You can recover or retrieve deleted or lost text messages on iPhone by restoring a backup from iCloud or iTunes or using a third-party app.

Otherwise, text messages (in green bubbles)—whether plain text SMS or rich-media MMS—show up only on your iPhone. Text Message Forwarding honors presence awareness and happens in real time.

This detailed guide with screenshots covers how to turn on iPhone end-to-end encryption for Messages, iCloud, backups, and more.