How to recover deleted messages from Facebook’s Messenger app

This fast instruction will explain how to retrieve deleted messages as a follow-up to our earlier post on how to erase messages from Facebook’s or rather Meta’s Messenger programme. Depending on how long it has been since the original message was deleted, following suggestions will explain how to retrieve lost messages from the Meta Messenger app if you or a family member accidentally erased them. Although occasionally it is feasible to retrieve deleted communications, this is not always the case.

The first step to do if you erroneously transfer a message to the app’s message archive instead of totally deleting it after you accidently remove it from the Messenger app is to make sure that this is the case. Although it is a long shot, it could be worthwhile to check as it is relatively simple to make my error and might save you a lot of grief. By accidently sliding your finger on a discussion, it is possible to accomplish. The options “Archive” and “More” will then become available. You may choose to permanently delete messages by selecting more.

Recover deleted messages from Messenger

To check for potentially accidentally archived messages and recover deleted messages from the Messenger app archive:

1. Select your profile photo in the Messenger programme on your phone or tablet.
2. After seeing your profile, choose the option for “Archived Chats” in the list.
3. All of your archived communications will be shown and may be readily recovered if they were accidentally moved or deleted.
4. To unarchive a message, swipe your finger over it from right to left. The “Unarchive” option will then be shown. By choosing this, you’ll retrieve the message and bring it back to your current chats.

If you’d like to do the recovery procedure via a browser on your PC or laptop, you may do so by going to the official Facebook website, or more specifically, the Meta website, in the aforementioned browser.

1. Log in to Facebook/Meta by just opening it in your browser.
2. Next, click the “Messenger” button in the page’s upper right corner.
3. Select the “See All in Messenger” option found at the bottom of the list of all of your discussions.
4. When you are in your Chats window, go to the main chat list’s top and click the three dots “…” button.
5. A new menu will then open, and about halfway down, you’ll find a choice for “Archived Chats.” Choose this.
6. You may reply to the chat and return it to Messenger’s list of current conversations by selecting it from a comprehensive display of all your archived messages.

If after looking through your archive, you cannot find the deleted mail. You’ll be happy to learn that Facebook saves deleted messages so you may retrieve them. They will retain deleted communications until they are permanently destroyed, albeit they do not specify how long.

Downloading your Facebook data before it is totally gone from the server is the last method for recovering lost messages from Messenger. You may do this by requesting a copy of all of your data on Facebook and Meta’s website, or, if that’s not feasible, only the deleted messages. It’s a long shot, but perhaps one of these backups has the deleted message you’re seeking to retrieve from the Messenger app. Using iOS, send Facebook a request for your profile picture data:

IOS Messenger data recovery

1. Launch the Messenger application, then choose your profile picture from the list at the top of the screen.
2. This will bring up your profile page, where you may access your “Account Settings” through a link towards the bottom.
3. You may “Download Profile Information” from the account settings page. Choose this, then choose “Messages” from the list of new choices that displays.
4. Uncheck any other options if you do not want to download all of your Facebook Messenger app data.
5. Next, go to the page’s bottom and choose “Create File.” This will request your data be exported to the servers, and the file will get a “Pending” status.
6. If your deleted messages are still accessible and have not been permanently removed by Facebook, you may review the file export’s contents once it has been finished.

Using a browser

If using a browser, you would want to download your Facebook Messenger app data:

1. Launch your favourite browser and visit the Facebook website once again.
2. Click “Settings and Privacy” from the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of your browser window.
3. The “Settings” button at the top of the settings and privacy section.
4. On the next window’s right side, choose the “Privacy” option.
5. Click “Your Facebook Information” in the Privacy box.
6. Click “View” on the right-hand side of the “Download Profile Information” box in the middle of your browser.
7. To expedite the export process, choose “Messages” next and remove anything you don’t want to download.
8. After you’ve chosen everything, click the blue “Create File” button located above the check boxes in the middle of the right side of the screen.
9. After Facebook notifies you that the export of your lost messages has been finished, you may open the file to restore the deleted Messenger app chat or discussion.

It is always worth contacting the official Facebook support staff to see if they can assist you if you are still having issues attempting to retrieve deleted messages via the Messenger programme. Before the servers immediately permanently remove them.