Losing important conversations on Messenger can be frustrating. Whether you accidentally deleted a chat or your account was hacked, you may be wondering if there is any way to recover those messages. The short answer is maybe, but it depends on a few key factors.
In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about recovering deleted Messenger chats. We’ll cover:
- How Messenger deletes chats
- What you can do to try to recover deleted messages
- Tips to prevent chat loss in the future
Read on to find out if it’s possible to resurrect your lost Messenger conversations.
How Does Messenger Delete Chats?
When you delete a Messenger conversation, it doesn’t immediately vanish. Deleted chats actually hang around for a while on Facebook’s servers.
The exact length of time varies, but deleted messages can remain recoverable for up to 10 days after being erased. However, Facebook will permanently delete the messages after that grace period.
Here’s a quick overview of how Messenger chat deletion works:
- When you delete a chat, it gets marked for deletion on Facebook’s servers.
- For up to 10 days, the messages still exist on Facebook’s servers but are inaccessible through your Messenger app.
- After 10 days, Facebook permanently erases the chat from its servers.
So you essentially have a 10-day window after deletion to recover messages before they are gone for good. But keep in mind you can’t access deleted chats directly through the Messenger app during this time.
How to Recover Recently Deleted Messenger Chats
If you act quickly, it is possible to resurrect deleted Messenger conversations that are less than 10 days old. Here are a few different ways to recover recently erased chats:
Method 1: Restore from Backup
If you previously backed up your Messenger conversations, you may be able to restore deleted chats from your backup. Here’s how:
- First, reinstall Messenger if you haven’t already.
- Open Messenger and log into your account.
- Tap your profile picture > Settings & Privacy > Restore Messages.
- Select the backup you want to restore from. This will restore deleted conversations saved in that backup.
The downside is Messenger’s built-in chat backup only works if you had it enabled previously. And it only saves the most recent messages – not entire histories.
Method 2: Use Data Recovery Software
Data recovery programs can scan your device and restore deleted Messenger files that aren’t yet overwritten. Options like iMyFone D-Back and EaseUS MobiSaver for Android have free trials and can recover Messenger chats.
However, this only works if the messages were deleted recently from your device. The software looks for chat files leftover on your phone or tablet – not Facebook’s servers.
Method 3: Retrieve Facebook Data
You can request an archive of your Messenger data directly from Facebook. Here’s how:
- Go to the Download Your Information page on Facebook.
- Select Deleted messages and click Create File.
- Enter your password to request the download. It may take a few days for Facebook to prepare your archive.
- Once ready, download your archive and find the messages_deleted.htm file. Open it to view deleted Messenger chats.
This allows you to recover deleted conversations within the past 10 days that aren’t available in your Messenger app. The downside is that media like images and videos aren’t included.
Method 4: Check Other Devices
If you linked Messenger to multiple devices, the deleted chats may still be present on your other logged-in devices. Open the Messenger app on your other smartphones, tablets or computers to see if the conversation is still available there. You can then copy, screenshot or forward the chat to save it. Just keep in mind that deleted chats sync across linked devices, so it will likely disappear from your other devices soon too.Recovering Older Deleted Messenger Chats
If more than 10 days have passed since a Messenger conversation was deleted, recovering those older chats gets very unlikely. Here are a couple last ditch methods you could try:
Method 1: Scan Storage with Data Recovery Software
In rare cases, data recovery apps may be able to find remnants of older deleted Messenger chats on your device’s storage if the space hasn’t been overwritten.
This would require professional-grade recovery software that can perform a “deep scan” to search for chat file fragments. However, there’s no guarantee this will work.
Method 2: Hire a Forensic Expert
A digital forensics specialist may be able to recover fragments of extremely old deleted Messenger chats from your device’s storage if parts of the files still exist.
However, this costs hundreds or thousands of dollars and has very low success rates. It’s really only worth pursuing if the deleted chats contained very important, sensitive or valuable information.
Preventing Messenger Chat Loss
To avoid going through this recovery headache in the future, here are some tips to prevent losing your Messenger conversations:
- Enable auto-backup in Messenger settings to regularly save your chats.
- Frequently export your conversations or use a third party backup tool.
- Avoid logging out of Messenger on mobile devices to stop chat syncing.
- Be very careful when deleting conversations and make sure they are really ones you want to erase.
- Use a reputable antivirus app to protect against malware that could hack your account and delete chats.
Practicing good backup habits is crucial. Don’t rely solely on Messenger’s built-in backup, as it has limitations. Manually backing up your chats externally on a regular basis reduces the risk of permanent data loss.
Can You Recover Deleted Messenger Chats After 30 Days?
It is essentially impossible to recover a Messenger conversation that was deleted more than 30 days ago. After 30 days:
- The deleted chat is long gone from Messenger’s servers.
- Any trace of the chat is highly unlikely to remain on your device’s storage.
No conventional recovery method can resurrect the deleted chat after this long. The messages can be considered permanently erased by that point.
Conclusion
Here are the key takeaways on recovering deleted Messenger chats:
- Messenger keeps deleted chats recoverable for up to 10 days before permanent erasure.
- You can restore recently deleted conversations from Messenger’s built-in backup, data recovery apps, downloading your Facebook information, or checking linked devices.
- Recovering chats deleted more than 10 days ago is essentially impossible through conventional means.
- Enabling Messenger’s backup feature, frequently exporting your chats, and avoiding needless deletions can prevent this situation.
Acting fast gives you the best chance of rescuing deleted Messenger conversations. But if it’s been over 10 days, prepare for the reality that those chats are likely gone for good barring an expensive forensic data recovery. Going forward, make sure you regularly back up your Messenger history to avoid permanent chat loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I recover a deleted Messenger chat from years ago?
It is nearly impossible to recover a Messenger conversation from years ago through conventional methods. Facebook deletes chats permanently after 10 days maximum, so extremely old chats cannot be retrieved.
Can you recover Messenger chats without backup?
It is challenging but sometimes possible to restore deleted Messenger chats without a backup. Options like data recovery software, contacting Facebook, or checking linked devices may work for recently deleted chats less than 10 days old.
Why did my old Messenger chats disappear?
If very old Messenger chats seem to have disappeared, it is likely because the messages exceeded Messenger’s retention period and were permanently deleted by Facebook. Facebook only stores deleted chats for up to 10 days.
How long does Messenger retain deleted messages?
Messenger retains deleted chats on its servers for up to 10 days after deletion. After 10 days, the messages are permanently erased and can no longer be recovered using conventional methods.
Can police recover deleted Messenger messages?
In certain cases, law enforcement may be able to work with Facebook to recover deleted Messenger chats within the 10 day retenton period, with a valid search warrant or subpoena. However, Facebook does fully delete chats after 10 days.
Summary
- Deleted Messenger chats remain recoverable for up to 10 days before permanent erasure.
- You can restore recently deleted conversations from Messenger backup, data recovery apps, downloading Facebook info, or other devices.
- Chats deleted over 10 days ago are essentially unrecoverable through conventional recovery methods.
- Enable Messenger backup, frequently export chats, and avoid needless deletions to prevent data loss.
- Extremely old deleted chats from years ago cannot be retrieved with standard recovery techniques.
The key is to act fast if you need to restore a deleted Messenger conversation. Within 10 days, there are several options that could potentially resurrect recently erased chats. But beyond that time, prepare for the reality that the messages are likely gone forever barring expensive professional data recovery. Going forward, be sure to frequently back up your Messenger data to avoid permanent deletion.