Most people have deleted a Facebook post at least once in their lives. Perhaps you were angry at the person or you just wanted to get your inbox organized.
Whatever the reason, chats are permanently deleted from your computer and app after you delete them. What happens if you want that information back?
There are many ways to recover these messages or at least the information contained in them. This article will explain how to retrieve deleted Facebook messages.
How to see deleted messages on Facebook Archive
The archived messages are your first stop. You might have deleted a message that is causing you to not be able to find it in your chats. You might have archived it instead. The buttons are located one below the other.
These steps will help you locate archived messages on your computer.
- Navigate to Facebook and click the Messenger icon at the top right.
- Choose All in Messenger .
- Click here … icon next to Chats .
- Select Archived Chats from dropdown menu.
- Scroll down to find the message that you are looking for.
The only way to locate archived messages in Messenger is by using the names of other chat participants. These are the steps to follow:
- Start the Messenger app on you phone.
- Type the name of the person you are looking for in the search bar.
- It will show below if you archived the message. Tap to see it.
If you wish to return the chat to your main inbox, both of these cases will require you to send a new message.
You probably deleted the messages you are unable to find using this method. You don’t have to lose heart, there are still other options.
How to Locate Deleted Facebook Messages On Android
Android phones store cache data for almost all apps you use. If you use Messenger on Android, you have a good chance of being able to access the cache data to locate deleted chats.
- Download a file manager from the Google Play Store if you don’t have one.
- It will launch it. Navigate to Main storage > Android > data> com.facebook.ocra > cache> fb_temp.
- You will find messages from your recent history in this folder. You should be able locate the message that was deleted.
It’s difficult to access your phone’s backup for Messenger correspondence if you have an iPhone. You might need to use a third-party iPhone data retrieval tool.
How to get deleted Facebook messages from other recipients
You can contact the other party to the conversation if you still haven’t found the deleted messages. You can delete a Facebook conversation forever. The copy may still be available to the person you were speaking with.
It is easiest to ask for a screenshot or to resend the conversation by copying and pasting.
You can request the information from your Facebook account if you require it for official purposes such as to prove that you spoke to someone at a specific time.
They don’t have the obligation to share all information with you. You can choose and download what to send.
How to retrieve deleted Facebook messages from your email or backup
You can also check these two places as a last resort. Search your email inbox if you have any information about the content of the messages. This will only work if your Facebook account has email notifications enabled.
Last but not least, check your Facebook backup file. You probably don’t know how you can create a backup. If that happens, you have exhausted all options.
Make a backup of your current messages
Back up your messages to prevent this from happening again. Enable your email notifications to accomplish this. These are the steps to follow:
- Open Facebook on your desktop. Click the down arrow in the upper right-hand corner.
- Choose Privacy & settings Select from the menu and then choose Settings again.
- Scroll down until you see Notifications Click the link in the left menu.
- Scroll down to the bottom and click email.
- Choose All notifications, except those you turn off . This will ensure that you receive the messages in your future inbox.
You can also make a backup of all your messages. Facebook’s backup is not like WhatsApp backup. It allows you to retrieve any message that was deleted. However, it does save your messages up until a specific time.
But, backups can still be helpful on Facebook. Follow these steps to create backups on Facebook.
- Navigate to the Settings webpage on your computer.
- Select From the left menu, choose your Facebook information.
- Click here to get your information.
- This page allows you to choose what you want to back up and which dates. Click here if you want to back up your messages only All you need to do is Deselect. Then, reselect Messages.
- Hit Save.
It takes only a few moments. After the process is complete, you will receive an email with your backup file. It can also be downloaded from the All copies tab.
Now you know how to retrieve deleted Facebook messages
So, can you recover deleted Facebook messages? Yes, in some cases. However, it is only in very limited cases.
You don’t have to delete any messages that are older than you want. This applies to all messaging software, not just Facebook Messenger.
Many places offer an archive option. This keeps your main inbox tidy but allows you to access the information later if needed. These options will ensure your messages are always available.
