how do I retrieve old text messages from the cloud?

If you are using iCloud Syncing for Messages and you have deleted the message from your phone, that message is gone. It's gone from your phone, from iCloud and from any other devices you're syncing with.

What if you did not delete the messages, but after a certain date, the text string ends? I have “forever” chosen in my settings, but with one person, our text string ends.

I'd suggest trying an application such as PhoneView (Mac) or TouchCopy (Mac or Windows). Both will allow you to archive messages to pdf or text files. Trying to search for really, really old messages on your phone is very frustrating. Having them all in one nicely formatted pdf is much easier.

But, even if you do that, it's possible that for any number of reasons, those messages are gone.

Joderann wrote:

I have my iPhone set to never delete my txt's and backup in the cloud, how can I retrieve them? Because they are not on my phone

Any message that you can access would be on your device. If you set your phone to not delete messages, they should still exist on your phone unless you deleted them.

If you have a device backup that includes the message(s), and you do not use messages in iCloud, you can factory erase your phone and restore it using your backup.

Any text message that you sync with iCloud is also on your device.

Sorry.

I have my iPhone set to never delete my txt's and backup in the cloud, how can I retrieve them? Because they are not on my phone