone, but their iCloud account's fair game. A Reddit user's post prompted a way folks can access deleted messages using Apple's online storage solution. They said they needed to access old text messages from their landlord "for legal purposes."
One commenter who replied to the post said if they can access their iCloud, they should be able to see if there's a backup that dates back to before they deleted these messages. In a web browser, accessing said messages via iCloud is also a possibility.
Another person recommended a third-party software solution called Disk Drill. However, there are several applications that boast similar functionality as well. Just note that many of these services are paid, and be sure to read reviews before handing over your credit card info.
@ysabellemamii Replying to @Yaddie mf ???? #fyp #iphonehack #toxic #relatable #toxicrelationship #relationshiptips #cheaters #staytoxic #iphone ♬ original sound - Laurel
Commenters who replied to Laurel's post had mixed opinions on this methodology.
"If you have to go through all this just move on," they wrote.
"Just leave them. Trust is gone for both," another echoed.
Another expressed a similar thought: "I am not sure why anyone would be with someone if they don’t trust each other."
Someone else, however, said this type of information is good to keep in one's back pocket. "Do I trust my partner, yes. Did I save this video, yes. That’s what my past 22yr narcissistic cheating ex has done to me," they said.
One person said they tried this method on their significant other's phone. And all it did was prove they weren't cheating. "Whelp I tried to be toxic and it backfired because I was his top person he was texting," they said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Laurel via TikTok comment and Apple via email for further information.
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The post ‘Even if they were previously deleted’: Woman reveals iPhone hack to see files and messages on your partner’s phone. Viewers say it’s toxic appeared first on The Daily Dot.
