How do I go back to a certain date on Facebook?

Facebook’s Timeline feature allows you to look back at your profile and posts on specific dates in the past. Here are some tips for navigating back in time on Facebook:

Use the timeline scrollbar

The easiest way to jump to a past date is to use the timeline scrollbar on your profile page. The scrollbar is on the right side of the page next to your cover photo and profile info. Drag the scrollbar handle down to move back through your timeline.

As you drag, you’ll see the date at the top change. Release the scrollbar when you’ve reached the date you want to view. You can scroll through your timeline year by year, month by month, and even day by day using the scrollbar.

Go to “On This Day”

“On This Day” shows you a snapshot of what you posted on the same day in previous years. It’s a quick way to jump back to a particular date.

To use it:

1. Click on the notification icon in the top right.
2. Select “On This Day” from the dropdown menu.
3. Scroll through the On This Day feed until you find the year you want.
4. Click on a post to be taken back to that day on your timeline.

Use the date filter

You can filter your timeline to only show posts from a certain date range. Here’s how:

1. Go to your profile page and click “Posts” in the left sidebar.
2. Click the date filter icon (calendar icon) at the top.
3. Select a date range in the pop-up calendar.
4. Click “Apply” to filter your timeline.

This will temporarily filter out all posts not within the selected dates. Remove the filter to return to your full timeline.

Try a keyword search

If you recall specific text or keywords from a post on the date you want, you can try searching for it.

Use the main Facebook search bar at the top of any page. Enter the keywords along with the date or date range. For example:

“Hawaii vacation June 2019”

This will show results from June 2019 mentioning a Hawaii vacation. Click through to any results from the timeline date you want to quickly jump to that point.

Use the Activity Log

Your Activity Log contains your full history on Facebook. You can use it to go back to a specific date.

To access it:

1. Click on the arrow in the top right.
2. Select “Activity Log” from the dropdown menu.
3. Select “Your Posts” from the sidebar.
4. Use the date filter at the top to choose your date.

This will show you all your own posts from that date. Click any post to open it on your timeline.

View old photos and videos

Your photos, videos, and posts with visual media are stored in separate sections of your profile. To jump straight into your media from a certain date:

1. Go to your profile
2. Click “Photos” in the left sidebar
3. Use the date filter to choose your date

This will show all photos and videos from the selected date. Click any of them to go to that date on your timeline.

Check old Group posts

To see posts and discussions from a certain date in a Group:

1. Go to the Group page
2. Click “Discussion” in the left sidebar
3. Click the date filter icon at the top
4. Select your desired date range

This will display posts from Group members within the chosen dates. You can click any post to see the full discussion.

Browse old Events

To see Events from a past date:

1. Go to your profile and click “Events” in the left sidebar
2. Click “Past Events” at the top
3. Use the date filter icon to select a date

You’ll then see past Events held on that date. Click any Event to view its details and feed from when it was held.

Check an old Page post

To see Posts from a certain date on a Facebook Page:

1. Go to the Page profile
2. Click “Posts” in the left sidebar
3. Click the date filter icon at the top
4. Choose your date range

This displays Page posts limited to the selected dates. Click any post to jump directly to it.

Use Facebook Memories

Facebook Memories are curated throwbacks to your old posts that you may enjoy revisiting. They can serve as timestamps into the past:

1. Go to your profile page
2. Scroll through the timeline until you see a Memories post
3. If the Memory is from the date you want, click it

The Memory will take you directly to its original post date. Use them as guideposts to navigate back through your timeline.

Viewfriendship history

You can use your friendship history with someone to jump to dates in the past:

1. Go to their profile page
2. Click the “Friends” button
3. In the pop-up, click “See Friendship”

This will show a timeline of your friendship milestones, like becoming friends or adding them. Click any event to see posts from that date.

Check old messages

Looking through old messages can take you back to conversations from specific dates:

1. Click the messages icon in the top right
2. Open a conversation
3. Scroll up through the messages
4. Click any message to see it on your timeline

The timeline will jump to the date the message was sent. You can also search for keywords plus a date to find messages from past dates.

Use third-party tools

Some third-party services let you browse your Facebook timeline and data in new ways:

• Social Book Post Manager helps you manage and search your timeline.
• Download Your Information lets you export your data.
• Timehop shows you past posts and memories.

Tools like these give you alternative ways to navigate your Facebook history.

Conclusion

With all these methods, you should be able to jump directly to any date from your Facebook past. Key tools include the timeline scrollbar, On This Day, searching posts and media, using filters, checking old messages and events, and browsing friendship histories.

Facebook’s Timeline is like a digital archive of your life. Whether you want to relive old memories, check details from the past, or see how far you’ve come, these tips will let you go back in time on Facebook.

Method	How to Use	Best For
Timeline scrollbar	Drag handle to scroll through dates	Quickly scrolling through timeline
On This Day	View snapshot posts from past years	Jumping to anniversaries and memories
Date filter	Filter timeline to specific date range	Focusing posts from one period
Keyword search	Search for keywords plus a date	Finding a specific post
Activity Log	View and filter your post history	Checking what you posted any day
Old photos/videos	Filter and browse your uploads	Viewing old media
Friendship history	Check friendship milestones	Finding start dates of connections

Tips

• Adjust date filters to widen or narrow range
• Try searching your own post text if you can recall keywords
• Bookmark On This Day to quickly check each morning

Facebook’s Timeline and data tools enable powerful retroactive browsing. With so many options, you can now easily immerse yourself in Facebook nostalgia from the past.