In today’s digital age, photos and images are an integral part of our daily communication and interaction with friends, family and colleagues. With popular messaging apps like Facebook Messenger allowing easy sharing of photos, many of us rely on these platforms to store and exchange memorable snapshots. However, accidental deletion of photos on Messenger is not uncommon.
So what happens when you delete a photo on Messenger? Can you recover or retrieve that deleted photo somehow? Let’s find out.
What happens when you delete a photo on Messenger
When you delete a photo that you have sent or received on Messenger, it gets removed from your chat history. However, the photo does not get deleted instantly from Messenger or Facebook’s servers. This provides a window of opportunity to recover recently deleted photos.
Here is a brief overview of what happens when you delete a Messenger photo:
- The photo disappears from your chat history and you can no longer view or access it through Messenger.
- The photo may still be present on Messenger or Facebook’s servers for a while until it is fully deleted.
- If the photo was sent by another user, deleting it from your chat only removes your copy of the photo. The sender still has the original photo in their chat history.
- If you sent the photo yourself, deleting it removes all copies from the chat thread. But the photo may still be recoverable from the app’s servers before permanent deletion.
- The exact duration for which deleted photos remain recoverable varies, from a few days up to about 90 days in some cases.
In essence, there is a window of opportunity to recover recently deleted Messenger photos before they are purged from the servers. The quicker you try to retrieve the photos, the higher the chances of recovery.
How to recover deleted photos from Messenger
If you accidentally deleted a photo on Messenger and want to get it back, there are a few different methods you can try. Here are the best options to recover deleted Messenger photos:
1. Restore from Trash or Archive on Messenger
The Messenger app and Facebook web interface provide a Trash and Archive option where deleted content may be stored temporarily. When you delete photos on Messenger, they are moved to Trash if using the mobile app or Archive if using the web browser.
To restore deleted photos:
- On the Messenger mobile app, tap your profile pic > Trash > Select the photos > Restore.
- On Facebook web, click the Messenger icon > View Archive > Select photo > Move to Inbox.
Photos remain restorable from Trash/Archive for a limited time, usually up to 30 days.
2. Use data recovery software
Another option is to use dedicated third-party data recovery software or apps that can scan your device and retrieve deleted files from Messenger remnants or cached data. Some examples of photo recovery apps include:
- Disk Drill – Scans Android and iOS devices to recover deleted Messenger media.
- iMyFone iBypasser – Extracts lost iOS Messenger photos and videos.
- FonePaw Android Data Recovery – Recovers deleted files including Messenger media from Android phones or tablets.
Such data recovery tools use deep scanning techniques to retrieve photos that may not be directly retrievable from the Messenger app anymore. Just ensure you install and use reputable recovery apps from known developers.
3. Retrieve from cloud or device backups
If you had previously backed up your device data to a cloud service or external storage, you may be able to find deleted Messenger media in those backups. Options to check include:
- iCloud backup – For iOS devices
- Google Photos backup – For Android devices
- External storage backup – SD card or hard disk backups
Restore your device from the backup date prior to when the photo was deleted to retrieve it.
4. Recover from sender
If the deleted photo was sent to you by someone else, request the sender to resend it to you or share it again. Since the sender originally owns and posted the photo, they should still have access to it in their chat history unless they also deleted it.
5. Check Facebook security copy
Facebook creates and maintains copies of user data for security purposes, even when you delete content. You can request Facebook to provide you with a copy of your personal data from their servers, which may potentially contain deleted Messenger media.
To do this:
- Go to Facebook Settings > Your Facebook Information > Download Your Information
- Select JSON format and Media Quality: High
- Submit the request and check the data copy once available
Best practices to avoid losing photos
To avoid finding yourself in a situation where you have to recover deleted Messenger photos, follow these handy tips:
- Back up regularly – Create periodic backups of your device photos to cloud storage or external drives.
- Use Messenger favorably – Avoid storing your only copies of important photos solely on Messenger.
- Export & save – Download or screenshot special Messenger photos to have separate saved copies.
- Double-check before delete – Take extra care to confirm before deleting original or significant photos.
Can I recover deleted Messenger photos after 30 days?
It becomes very difficult to recover deleted Messenger photos after 30 days, as the app and Facebook start permanently deleting cached data after this period in most cases. However, there are a few long shot methods you could try:
- Use data recovery apps that employ deep scanning to salvage deleted residual data.
- Check archived device backups that are more than 30 days old.
- Try your luck requesting the Facebook data security copy even after months.
But the chances of recovering Messenger photos reduce drastically after the 30 day threshold. So it’s best not to depend on being able to retrieve deleted photos after too long.
Can I recover deleted photos sent via Messenger on Facebook?
Yes, the techniques and tools outlined above can be used to recover deleted photos sent or received using Messenger on Facebook web or mobile interface as well. The Messenger apps for Android, iOS and Windows have the same underlying architecture.
When you delete a photo sent via Messenger on Facebook website or app, it gets archived on Facebook’s servers temporarily before being permanently scrubbed. So you have a limited window of opportunity to restore it using Trash/Archive, data recovery apps, cloud backups etc.
Should I use a data recovery service to retrieve deleted Messenger photos?
Paid data recovery services are an option if you are unable to restore important deleted Messenger photos on your own via free methods. Reputable recovery experts have sophisticated tools and clean room facilities for extracting lost data from storage media.
However, specialized photo recovery services can be expensive, costing several hundred dollars in some cases. Also, they may not guarantee success for retrieving Messenger media. So weigh the importance of the deleted photos vs the cost when deciding on professional data recovery.
What are some alternative options if I can’t recover a deleted Messenger photo?
If none of the photo recovery techniques work and you are unable to retrieve a deleted Messenger image, don’t lose hope. Consider some of these alternative options:
- Ask the sender to resend the photo if applicable.
- Check if any recipients have the photo in their chat history and request them to share it.
- See if the photo exists elsewhere like Facebook posts or your camera roll.
- Try photo recovery software on old device backups as an outside chance.
As a last resort, if the photo is unavailable, accept the loss and take it as a lesson to be more careful about deletion as well as backing up your important Messenger media in the future.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is possible to recover recently deleted Messenger photos using the app’s Trash/Archive, data recovery software, cloud backups and other methods. However, the chances of recovery reduce significantly after 30 days. So act swiftly if you accidentally delete an important photo on Messenger and use suitable preservation practices to avoid losing your images.