4 Easy Ways to Find Old Messages on iPhone without Scrolling

by Jenefey Aaron   Updated on 2021-01-07 / Update for  iPhone Recovery

Considering that most of us retain our message threads for months, scrolling to find a particular message that was sent a while back can be a real pain. And we know as much. If you are one such user, you are in the right place. Would you like to know how to find old text messages on iPhone without scrolling?

Then this article explains 4 practical methods of how to easily locate old messages on iPhone 12/11/XS/8//7. If you accidentally delete messages forever, then Tenorshare UltData - No.1 iPhone Data Recovery is a great choice.

Part 1: How to Find Old Messages on iPhone without Scrolling Using Search Bar

Not too long ago, Apple added a search bar at the top of iMessage App. This has made it easy for users to show to find old imessages without scrolling. However, this method requires you to remember some information of the messages you want to see. Want to know how to see old text messages on iPhone? Follow the procedure below.

  • Step 1: Launch the messages app on your iPhone.
  • Step 2: Drag the screen down and the search bar will appear at the top of the home screen.
  • Step 3: Enter a phrase, phone number, or keyword string in the search bar. The results will be automatically displayed on your screen in real time as you type.

    how to find old messages on iphone without scrolling

Drawback: The major drawback of using this method is you do not get to search a specific message by date.

Part 2: How to Find Old Messages on iPhone without Scrolling via Spotlight Search

How to view old text messages on iPhone faster? Spotlight Search is a convenient tool on iPhone to search for contacts, songs, email, messages, calendar events, the App Store, Web, Maps and other apps. You can find old text messages on iPhone with Spotlight by following the procedure below.

  • Step 1: From the middle of the home screen, swipe down.
  • Step 2: Tap the search bar located at the top of the interface.
  • Step 3: Type in the context, relevant information, phrase or phone number of the deleted messages.

    find deleted text messages using spotlight search
  • Step 4: The results are displayed according to the apps. Select the message you are looking for by tapping it.

Part 3: Quickly Get to the Beginning of a Text Conversation

Want to know how to find old messages on iPhone quickly? You'll agree that scrolling to the top of a message thread can be quite tedious, especially if you have a long conversation. The procedure below allows you to easily locate messages without scrolling.

  • Step 1: Open a message thread of your choice.
  • Step 2: Tap the top bar on your screen interface. The bar that displays information such as mobile carrier name, battery level, current time and other information.

     quickly scroll to top of messages iphone
  • Step 3: The thread will be scrolled to the initial message that was sent. (This trick can also be used for other messaging apps such as Viber WhatsApp, WeChat etc.

Extra Tip: How to View Older/Deleted Messages on iPhone by Date Using UltData

Using the methods mentioned above, it is difficult to locate old iPhone message using the date. This necessitates users to use another method. We highly recommend Tenorshare UltData - No.1 iPhone Data Recovery. UltData enables users to easily locate and view messages on iPhone 12/11/XS/XS Max/XR/X/8/8 Plus by date and you even can export messages on iPhone to view on a Excel file.

  • Download, install and launch Tenorshare UltData on your PC or Mac. Connect your iPhone to your computer. Choose "Recover Data from iOS device".

    how to find old messages on iphone without scrolling
  • Then, select "Messages and Attachments" and click the Start Scan button.

    how to find old messages on iphone
  • Preview and select the messages you would like to restore by date.

    recover iphone messages

Conclusion

Wondering how to find old messages on iPhone? Any of the methods listed above can work. However, because of ease of use and identification of messages by date or any other parameters, we recommend using Tenorshare UltData to find old messages.