When users download their Facebook data, they may be surprised to see messages that they previously deleted. This raises an important question – does downloading your Facebook data allow you to recover deleted messages?
The short answer
Yes, downloading your Facebook data can show some deleted messages. However, it does not restore all deleted messages. The ability to recover deleted messages depends on when the messages were deleted and when you download your data.
How Facebook stores data
To understand why you can see some deleted messages in your Facebook data, it helps to know how Facebook stores data. When you send or receive a message on Facebook, it gets stored on Facebook’s servers. Even after you delete a message, it may still exist on Facebook’s servers for a period of time.
Facebook does not immediately delete all traces of a message when you delete it. The message gets marked for deletion, but may not get erased from Facebook’s servers right away. This allows you to recover recently deleted messages if you accidentally delete something important.
When deleted messages get erased
Facebook has a deletion process that permanently erases deleted data after a certain period of time. The length of time varies based on the type of data:
- Deleted posts – erased after 90 days
- Deleted messages – erased after 30 days
- Deleted photos and videos – erased after 30 days
These time periods are not exact, but give a general idea of how long deleted content sticks around. So if you delete a message and then download your Facebook data within 30 days, you may see that message in your downloaded data. After 30 days, the message should be permanently erased.
How to download Facebook data
If you want to see what deleted messages are still stored in your Facebook data, follow these steps:
- Go to your Facebook Settings
- Click on “Your Facebook Information” in the left menu
- Click “Download Your Information”
- Select the data types you want to download, including messages
- Click “Create File”
- Facebook will compile and email you a link to download your data
Your downloaded data will be in HTML format. You can open the messages.html file to see your messages, including deleted ones not yet erased.
Examples of recoverable deleted messages
Here are some examples of types of deleted messages you may be able to recover by downloading your Facebook data:
- A message you deleted 5 days ago
- A conversation you deleted 2 weeks ago
- An embarrassing message you deleted an hour after sending
- A photo you sent someone then deleted the next day
As long as the deletion occurred in the last 30 days, these types of deleted messages could show up in your downloaded data.
Examples of unrecoverable deleted messages
Here are some examples of deleted messages that you would not be able to retrieve:
- A message you deleted more than 30 days ago
- A video you sent someone 6 months ago and then deleted
- A message you deleted a year ago
- A conversation you permanently erased over 45 days ago
Because Facebook’s deletion process has passed the 30 day threshold, these types of older deleted messages would no longer exist in Facebook’s system, and thus would not show up if you downloaded your data.
Limitations of downloading Facebook data
While you can retrieve some deleted messages by downloading your data, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- Only messages deleted within the last 30 days are recoverable
- Deleted messages may be incomplete or missing attachments
- Downloaded data does not include messages others deleted from conversations with you
- You cannot search for or filter deleted messages in the downloaded data
In summary, the downloaded Facebook data only includes a partial record of deleted messages from the last 30 days. It does not give you a complete history of all deleted messages.
Privacy considerations
The ability to download deleted messages raises some privacy considerations. If you want to permanently delete a message so no one can access it, downloading data should not be relied upon. For full deletion, it is best to also delete the message from the recipient’s inbox as well.
On the other hand, being able to recover recently deleted messages can be useful if you change your mind or delete something by accident. Just be aware that others with access to your account could potentially see messages you thought were deleted.
Conclusion
Downloading your Facebook data allows you to view some deleted messages for up to 30 days after deletion. However, Facebook’s systems automatically erase deleted messages after 30 days. So you cannot rely on downloading your data to see permanently deleted messages older than a month. The download feature is most useful for short-term recovery of deleted messages in case you change your mind or delete something accidentally.
Downloading your Facebook data can be useful, but keep in mind that it does not provide a full archive of everything ever deleted. The download gives you a snapshot of data from the last 30 days that has not yet been permanently erased from Facebook’s servers. Handle any sensitive messages accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back can I recover deleted Facebook messages?
You can recover deleted Facebook messages for up to 30 days after deletion. Facebook permanently erases deleted messages after 30 days.
What if I permanently deleted a conversation?
If you permanently deleted an entire conversation more than 30 days ago, it would not be retrievable when downloading your Facebook data.
Do deleted photos reappear when downloading data?
Yes, similar to messages, deleted photos and videos remain recoverable for up to 30 days after deletion. As long as you download your Facebook data within that time, you would see photos and videos you had deleted.
What about messages I deleted over a year ago?
Messages deleted more than 30 days ago are not stored in Facebook’s system. So messages deleted over a year ago would not appear when downloading your Facebook data.
Can someone else recover messages I deleted from their inbox?
No, other users can only recover messages they themselves deleted. Downloaded data does not show messages another user deleted from a shared conversation.
What are the limits of recovering deleted messages?
The limits are:
- Only 30 days after deletion
- Incomplete conversations
- Missing attachments
- No filtering or search in downloaded data
So the data does not provide a full, organized archive of deleted messages.
Is it risky to rely on downloading data to delete messages permanently?
Yes, there is some risk because Facebook keeps messages for 30 days after deletion. For full privacy, you should also delete messages from the recipient’s inbox.
Related Articles
If you are looking to recover deleted Facebook messages, you may find these other articles helpful:
How To Recover Deleted Facebook Messages
This article explains step-by-step how to download your Facebook data and find deleted messages in the HTML files.
How To Delete Facebook Messages Permanently
This article explains how to fully delete Facebook messages from your account and other people’s inboxes for complete privacy.
How To Turn Off Message Recovery in Facebook
This article walks through disabling the feature that allows recovering recently deleted messages when you download your Facebook data.
How To Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently
This article covers how to entirely delete your Facebook account along with your messages and other data.
Facebook’s Message Deletion and Privacy Policies
Facebook outlines their data deletion processes and privacy policies in these areas of their Help Center:
Data Policy
Facebook’s Data Policy explains what data they collect from you, how they use it, and options for deleting data. It covers how long they retain data after deletion.
How Long Does Facebook Keep Deleted Messages?
This help article from Facebook provides specifics on how long different types of deleted data including messages remain in their system before permanent deletion.
How To Permanently Delete Your Message From Someone’s Inbox
This explains Facebook’s process for entirely deleting a message from a conversation by removing it from both your inbox and the recipient’s inbox.
Summary
In summary:
- Downloading Facebook data allows seeing some deleted messages
- Only messages deleted in the last 30 days can be recovered
- After 30 days, deleted messages are permanently erased
- Recovered messages may be incomplete with missing attachments
- To fully delete message for privacy, also remove from recipient’s inbox
So while downloading your Facebook data can recover recently deleted messages, it does not provide a complete or permanent archive. Handle any sensitive messages with the appropriate level of privacy in mind.