Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 1 billion monthly active users. It allows users to send messages, photos, videos, and more to friends and connections on Facebook. However, sometimes messages may be deleted for various reasons – either by you or the other person in the conversation.
When a Facebook message is deleted, many users wonder if there is any way to recover or retrieve that message. The short answer is maybe, but it depends on a few key factors.
How Facebook Messenger deletes messages
When a message is deleted in Facebook Messenger, it is removed from the sender’s inbox and the recipient’s inbox. However, it is not immediately erased from Facebook’s servers. Deleted messages remain on Facebook’s servers for a period of time before being permanently deleted.
The exact length of time that deleted messages stay on Facebook’s servers is unknown and likely varies based on different factors. Some reports indicate that messages may persist for up to 10-30 days after being deleted. However, Facebook has not provided any official details on their message retention policies.
Recovering recently deleted Facebook messages
If a message was deleted very recently, within the last few days, then the most straightforward way to retrieve it is to log into Facebook on the desktop site and use Facebook’s “Recently Deleted” folder.
This folder stores deleted messages for a limited period of time, before they are permanently erased. To access it:
- Go to Facebook.com and log into your account
- Click on the Messenger icon in the top right
- In the left sidebar, click “Recently Deleted”
- You will see a list of your recently deleted messages
- Click “Recover” next to any message to restore it
The Recently Deleted folder only stores messages for a short window – up to 10 days maximum according to Facebook. So this method only works on very recently erased messages.
Recovering older deleted Facebook messages
If a message was deleted longer ago, beyond the Recently Deleted window, the process becomes more complicated. There are a few methods that may work to try recovering older deleted Facebook messages:
Method 1: Use a backup service
Some third-party apps and services can automatically back up your Facebook messages at regular intervals. Examples include CloudHQ, Backupify, and OwnBackup. If you had such a backup service connected to your Facebook account at the time the message was originally sent, you may be able to restore it from the backup.
Method 2: Scan your disk with data recovery software
Even after a file is deleted, traces of its contents still exist on your computer’s hard disk until they are overwritten by new data. File recovery software can scan your disk and reconstruct deleted files by piecing together these traces.
If you previously had the Facebook message open on your computer, recovery software may be able to retrieve it even if it was deleted from Facebook’s server. Software options to try include Disk Drill, Stellar Data Recovery, or Recuva.
Method 3: Check the archived messages folder
Facebook Messenger archives older message threads that you haven’t interacted with in some time. Though deleted messages won’t be archived, conversations threaded together around the deleted message may end up archived.
To check, go to the Archived tab in Facebook Messenger and see if you have an archived version of the thread containing the deleted message. The message itself may still be missing, but you may at least be able to see the surrounding conversation for context.
Method 4: Look for notification emails from Facebook
When you receive a new Facebook message, you can optionally have Facebook send you an email notification. If you had this enabled at the time, check your email inbox for any notification emails from Facebook around the time the deleted message was originally sent.
The email won’t contain the full message, but it may have some excerpted content that provides useful context about the deleted message.
Method 5: Search your hard drive for Facebook cache files
Facebook Messenger data and messages get stored in cache files on your device to optimize performance. Even after being deleted from Facebook’s servers, the message contents may continue to exist in these cached copies on your hard drive.
You can manually search for these Facebook cache files and dig through them to see if they contain the deleted message. The cache files are usually stored in obscurely named folders, so you’ll have to search thoroughly for any files related to Facebook.
Method 6: Use a subpoena to request data from Facebook
If the deleted Facebook message is involved in a legal dispute or investigation, it may be possible to subpoena Facebook for data related to the message. Facebook may have additional records not just of the message contents but also metadata like the sender, recipient, timestamps, and more.
However, this legal method usually requires concrete justification and involves navigating complex bureaucratic processes. Most individual Facebook users won’t have a compelling enough reason to justify subpoenaing Facebook for a deleted message.
Challenges recovering older deleted messages
As time passes from when the message was originally deleted, the odds of recovering the deleted Facebook message drop significantly. Some key challenges include:
- Facebook deletes the message from its servers after a relatively short period of time, usually less than 30 days.
- Backups only include the message if they happened to capture it before deletion.
- Disk and cache file contents get continuously overwritten by new data.
- Legal methods require substantial justification and legal justification.
If more than a few weeks have passed since the message was deleted, realistically there is very little chance of getting the exact contents back through ordinary means.
How to interpret partial message recovery
In some cases, you may only be able to recover fragments of a deleted Facebook message, or the surrounding conversation but not the message itself. Here are some ways to interpret and work around partial message recoveries:
- Look for clues about what the message said based on the conversation context and people involved.
- If you can see previews or fragments, do they contain any identifiable words or phrases?
- Try asking the other person involved if they recall or have a record of the message.
- Look for patterns andConsistency in multiple partial recoveries to infer the likely message contents.
- Focus less on the verbatim contents and more on the intent – what was the message trying to communicate?
While imperfect, a combination of conversation context, fragments, and inferences can provide enough clues to make reasonably good guesses about the contents of irrecoverable deleted Facebook messages.
How to prevent Facebook message deletion
Since deleted Facebook messages can be impossible to recover, it is wise to take preventative measures:
- Enable a third-party backup service to archive your Facebook messages regularly.
- Turn on email notifications for new Facebook messages.
- Export your Facebook data frequently to retain copies of messages.
- Be cautious and deliberate before deleting any Facebook messages.
- If anticipating a message deletion, take screenshots or transcribe important messages.
Proactive archiving of your Facebook messages provides insurance against accidental or malicious message deletions down the road.
Ethical issues around attempts to recover deleted messages
It is important to consider ethics and motivations when attempting to recover deleted Facebook messages:
- Respect others’ privacy – don’t intrude or spy on private conversations.
- Comply with any applicable laws and regulations.
- Only access your own accounts and devices.
- Obtain permission if accessing someone else’s content.
- Use recovered messages responsibly, not for harassment or abuse.
Transparency is key – if you recover a deleted message, consider disclosing that to the other party involved rather than using it secretly.
While you may have technical means to resurrect deleted messages, stop and think before doing so if it violates personal privacy, trust, or consent.
Conclusion
Recovering deleted Facebook messages is difficult but sometimes possible depending on how soon it is attempted after deletion. For recently deleted messages, the best results come from quickly using Facebook’s Recently Deleted folder before the messages are purged.
For older deletions, recovery requires more complex techniques like data recovery software or backup services. However, beyond about a month, retrievability drastically drops as deleted messages fade from backups and disk caches.
When only fragments can be recovered, you can try to infer context and intent. But ultimately, prevention is the best policy – diligently backing up and archiving Facebook message data provides the greatest protection against irreversible deletion.