How To Recover Deleted Messages: There’s a good possibility that you have inadvertently erased communications between you and your friends if you use Facebook Messenger frequently. Perhaps you clicked on the incorrect item by mistake or were attempting to tidy out your inbox.
Read also: A Guide to Downloading Facebook Messenger for Android and PC for Free
Thankfully, there are ways to recover these precious messages. Facebook archives your sent messages for up to 90 days. Here’s how you can access deleted messages from Messenger on all major devices.
Recover Deleted Messages on a PC
You’ll need to use your browser to locate your deleted messages on your computer. Compared to the app version, the browser version gives you much greater access to your data and information. Your previous erased posts can be retrieved from the browser as well. To retrieve your erased messages from your browser, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- On the home page, select the down arrow in the top right corner, then select Settings & Privacy.
- Select Settings on the next menu.
- Select Your Facebook Information.
- Next, select Download Your Information by clicking View on the right.
- Here you will choose Messages and set the dates, quality, and file format.
- Select Request a download.
- You’ll receive a message that says, “A copy of your information is being created.” You’ll be receiving your information shortly.
Recover Deleted Messages on an Android Device
There are two methods to recover your deleted messages on Android devices. The first is through the Messenger app. The second is by using the File Explorer on your device. Let’s look at how to use these two methods.
Using the Messenger App
- Open the app on your device.
- Select Archived Chats.
- Find a chat with the person you want to recover. Then hold the chat icon until the menu pops up.
- Select Unarchive. Your old messages should reappear now.
Using File Explorer
- Open File Explorer on your device.
- In the section labeled Storage, select the SD card folder.
- Select the Android folder. All of your apps are stored here.
- Find the Data folder, then search for Cache. In the cache folder, search for fb_tempfile. Your archived messages are here.
Recover Deleted Messages on an iPhone
Since The iPhone is the most widely used gadget worldwide, it’s likely that you or a loved one owns one. The Facebook app and Messenger are the only ways to access your stored messages, in contrast to Android phones.
Using the Messenger App
- Open the app on your device
- Select Archived Chats.
- Find a chat with the person you want to recover. Then hold the chat icon until the menu pops up.
- Select Unarchive. Your old messages should reappear now.
Using the Facebook App
- Once you log in to your Facebook app, head to Settings.
- In the Settings menu, select Account Settings.
- Select General.
- Look for the button that says, Download a copy of your Facebook data.
- Once you tap the button, you will be asked to log in again.
- After filling in your details, select Download Archive.
- Your archived message will be downloaded in a .zip folder.
- Unzip the folder, then open the file called Index. Your messages will be in this file.
Recover Deleted Messages on iPad
Like the iPhone, the iPad is an iOS device; therefore, message recovery techniques are largely the same. You may retrieve your messages on your iPad by applying the same techniques.
Using the Messenger App
- Open the app on your device
- Select Archived Chats.
- Find the a with the person you want to recover. Then hold the chat icon until the menu pops up.
- Select Unarchive. Your old messages should reappear now.
Using the Facebook App
- Once you log into your Facebook app, head to Settings.
- In the Settings menu, select Account Settings
- Select General.
- Look for the button that says Download a copy of your Facebook data.
- Once you tap the button, you will be asked to log in again.
- After filling in your details, select Download Archive.
- Your archived messages will be downloaded in a .zip folder.
- Unzip the folder, then open the file called Index. Your messages will be in this file.
FAQs
1. Should you use third-party data recovery programs?
The majority of third-party apps make it possible to install a program to recover any files on your phone, which is quite alluring to non-techies. But not all of these apps are reliable; in fact, a lot of them are malware masquerading as helpful apps.
This guide shows you how to do what these programs offer manually. Yes, it takes a bit more time, but it is also the safest option for your data. Letting a third-party in just increases the risks of your information landing in the wrong hands.
2. What’s the best way to prevent my messages from being lost?
Archiving previous chats is the greatest technique to protect your messages from being sent. All you have to do to accomplish this is navigate to Messenger, pick someone’s conversation bubble, and choose Archive. Any conversations you have with them will be preserved.
Conclusion
How To Recover Deleted Messages: Facebook message loss is akin to losing a piece of oneself. We communicate with our friends and family for extended periods of time, so losing a communication permanently would be tragic. You just need to look around a little to find Facebook’s several methods for retrieving your older messages.
Have you ever deleted messages on Messenger? You use any of the methods outlined in the article.
