Quick Answer
If you have accidentally moved a post to trash on Facebook, there are a couple ways to recover it:
- Go to your Activity Log and find the post in your list of recent activity. Click on it and choose “Move to Feed” to put it back in your timeline.
- Go to your trash folder on Facebook. Find the deleted post and click “Move to Feed” to restore it.
Recovering deleted posts may only be possible for a limited time, so it’s best to try to restore posts as soon as you notice they are missing.
Looking in Your Activity Log
The easiest way to find posts you’ve recently moved to trash is to check your Activity Log. Here’s how:
- Click on the arrow in the top right corner of Facebook and select “Activity Log” from the dropdown menu.
- On the left side, click on “Your Posts” to view only your own posting activity.
- Scroll down to browse through your recent post activity. If you see a post moved to trash, click on it.
- This will open up the post. Click the three dots in the top right corner and select “Move to Feed” to restore it.
Your Activity Log stores your last 90 days of action on Facebook, so you can use this method to recover deleted posts within the last few months.
Looking in the Trash Folder
You can also find your deleted posts by directly accessing your trash folder:
- On Facebook, click on the arrow in the top right corner and select “News Feed Preferences”.
- On the page that opens, click on the link that says “View Posts You’ve Hidden”.
- This will display your trash folder showing all deleted posts. Scroll to find the post you want to restore.
- Click on the post title to open it, then click “Move to Feed” to restore it.
Posts moved to trash are only stored for 30 days before being permanently deleted, so be sure to check your trash folder soon if you notice something missing.
Tips for Recovering Deleted Facebook Posts
Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when trying to recover posts on Facebook:
- Act quickly! The sooner you try to restore a post, the more likely you will be able to retrieve it.
- If you have multiple user profiles, check the activity log and trash folder of each one.
- Deleted photos may be recoverable on Facebook for 7 days after being trashed.
- You can only restore posts that you deleted yourself – not posts deleted by someone else.
- If a friend shared your post before it was deleted, you may be able to recover it from their profile.
What to Do if You Can’t Recover a Deleted Post
If you try the steps above but are unable to find a deleted post to restore, here are some things you can try:
- Use a social media monitoring tool like Social Sentry to see if they archived the post when it was live.
- Check with any friends who commented on or shared the post – they may be able to send you a copy.
- See if you can find the post cached in Google Search results.
- Check your browser history to see if you visited the post permalink previously.
- Use a file recovery program to restore deleted photos/videos from your computer if you uploaded them.
- Accept the loss and consider re-sharing the post if applicable.
Unfortunately once a Facebook post is permanently deleted, there is no way to retrieve it. Always be cautious when deleting posts and back up important photos/videos regularly.
How Posting Works on Facebook
To understand how to recover deleted Facebook posts, it helps to know how posting works on Facebook:
- When you post on your Timeline, the post is visible to your friends and followers.
- If you delete a post, it gets moved to the trash folder and can be recovered.
- After 30 days, trashed posts are permanently removed.
- You can only restore posts you have permission to view and manage.
- Restoring brings a post back to your Timeline just as it was originally posted.
So if you accidentally delete something important within a month, you have a good chance of getting it back. But beyond 30 days, it will be gone forever!
Reasons You Might Need to Recover a Facebook Post
There are a few common reasons you may need or want to retrieve a deleted post on Facebook:
- You accidentally clicked “Delete” instead of editing or hiding a post.
- You changed your mind and want to re-share something you posted.
- A post you thought was unimportant at the time has now become more relevant.
- You need to retrieve a photo you uploaded for a post.
- Someone else (like a spouse or hacker) deleted one of your posts.
- You want to review a memory from the past that was recorded in a post.
Being able to recover deleted posts for a time can be useful in case you change your mind or realize you’ve made a mistake. And checking your activity log regularly enables you to monitor what has been posted and deleted.
Can You Recover Deleted Posts on Facebook Business Pages?
The process of recovering deleted posts works similarly for Facebook business pages and profiles. Page admins can:
- Check the page’s Activity Log to find recently deleted posts.
- Look in the page’s Trash folder to rescue deleted posts within 30 days.
- See if co-admins or fans shared the post in time to re-share it.
However, recovering deleted Facebook posts tends to be more crucial for business pages. Often a page’s posts promote special deals, events, new products, etc. Losing such posts could mean losing business.
As a Facebook page admin, be very careful about what you choose to delete!
Key Differences for Business Pages
Here are some key differences when recovering posts for a Facebook business page:
- All page admins can restore deleted posts, not just the original poster.
- Page posts may have generated customer comments and engagement to consider.
- Losing page posts means more lost value than personal profile posts.
Check page posts carefully before deletion and act quickly if you need to restore anything important!
Mistakes to Avoid When Deleting Facebook Posts
To prevent losing important posts on Facebook, avoid these common mistakes:
| Mistake | Details |
|---|---|
| Deleting in haste | Don’t delete posts in anger that you may want later – pause and think before deleting! |
| Bulk deleting | Be careful when selecting multiple posts to delete at once so you don’t accidentally select the wrong ones. |
| Assuming posts will be around later | Don’t put off saving or re-sharing important posts, they could get permanently deleted. |
Avoiding these mistakes can prevent losing posts that you can’t recover later!
Facebook Post Recovery F.A.Q.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about recovering deleted Facebook posts:
How long do deleted Facebook posts stay in the trash?
Deleted Facebook posts remain in the trash folder for 30 days before being permanently removed. So you have 30 days to restore deleted posts.
Can someone else restore my deleted posts?
No, only the original poster can restore their own deleted Facebook posts by recovering them from the trash folder. No one else can recover posts for you.
What about deleted posts I wasn’t tagged in?
You can only restore posts you originally made. You cannot recover posts made by other people that you were not tagged in, even if they have been deleted.
Can I tell if someone else deleted my post?
Yes, if you look in your Activity Log and see one of your posts was deleted, but you didn’t do it, then someone else must have. You should then be able to restore it from the trash folder.
What happens if I purge my trash folder?
Purging your trash folder will immediately and permanently delete all discarded posts. So only purge trash periodically to clear out obsolete posts.
In Conclusion
Here are some final tips on recovering deleted Facebook posts:
– Check your Activity Log and trash regularly.
– Try restoring posts as soon as you notice they’re gone.
– Don’t delete in haste without thinking.
– Monitor your page closely if you admin a business account.
– Back up important photos and videos often.
With vigilance and quick action, you should be able to restore most mistakenly deleted posts. Just be sure to pay close attention when clicking that delete button!