When you deactivate your Facebook account, your messages do not immediately disappear. However, after a period of inactivity your messages may no longer be accessible.
Deactivating your Facebook account temporarily disables it without deleting any of your information. Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and messages will all still be there if you choose to reactivate your account in the future.
What happens to your Facebook messages when your account is deactivated?
When you deactivate your account, your messages and conversations remain in Facebook Messenger. People will still be able to see your old messages if they look back through your conversations.
However, since your account is no longer active, you will not receive new messages. People will get a notification saying your account is unavailable if they try to message you while deactivated.
Can you still read old messages when deactivated?
Yes, you can still view your previous Facebook conversations when your account is deactivated. To do so, you simply need to reactivate your account by logging back in. All of your messages will be visible again.
Deactivating your account does not delete or erase anything – it just puts your account on hold. Everything will return to normal if you choose to reactivate your Facebook profile.
Do your Facebook messages get deleted after a certain time?
Facebook does not automatically delete or remove your inactive messages after a set amount of time. Your messages can remain on Facebook indefinitely as long as your account is not permanently deleted.
However, if your account remains deactivated for an extended period of time (over one year), your messages may become inaccessible. Facebook deletes some data from inactive accounts as a security measure.
What happens when you permanently delete your Facebook account?
Permanently deleting your Facebook account is different from deactivating it. When you delete your account, your messages and conversations are removed from Facebook Messenger.
Once your account is deleted, your messages are no longer stored on Facebook’s servers. People will no longer be able to look back through your old conversations.
How long do messages stay on Facebook after deleting an account?
When you delete your Facebook account, your messages and conversations are removed immediately. There is no grace period where your messages remain available after deletion.
Facebook says deleted accounts are permanently discontinued within 90 days. So any messages or data associated with your account should be gone within three months of initiating deletion.
Can you recover deleted Facebook messages?
Unfortunately, you cannot recover deleted Facebook messages after your account has been permanently removed. Facebook does not provide a way to retrieve messages from a deleted account.
The only way to keep a record of your Facebook messages is to download your data before deleting your account. This allows you to save a copy of your Facebook conversations.
Backing up your Facebook messages
If you want to save a record of your Facebook conversations, you can download your Facebook data before deactivating or deleting your account. Here are some ways to back up your Facebook messages:
Download your Facebook data
You can download an archive of your Facebook data that includes your Messages folder. To do so:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Click “Your Facebook Information” in the left menu
- Select “Download Your Information”
- Choose format (HTML or JSON) and media quality
- Click “Create File” to start your data download
Once ready, your download will contain a Messages folder with your conversations in HTML or JSON format.
Save individual conversations
You can also save specific conversations by clicking on the conversation name/photo and selecting “Export Conversation.” This saves just that chat thread as a PDF file.
Take screenshots
Taking screenshots of your chats before deactivating is another way to keep a record of your conversations. You can go back through relevant messages and save screenshots.
Alternative messaging options
If you are planning to deactivate or delete your Facebook account, you may want to consider alternative messaging platforms to stay in touch with your contacts.
Messenger app
You can continue using the Facebook Messenger app while your Facebook account is deactivated. However, you will not receive new messages until you reactivate.
Many people use WhatsApp to message internationally. It uses your phone number rather than Facebook account.
Signal
Signal is a secure messaging app focused on privacy. It offers end-to-end encryption for your chats.
Telegram
Telegram has robust messaging features and supports large group chats. It also has encrypted chat options.
Texting
Text messaging is a simple option if you mainly chat with phone contacts. Just be aware of any text limits on your phone plan.
The bottom line
When you deactivate your Facebook account, your existing Facebook messages remain visible but you cannot receive new ones. Permanently deleting your account removes your messages entirely.
If you want to keep a record of your Facebook conversations, be sure to download your data or screenshots before deactivating or deleting your account.
| Action | What happens to messages |
|---|---|
| Deactivate account | Messages remain visible but cannot receive new ones |
| Delete account | Messages are permanently removed |
With planning, you can deactivate or delete your Facebook account without losing your message history. Be sure to backup your messages beforehand if you want to look back on your Facebook conversations.