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How to Check Call History on iPhone: 4 Easy Ways!

Have you ever wondered how to check call history on iPhone even if it has been deleted? Or maybe you just want to tidy up your iPhone. In this tutorial we guide you through the steps of accessing your call records, handling recent and older entries, and finding call information that has been deleted.

Key Takeaways

  • The iPhone’s visible call history is limited to the 100 most recent calls.
  • There are 4 methods to check for older call history for your iPhone.
  • The 2 best approaches are using the Recents list in the phone app or accessing your phone carrier records.
  • Other methods are less reliable and should not be depended on to view call history.

Understanding iPhone Call History

When you’re thinking about the call history on your iPhone, typically you think of a list of calls on the Recents tab inside the Phone App. But this only scratches the surface. In reality you can access a comprehensive list of all incoming and outgoing calls for your iPhone.

But why is this important? Because this list allows you to track and review specific calls and details for each call that was made. This information can be useful when trying to remember when you last spoke to a business contact, reviewing unknown numbers for new contacts you want to create, or even identifying callers you wish to block or unblock.

Best Method to Check Call History on iPhone

Photo by Adrien on Unsplash

To view your iPhone call history, simply open the Phone app and tap on the Recents tab. This will show you a list of your recent call history. This includes completed, missed, incoming and outgoing calls. Apple only shows the 100 most recent incoming and outgoing calls. However, if you delete a call log, it will be replaced with the next most recent call that is not currently on the list.

One point we’d like to make, while Apple replaces a deleted call log with one not currently on the list, you cannot expand the “Recents” list beyond 100 calls. So the history you can see on your iPhone is limited. But there are other options and apps available to get this information.

Other Methods to View Older Call History

When it comes to exploring your call history on the iPhone, you are limited by what you can view. However, we will review several other options you have to see this data. We have discussed the first option, using the Recent call log in the Phone App. The other 3 methods to view older or deleted call logs and history are:

  • Check the call history on your carriers website (preferred method)
  • Restore your call history using an iCloud backup
  • Check the call history on other Apple devices using the same Apple ID

We will review each of these methods, but first a few comments.

Of these options, using your carriers website will provide the most complete information regarding your call history. Depending on your carrier, this will contain at least 18 months of old call history, and may contain several years of information.

Also note, of these options, restoring from a backup is the most intrusive and destructive because you will need to overwrite all other data on your iPhone. Therefore, we do not recommend using this method unless it is absolutely necessary!

How to Check Call History Using Carrier Records to get Call Details

Aside from the call history on your iPhone, you can obtain a detailed list of calls through your carrier’s phone records. These records typically include details such as:

  • The number dialed
  • Duration of each call
  • Date and time of each call
  • Whether it was an incoming or outgoing call.

Keep in mind, that some carriers may charge you to access older call history information.

Here are instructions how to review call records for the largest wireless carriers in the United States:

* Source “Wireless subscriptions market share by carrier in the U.S. from 1st quarter 2011 to 3rd quarter 2023” STATISTA.COM

Using an iCloud Backup to Recover Deleted Call History

The next method to review or recover deleted call history is to restore from a backup. Remember, this is the most intrusive and destructive method of recovering lost call logs on your iPhone! In order to use this approach you need to first delete ALL CONTENTS ON YOUR IPHONE! Proceed at your own risk!

Also, if you backup using iCloud, Apple only keeps your most recent backup to restore from. So this method is only useful if you have deleted call logs in the last 24 hours and you would like to restore them.

Here are the steps to follow in order to restore your call history on your iPhone. First verify you have a backup available!

  • Open Settings
  • Tap your Apple ID
Instructions to check iPhone backup Step 1
  • Select iCloud
Instructions to check iPhone backup open iCloud screen
  • Open iCloud Backup
Instructions to check iPhone backup open iCloud Backup screen
  • Verify that a successful backup has been taken
Verify a successful backup has been run recently

Now, you can delete everything on your iPhone:

  • Open Settings
  • Open General
Instructions to erase iPhone
  • Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone
Instructions to reset iPhone
  • Select Erase All Contents and Settings
How to erase all contents on iPhone
  • Enter your Passcode or Apple ID and complete the process

Complete the iPhone erase and reset process

Your iPhone will now be returned to the factory default settings and you will be able to restore from backup.

After all the information has been deleted from your phone you will be walked through the iPhone setup process. Follow the steps until you reach the screen prompting you to “Restore from Backup“.

On the following screen you will be able to choose your backup to restore. You can customize the restore to change the settings on your phone if you choose.

How to Check Call History on Another iPhone or Other Apple Devices

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

The third method to explore if you are checking your call history is to review the call history on another Apple device that is using the same Apple ID. For instance, your iPad or MacBook. However, this method is the least likely to provide the information you need.

This method is problematic for several reasons:

  • First, your other Apple devices must be configured to answer calls when in close proximity of your iPhone.
  • Second, if you have iCloud Drive sync enabled, any call logs you delete on your phone will sync and will be deleted on your other Apple devices.
  • Third, without iCloud Drive sync enabled, your iPhone must be near your other Apple devices to create a call log for an incoming call.

For these 3 reasons, we recommend that you do not depend on this method for tracking call history. It is simply a last resort if you do not have access to your carrier logs and do not have a useable backup.

How to Manage the Call History on Your iPhone

Now that we have learned about how to check call history on iPhone, it’s important to learn effective ways of managing your call history. For instance, you can delete individual call logs from the list or your entire recent call history.

Deleting a Single Call from History

If you want to delete a single call from your phone’s history, follow these easy steps:

  • Open the Phone
  • Tap the Recents tab at the bottom of the screen
  • Then swipe left on the specific call you wish to remove
Swipe left on call log to delete it on iPhone
  • Tap on the trash can to delete the call log

Remember, once an item has been deleted you may not be able to easily recover it!

Clearing Entire Recent Call History

To clear your entire call history, the process is similar to deleting just one call. Just follow these easy steps:

  • Open the Phone App
  • Tap on Recents
Open Recents Tab in Phone app on iPhone
  • Click on Edit
Tap Edit to begin to delete entire call history on iPhone
  • Select Clear
Tap clear and Clear all Recents to delete the entire call history on iPhone
  • Choose Clear All Recents

That’s all there is to it! Quick and easy!

Conclusion

In this tutorial we have shown that retrieving and managing call logs on an iPhone involves more than just the recent call history. It’s important to have access to your phone carrier’s reporting and at times a useable iPhone backup.

While direct access on the iPhone is limited to the 100 most recent incoming and outgoing calls, your best alternative to view older call history is the reporting provided by your phone carrier.

If you are in a bind and do not have access to your carrier reporting, restoring from a backup is possible but is extremely intrusive and requires you to delete all your existing data first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does call history stay on your iPhone?

The call history on your iPhone is restricted to a 100 phone calls in your recent call list.

How can I access recent calls on my iPhone?

To view your call history on an iPhone, open the Phone app and select the Recents tab at the bottom of the screen. This will allow you to see a list of your 100 most recent calls.

How can I recover deleted call logs?

If you accidentally deleted your call logs, there are two options for viewing them. The easiest is to logon to your account on your carriers website. You can view all call details including date, time, and duration for each call.

The second option is to restore the call history using a backup either from iCloud or from your computer. However, we do not recommend this method because it requires that you delete all the data on her phone!