3 Ways to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook

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3 Ways to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook
3 Ways to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook

Video: 3 Ways to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook

Video: 3 Ways to Recover Deleted Messages on Facebook
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Unfortunately, there is no way to restore or recover deleted Facebook messages or conversations. Once you decide to delete it, the message will disappear from your party/account. While restoring data via Facebook isn't an option, this wikiHow will show you how to find copies of Facebook messages elsewhere, and prevent future loss of messages.

Step

Method 1 of 3: Searching for Messages in Other Locations

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 1
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 1

Step 1. Understand the difference between messages and conversations

Messages are specific lines of text (or photos, videos, and other content) that exist in a chat between you and (at least) one other user. Meanwhile, a chat or conversation is a recording or record of the entire message between you and the recipient of the message or the other person.

If you think you've deleted a specific message from the conversation, the search process can be very time consuming. On the other hand, you can find conversations that you think have been deleted more easily

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 2
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 2

Step 2. Open the Facebook Messenger app

Visit through your computer's web browser. After that, the latest Facebook messages will be opened in Messenger if you are already logged in to your Facebook account.

If you haven't already, you'll be asked to enter your Facebook account email address and password before continuing

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 3
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 3

Step 3. Make sure you have deleted the conversation

Before trying to find (or cry over) a lost message, search your Facebook Messenger inbox and look for the conversation you think you've deleted. There is always the possibility that the conversation is simply "buried" under new conversations.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 4
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 4

Step 4. Ask for a copy of the message from the other person

If you delete a chat (or a specific message) from your own party/account, you can always ask the other person (or other people in the conversation) to send you a screenshot or a copy of the deleted chat. As long as your interlocutor hasn't deleted the chat/message, you can get a copy of it from him.

You can ask the recipient of the message to download a copy of the message and send the file to you

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 5
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 5

Step 5. Check archived chats

It's possible that you've archived the chat you're looking for instead of deleting it. To check archived chats, follow these steps:

  • Click the gear icon in the upper-left corner of the Messenger window.
  • Click " Archived Threads ” (“Archived Chats”) in the drop-down menu.
  • Review existing chats.
  • You cannot archive a single message (separately).
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 6
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 6

Step 6. Find out if the chat was sent to email

If you turn on email notifications on your account, you can receive a copy of your messages in your inbox. Check notifications by following these steps:

  • Click the "Menu" icon

    Android7dropdown
    Android7dropdown

    in the top right corner of the Facebook page.

  • Click " Settings ” (“Settings”) in the drop-down menu.
  • Click the tab " Notifications ”.
  • Click " E-mail ” (“Email”) to expand options.
  • Note that the " All notifications, except the ones you unsubscribe from " ("All notifications, except those you have unsubscribed") box under "WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE" ("WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE") is checked. Otherwise, Facebook messages are not backed up to the email address.
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 7
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 7

Step 7. Check the " Trash " folder in the email account

If the conversation has been backed up to your email address, but you still can't find it, try clicking the folder “ Trash ” and browse the conversations in that folder.

Most email providers delete messages after a certain amount of time (eg 30 days) so your messages may still be lost

Method 2 of 3: Backing Up Messages to an Email Account

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 8
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 8

Step 1. Open Facebook

Visit through your computer's web browser. After that, a news feed page will be displayed if you are logged into your Facebook account.

If not, enter your Facebook account email address and password, then click the “ Login " ("Enter").

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 9
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 9

Step 2. Click the "Menu" icon

Android7dropdown
Android7dropdown

It's in the top-right corner of the page. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.

For some users, this icon is displayed as a gear

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 10
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 10

Step 3. Click Settings

("Arrangement"). This option is in the drop-down menu. After that, the settings page will open.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 11
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 11

Step 4. Click on Notifications (“Notifications”)

This tab is on the left side of the page.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 12
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 12

Step 5. Click Email (“Email”)

It's at the top of the page. Once the box is clicked, the "Email" segment will expand.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 13
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 13

Step 6. Enable message backup

Check the box to the left of the option " All notifications, except the ones you unsubscribe from " ("All notifications, except those you have unsubscribed") in the " WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE " section ("WHAT WILL YOU RECEIVE"). With this option, all messages you receive will be copied to your email inbox. This option will also enable email notifications for all other Facebook activity.

You can turn off non-message notifications by opening the notification email and clicking the “ Unsubscribe ” (“Unsubscribe”) at the bottom of the message.

Method 3 of 3: Downloading Messages to Computer

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 14
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 14

Step 1. Open Facebook

Visit through your computer's web browser. After that, the news feed page will be displayed if you are logged in to your Facebook account.

If not, enter your Facebook account email address and password, then click the “ Login " ("Enter").

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 15
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 15

Step 2. Click the "Menu" icon

Android7dropdown
Android7dropdown

It's in the top-right corner of the page. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.

For some users, this icon is displayed as a gear

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 16
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 16

Step 3. Click Settings (“Settings”)

This option is in the drop-down menu.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 17
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 17

Step 4. Click the General tab ("General")

This tab is on the left side of the page.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 18
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 18

Step 5. Click Download a copy (“Download a copy”)

This link is under the options on the “General” settings page.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 19
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 19

Step 6. Click Deselect All ("Deselect All")

This link is in the lower-right corner of the page. Once clicked, the check mark on each box on this page will be removed.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 20
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 20

Step 7. Scroll to the screen and check the " Messages " box

It's in the middle of the page. By checking the " Messages " box only, you don't need to download other unneeded data.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 21
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 21

Step 8. Swipe up the screen and click Create File

It's a blue button on the right side of the page. After that, Facebook will create a backup file.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 22
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 22

Step 9. Open the email inbox

The opened inbox is the inbox of the email account used to log into Facebook.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 23
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 23

Step 10. Wait for the message from Facebook

Usually, files from Facebook are ready to download in 10 minutes. However, this period may vary depending on the number of chats stored in the Messenger inbox.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 24
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 24

Step 11. Open the download message

Once it arrives, click the message "Your Facebook download is ready" to open it.

  • If you use a Gmail account with multiple tabs, you can find this message in the “ Social ”.
  • Make sure you check the " Spam " or " Junk ” if the email from Facebook doesn't appear within 10 minutes.
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 25
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 25

Step 12. Click the Available Files link

This link is in the body of the message. After that, you will be taken to the download page on Facebook.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 26
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 26

Step 13. Click Download (“Download”)

It's on the right side of the download file, in the middle of the page.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 27
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 27

Step 14. Enter the account password

When prompted, type in the password you use to log into your Facebook account.

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 28
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 28

Step 15. Click Submit (“Enter”)

It's a blue button at the bottom of the pop-up window. After that, the ZIP folder containing your message will be downloaded to your computer.

The download time will depend on the size of the message archive

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 29
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 29

Step 16. Extract the downloaded ZIP folder

Double-click the ZIP folder to open it, then click the “ Extract ” at the top of the window. Choose Extract all ” on the toolbar, and click “ Extract ' when prompted. Once the folder has finished extracting, the regular (unarchived) version of the downloads folder will be opened.

On Mac computers, simply double-click the ZIP folder to extract it and open the extracted folder

Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 30
Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages Step 30

Step 17. Browse Facebook chats

Double click the folder messages ”, open the folder with the Facebook contact name that corresponds to the chat you want to view, and double-click the chat HTML file. The file will open in your computer's web browser. After that, you can browse and read messages at will.

Tips

It's a good idea to get in the habit of backing up Facebook data (including messages) periodically (eg once a month)

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