Nothing is more aggravating than losing valuable information on your Facebook messages. It may happen accidentally, or out of ignorance. You may have deleted a message without realizing the significance of it in the future.
Thankfully, there are several ways to retrieve your deleted messages on Facebook. From recovering archived messages to using file manager, this article will delve into each method to help you decide the one that fits your needs.
Look Through Your Archived Messages
Your missing messages may be accidentally archived, instead of being deleted. So, the first step you need to do to find them is to look through your archived messages.
Here’s how to retrieve the archived messages using your PC:
- Go to the Facebook site and log into your account.
- Tap on the Messenger icon.
- Choose “See All in Messenger” at the base of the chat box.
- Hit the three dots icon.
- Scroll down and select “Archived chats.”
- Find the message or conversation you want to retrieve.
- Click the three dots icon next to the message.
- Select “Unarchive.”
If you use the Messenger app, you can follow the instructions below:
- Start the Messenger app on your device.
- Click the hambuger icon on the upper left side.
- Choose “Archived chats.”
- Find the chat you wish to retrieve.
- Press and hold the desired chat if you use an Android phone, or swipe left if you use an iOS device. On the pop-up menu, pick “Unarchive.” The chat will be restored in the inbox.
Sometimes the message you’re seeking is simply lost in the sea of messages in your inbox. In this case, you can do the following steps:
- Open the Messenger app.
- Use the search feature by typing the name of the recipient or the person you’ve had a conversation with.
- You should find the chat in the inbox if it wasn’t deleted.
If these methods aren’t working for you, the messages might have been deleted. But don’t worry, you can still try other methods.
Ask the Conversation Partner to Send a Copy
If you’re certain that the message you’re looking for has been deleted, there’s still a chance to retrieve the conversation or information as it only disappears from your inbox. Who you are talking to might still have access to the message.
You can simply request a copy of the message from the other person. They can take a screenshot of the message and send it to you, or copy and paste the conversation and resend it as a new one.
Check the Downloaded Files
The lost messages you’re searching for might be stored on your PC. This is possible if you’ve used the “Download Your Information” feature on Facebook before. Seek for a file called “facebook-yourusername.zip.”
Unzip the file and you’ll find a folder named “facebook-yourusername” that contains all the information Facebook has saved, including your messages. You can search through this folder to find your lost chats.
Follow the steps below to unzip the file:
- For Mac: You just need to double-click the file to unzip.
- For Windows: Double-click the file and choose “Extract All.” Alternatively, you can right-click the file and choose “Extract All” from the options.
- Select the storage location for the extracted files. Don’t forget to tick the “Show extracted files when complete” box. Tap “Extract.”
- Search for a folder titled your_messages.html. Double-click the folder to launch the messages in a web browser.
Please note that this approach won’t be effective in retrieving messages if you’ve deleted them before using the “Download Your Information” feature, or if you used it before the chat occurred.
Use the File Manager on Android to Find Lost Messages
If you’re an Android user, there’s a high likelihood that you can find the missing messages by examining the cache data. This is because the cache data from various apps, including Messenger, are usually stored on Android phones.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the File Manager. If you don’t have the app on your phone, download and install it from the Play Store.
- Go to the main or internal storage.
- Tap “Android.”
- Select “data.”
- Search a folder named com.facebook.ocra. Click on it.
- Tap “cache.”
- Choose “fb_temp.”
Messages from recent history may be stored in that folder, so it’s worth checking to find the one that you look for.
Look Into Your Email
If you link your Facebook account to your email, chances are that you’ve received notifications of the messages you deleted. Facebook sends an email notification to the email address associated with your account whenever there’s an incoming message.
You can type “Facebook” in your email’s search box to find any notification related to the deleted conversation. If you find the notification, you can click on it to access the message and retrieve the information that was lost from your Messenger inbox.
Please keep in mind that this method can only work if you’ve enabled the email notification for your Facebook account.
Follow the steps below to set up email notifications:
- Launch the Facebook app on your mobile device.
- Click on hambuger icon in the upper right corner.
- Tap “Settings & privacy.”
- Select “Settings.”
- Press on “Notifications” (bell icon).
- Scroll down to find the “Where You Receive Notifications” section.
- Choose “Email.”
- Click “Email Frequency” and select “All.”
Back Up Your Facebook Messages
It’s vital to back up your Facebook messages to prevent losing important information in the future. You can manage it from the “Settings” menu and use the “Your Facebook Information” feature. You’ll need to request a download link that contains all your Facebook information, including your messages or chats.
During the process, you must also select the date range for which you want to download your information and choose the file format for the copies. You’re allowed to select a specific type of information, such as photos, posts, messages, stories, reels, payment history, and many more.
Basically, this feature lets you create a backup of all your Facebook data, which can be useful in case your account gets hacked or you accidentally lose your crucial information on the platform.
Do the following instructions to get a backup of your messages:
- Go to the Facebook website via a web browser. Log into your account.
- Click the profile picture in the upper right corner.
- Select “Settings & Privacy.”
- Tap “Settings.”
- Choose “Your Facebook Information” in the left menu.
- Find the “Download Profile Information” option and click the view button.
- Decide the file format you wish to download (HTML or JSON), the media quality, and the date range.
- In the next step, you can choose the information you want to download. Don’t forget to check the box right next to the “Messages” option.
- When you’ve finished selecting the desired information, scroll down and press the “Request a download” button at the bottom of the screen.
This process may take some time, especially if you select many data to download. You’ll receive a link that you can use to obtain a copy of your Facebook data. Make sure to store the backup files in a secure location.
Call the Facebook Support
If you’ve tried all these methods and they don’t seem to work, it’s a good idea to contact Facebook support. They may have a better solution and help you retrieve your deleted messages. However, you need to understand that it’s their policy to erase messages permanently once they’re deleted by the user.
FAQs
Can I use a third-party app to recover deleted Facebook messages?
Yes, you can use several third-party apps to recover deleted messages on Facebook. Some of the apps are Facebook Messages Extractor and Facebook Messages Recovery Tool 1.5.
Where can I find the Messenger data on an Android device?
You can locate it using File Manager. Open the main storage > click “Android” > select “data.” Look for a folder titled com.facebook.ocra > choose cache > find fb_temp.
Can I recover deleted photos from Facebook Messenger?
If you use an Android or iOS device, you can go to Gallery and find a folder named “Recently Deleted.” The deleted photos are automatically stored in that folder for 30 days. You’re allowed to select the photos you want to restore.
Does Facebook store chat history?
If you’ve sent a message to a friend and they haven’t read it for 14 days, it will vanish from the chat history automatically. You can use the “secret conversation” feature to access auto-disappear messages.
Be Thoughtful Before Deleting Any Information
Before deciding to delete any information, it’s crucial to consider the potential consequences. Whether you’re deleting photos, videos, emails, or Facebook messages, you may need to think twice about the reasons why you’re deleting them and whether you might need the information in the future.
Deleting those files can help free up storage space and improve your device’s performance, but it’s also essential to make sure you don’t lose any important information during the process. Hence, it’s recommended to back up your files regularly or activate email notifications so you can still access or recover them whenever needed.
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