Facebook allows users to delete their accounts, removing their profile information and all content they have posted. When an account is deleted, messages sent from that account will no longer be visible to the recipients. However, there are a few cases where some of the deleted account’s messages may still be accessible.
What happens to messages when an account is deleted?
When a Facebook account is deleted, all of the messages sent from that account are permanently removed from Facebook’s servers. This means that the messages will no longer be visible in any Facebook messenger conversations.
Recipient’s inboxes will show the name of the deleted account where the messages used to be, but the content of the messages will not be shown.
If a message was sent from the deleted account to a group conversation, the message will be removed and the group members will see a note saying “This message was deleted”.
So in most cases, once an account is deleted there is no way for recipients to retrieve or view any messages previously sent from that account.
Are there any cases where you can still see messages from a deleted account?
There are a couple of limited cases where you may still be able to view messages from a deleted Facebook account:
- If you had previously enabled chat history in your Facebook settings, you can still view past messages in your account that were sent to you by the deleted account.
- If the messages were sent via Facebook Messenger (not within Facebook) and you had chat history enabled in Messenger, you can still read those messages.
- If you took screenshots of messages from the account before it was deleted, you will still have those screenshots.
- If the account owner simply deactivated their account instead of permanently deleting it, the messages will still be there if they reactivate.
So in summary, the only way you can still view previous messages from a deleted account is if you proactively took screenshots or had chat history enabled before the account was removed.
What if the account was hacked or disabled by Facebook?
If an account was hacked or disabled by Facebook, rather than being deliberately deleted by the owner, then there is a chance the messages may still be retrievable.
For hacked accounts, if the owner is able to recover their account, the messages will still be there when they get access back.
For accounts disabled by Facebook for policy violations, any messages sent recently could potentially be recovered if the account owner successfully appeals the disablement.
What about messages you sent to the deleted account?
Messages that you sent to someone who later deleted their Facebook account will also be deleted along with their account. These messages will no longer show up in your sent folder.
The only way you could potentially have a record of messages you sent them would be if you took screenshots or had Messenger chat history enabled.
Should you take screenshots of important messages?
Given that messages from a deleted account can be permanently wiped from Facebook’s servers, it can be a good idea to take screenshots of any important messages you want to keep a record of.
Some situations where you may want to screenshot conversations include:
- Messages from someone who you think may delete their account in the future.
- Important information or planning details sent via messages.
- Meaningful messages from a loved one.
- Evidence of any concerning, abusive or threatening messages.
Screenshots provide a backup if those messages ever disappear. You can take screenshots on mobile devices and on computers.
How to enable chat history
Another option to preserve messages is to enable chat history in Facebook Messenger and/or your Facebook settings:
- On Messenger, go to your Account settings > Chat history and toggle it on.
- On Facebook, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Your Facebook Information > Download Your Information > View Messages and toggle on Keep Messages.
Enabling these settings means your existing and future conversations will be saved in your account history for you to look back on.
Deactivating vs deleting an account
It’s important to understand the difference between deactivating and permanently deleting a Facebook account:
- Deactivating – This temporarily disables your account. Your information and messages remain saved and can be restored if you log back in.
- Deleting – This permanently removes your account, including messages, from Facebook. It is much harder to recover a deleted account.
So if someone may return to Facebook in future, try to check if they have fully deleted their account or just deactivated it. Messages may still be retrievable if they eventually reactivate.
Conclusion
In most cases, messages from a deleted Facebook account will be permanently erased and not retrievable by recipients.
The only real ways to keep records of conversations with someone who deletes their account are if you had chat history enabled or took screenshots.
If you anticipate someone may delete their account soon, enabling chat history or screenshotting important messages can be wise to preserve that information.
Overall the ability to see messages from a deleted account is very limited, so if you want to keep conversations make sure to save them before the account is removed.