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How do you get archived messages on facebook


How to See Archived Messages on Facebook Messenger

  • You can archive a conversation on Facebook Messenger using the website or mobile app.
  • Archiving a Facebook Messenger chat removes it from your inbox, but doesn't delete it.
  • To see your archived Facebook messages, head to the "Archived chats" menu.

If you're active on Facebook, chances are you make use of the social media site's built-in Messenger app. And if you use it a lot, your inbox might be flooded with old conversations.

You can delete any Messenger conversation by right-clicking or tapping it. But you don't have to erase these conversations forever — instead you can archive them, which will remove the chat from your inbox and move it to a new folder. This is great for saving messages from old friends, or chats with valuable information in them.

Here's how to archive a Messenger chat and see it again later.

How to archive a conversation in Facebook Messenger 

You can archive your chats using the Facebook Messenger website or app.

On the website

1. Head to the Facebook Messenger homepage and log into your account, if you haven't already.

2. Find the conversation that you want to archive in the left sidebar.

3. When you hover your mouse over the conversation, you'll see a circle with three dots inside appear. Click this circle and select Archive chat.

Select "Archive chat." Meta; William Antonelli/Insider

The conversation will disappear from the list.

In the mobile app

These steps are the same on both iPhone and Android.

1. Open the Messenger app and log into your account, if you haven't already.

2. Find the conversation that you want to archive in the list, then tap and hold your finger on it.

3. When a menu appears, select Archive.

Select the "Archive" option. Meta; William Antonelli/Insider

How to see your archived messages in Facebook Messenger

Once again, you can do this using your computer or your phone.

Using the website

1. Head to the the Facebook Messenger homepage again and click the circle with three dots in the top-left.

2. Select Archived chats.

Open the "Archived chats" page. Meta; William Antonelli/Insider

3. The left sidebar will flip to show you all your archived chats. Click on any of them to see the conversation, but note that sending a message will move the chat back into your regular inbox.

You can also unarchive a chat by hovering your mouse over it in the left sidebar, clicking the three dots icon, and selecting Unarchive chat.

There are two ways to unarchive a chat. Meta; William Antonelli/Insider

Using the mobile app

This works for both iPhone and Android.

1. Open the Messenger app and tap your profile picture in the top-left corner.

2. In the list of options, select Archived chats.

You'll find "Archived chats" with the other app options. Meta; William Antonelli/Insider

3. You'll see a list of all your archived conversations. You can open them and even send messages, but sending a message will move the chat back to your regular inbox.

You can also unarchive a conversation by tapping and holding it, then selecting Unarchive from the list that appears.

Jennifer Still contributed to a previous version of this article.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at [email protected].

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How to Use Archived Messages in Facebook Messenger

If you’ve been using social media for a while, your inboxes are probably packed with old conversations, many of which you likely haven’t touched for ages. Facebook Messenger lets you delete or archive these old messages.

In this article, we’ll explain the difference between deleting and archiving messages. Then, we’ll cover how you can archive your messages, see archived messages, and unarchive them. 

Table of Contents

    What Is the Difference Between Archiving and Deleting Messages?

    You can delete individual messages to prevent your conversation partner from seeing them, and you can also delete entire conversations if they’re no longer needed. You cannot retrieve deleted messages—they’re gone for good.

    Archiving, on the other hand, lets you hide a conversation but preserve its contents in case you need to access or reactivate it later. You can only archive conversations (including group chats)—not individual messages. 

    Archiving helps organize your inbox and make sure that important conversations are saved. If you archive a conversation, you will still receive notifications (unless you ignore or block that person). Any new messages from that person will appear as a new conversation in your inbox.

    How to Archive a Conversation in Facebook Messenger

    It’s easy to archive a conversation in Messenger, but the process is slightly different depending on whether you use the web or app version. 

    How to Archive a Conversation on the Messenger Website

    If you’re on a Mac or PC, you’ll need to use the website to archive a conversation. You can also use the website instructions on iPhone or Android if you prefer it to using the app.

    1. Open the Messenger.com website and log into your Facebook account if you haven’t already. Alternatively, you can access this by clicking the Messages icon in the top-right of the Facebook homepage and selecting See all in Messenger.
    1. In the left-hand chat list, hover your pointer over the conversation you want to archive. Select the icon with three dots. 
    1. Select Archive chat.
    How to Archive a Conversation on the iOS or Android App

    If you’ve got the Messenger app installed on your iPhone or Android, you can archive conversations that way.

    1. Open Messenger. 
    2. Find the conversation you want to archive. Tap and hold your finger on it. 
    3. On the menu that appears, tap Archive. 

    How to See and Unarchive Conversations in Facebook Messenger

    Once you’ve archived a conversation, it’s easy to find and access.  

    How to See and Unarchive a Conversation on the Website

    To view archived messages from your web browser:

    1. Open the Messenger website. 
    2. Tap the three dots at the top-left of the screen and select Archived chats. 
    1. To unarchive a conversation, in the left sidebar, hover your cursor over the person’s name you want to unarchive. Select the icon with three dots. In the drop-down menu, click Unarchive chat.
    How to See and Unarchive a Conversation on the Mobile App

    To see your archived text messages from your mobile device: 

    1. Open the Facebook Messenger app. 
    2. Tap your profile picture in the top-left corner. 
    1. Tap Archived chats. 

    To unarchive your chats in the app:

    1. Find the conversation you want to unarchive and then tap and hold your finger on it.  
    2. On the menu that appears, tap Unarchive. 

    Note: If you have a lot of archived threads, you can use the search bar to find a specific conversation.

    Freshen Up Your Inbox

    Archiving chats in FB Messenger is a great way to organize your inbox and remove unnecessary conversations. This is particularly useful if you have many short-term conversations (for example, if you buy/sell on Marketplace or use Facebook to run a business).

    Jake Harfield is an Australian freelance writer whose passion is finding out how different technologies work. He has written for several online publications, focusing on explaining what he has learned to help others with their tech problems. He’s an avid hiker and birder, and in his spare time you’ll find him in the Aussie bush listening to the birdsong. Read Jake's Full Bio

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    How to access archived messages on Facebook

    If you want to keep some conversations in a safe place, then you need to archive Facebook messages. It's a good way to organize and save the Facebook messages you've sent before. As a result, all these archived Facebook posts are collected in a specific folder. However, many people don't know how to access archived messages on Facebook Messenger. Others don't know how to unzip messages in the Messenger app. nine0003

    Therefore, this article offers a step by step guide how to archive and unarchive Facebook messages . Also, you can learn how to view archived messages in Messenger apps for iPhone and Android. For people who want to recover deleted Facebook messages from iPhone or Android, you can find detailed instructions here. Well, just read on and get the specific information you need.

    • Part 1: How to archive messages on Facebook
    • Part 2: How to access and read archived messages on Facebook
    • Part 3: How to unarchive archived Facebook messages
    • Part 4: How to recover deleted Facebook messages

    Part 1: How to archive messages on Facebook

    Archiving messages on Facebook is a good way to save important messages for future reference. So the next time you delete some posts by mistake, you can rely on archived Facebook posts instead. Here are two common methods you can follow to archive posts on Facebook. nine0003

    You can open the Facebook webpage in your browser or launch the Facebook Messenger application to archive Facebook messages.

    Step 1. Open the list of recent conversions and select one conversion

    Step 2. Click "Actions" at the top with the gear icon.

    Step 3. Then select "Archive" from the drop-down list.

    You will see later that this conversion no longer appears in your Inbox because it has already been archived. For people who want to archive Facebook messages on iPhone or Android phone, you can try the methods below. nine0003

    Step 1, Go to the Facebook Messages app (Facebook won't load?)

    Step 2. Press the home button at the bottom.

    Step 3: Select one conversion and swipe left to tap the "More" icon.

    Step 4: Click Archive to move the messages to the Archive folder.

    Then a new question arises, how to view archived messages in the Facebook Messenger app for Android and iPhone devices?

    Part 2: How to access and read archived posts on Facebook

    Many people complain that they don't know where these archived Facebook messages are. Actually, you can click multiple options to easily access archived Facebook posts. If you have the same question, you can get the answer on how to access archived messages on Facebook Messenger below.

    Step 1, Open the Facebook web page in your browser

    Step 2, Go to the Messages icon with the lightning icon

    Step 3: Click View All in Messenger.

    Step 4. Click on the blue gear icon "Settings" in the upper left corner.

    Step 5: Select Archived Topics to access archived Facebook posts online.

    If you are using an iPhone or Android smartphone, then you can search the Facebook messages archived directly.

    Step 1, Launch the Facebook Messenger app

    Step 2, Hit the blue speech bubble icon

    Step 3, Enter the name of your archived conversions in the recipient

    Step 4. Select the name of the recipient to view archived messages

    What if some people wish they had archived Facebook posts? To solve this problem, you can read the following section on how to unzip messages in the Messenger app.

    Part 3: How to Unarchive Archived Facebook Posts

    Unarchived Facebook Posts is quite easy on the Facebook online page. You can achieve this goal right in seconds. And it won't cause data loss or other related issues. nine0003

    Step 1. Log in to your Facebook account on the Facebook page

    Step 2. Select the "Messages" icon on the toolbar.

    Step 3. Click the "More" button and select "Archived" below.

    Step 4. Enter the archive and select one archive conversion

    Step 5. Click "Unzip" in the "Actions" list.

    You can also click the little arrow button to unzip archived Facebook posts too. After that, you can find unarchived Facebook messages in your inbox again. In addition, this method can also be the answer to how to access archived messages on Facebook. nine0003

    Part 4: How to Recover Deleted Facebook Messages

    If you delete some messages without backup, then you can try the following two Facebook message recovery programs to get the messages back, Both of them are good at recovering lost or deleted files without data loss.

    Apeaksoft iPhone Data Recovery

    • Recover through 20 types of lost data files from iPhone, iPad and iPod directly. nine0010
    • Extract and restore iOS data from iTunes backup without erasing.
    • Download and restore any data from an iCloud backup.
    • Scan and preview all lost files in detail.
    • Support iOS 11 and latest iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8.

    Download for Win Download for Mac

    Step 1, Connect iPhone to iPhone Data Recovery

    Free download Apeaksoft iPhone Data Recovery Software. Launch this program and find the default "Recover from iOS Device". If you have previously supported iPhone with iTunes or iCloud, you can choose the other two modes. Connect iPhone to Mac or PC with lightning USB cable. nine0003

    Step 2, Scan your iPhone

    Once your iPhone is connected, click the "Start Scan" button on the main interface. Then this Facebook message recovery software can fully detect your iOS device.

    Step 3, Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages from iPhone

    Browse all categories including "Messages" to get detailed information. Check the items you want to recover. Finally, click "Recover" to bring recovered Facebook messages from iPhone to PC. nine0003

    Apeaksoft Android Data Recovery

    • Recover lost or deleted files from Android phones, tablets and SD cards.
    • Retrieve Facebook messages due to Messenger app crash, deletion, etc.
    • Retrieve data lost in various scenarios such as forgotten password, system crash, SD card problems and others.
    • Fully compatible with more than 5000 portable Android devices such as Samsung, Sony, LG, HTC, etc.

    Download for WinDownload for Mac

    Step 1, Launch Android Data Recovery

    Launch Apeaksoft Android Data Recovery, then connect Android to Windows or Mac computer with USB cable.

    Step 2, Enable USB Debugging Mode

    Follow the on-screen instructions to enable USB mode on your Android device. Later, click "OK" to continue.

    Step 3, Select the file types to scan

    Check the box before "Messages" and "Message Attachments" to recover deleted Facebook messages. Check other file types as needed, and then click Next to continue.

    Step 4, Retrieve Deleted Facebook Messages from Android

    Select the message file type and enable the "Show only deleted items" option. Select certain files and click "Recover" to get back deleted Facebook messages.

    That's it for accessing archived messages on Facebook and other related solutions. Leave a message below if you have any difficulty or a new idea about archived Facebook posts. nine0003

    How to View Archived Messages on Facebook Messenger

    Facebook is the largest social network on the planet with 1.3 billion active users and 20 billion messages sent each month. Users can use the Messenger app to keep in touch with their friends, but both small businesses and international companies also use the platform.

    If you regularly message a lot of people on Facebook, it's easy to get overwhelmed. That's why Facebook allows you to archive chats you want to pause so you can return to them any time in the future. Keep reading and learn all about the Facebook archive feature. nine0003

    Archive your messages on Facebook

    You can archive any Facebook message or chat with a few simple clicks or taps, depending on the device you're using. However, you can only archive messages through a computer, but you can view them from mobile devices at any time. Here's what you should do:

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    1. Open a browser and log in to your Facebook account.
    2. Open the Messenger app on your desktop by clicking the Message icon and selecting View All in Messenger.
    3. Find the conversation you want to archive in the left pane.
    4. Click the tiny gear icon next to the conversation you want to archive.
    5. Select the Archive option from the list.

    The entire conversation history will disappear from the message feed and appear in the Archive folder. nine0003

    1. Open your browser and go to Facebook.com.
    2. Log in to your account.
    3. Select the message icon and choose View All in Messenger.
    4. Click the Gear icon in the top left corner and select Archived Chats.
    5. A folder with all your archived chats will appear. If you send a reply, the chat will reappear in messages.

    People are usually embarrassed when this happens, but answering an archived chat makes the conversation active again. It is then automatically transferred to the message folder. nine0003

    You can also use the Search Conversations feature to find a specific message by entering the keyword used in that conversation. Keep in mind that this only works on desktop computers.

    Viewing archived messages on mobile devices

    When viewing archived messages from your mobile device, you don't even need to open the Facebook app. Facebook Messenger has everything you need to access the archive. Here's what you need to do:

    1. Open the Messenger app on your phone.
    2. Click on the search bar and enter the name of the person whose archived messages you want to view.
    3. Select the desired contact and you will see the entire conversation.

    Backing up your Facebook account

    If you want to make sure your posts on Facebook are protected, you should back up your account. Repeat the process every two or three months to make sure nothing is lost. Here's what you need to do:

    1. Open your Facebook account and click on the "Gear" icon in the top right corner.
    2. Select "Account Settings" from the drop-down menu.
    3. When the settings page loads, select Download a copy of your Facebook data.
    4. Click "Start My Archive" in the next step and all data, including your conversations, will be downloaded to your computer.
    5. Loading takes some time. When this is done, you will receive an email with a detailed report.

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