Archived Messenger chats are not deleted; they are moved out of your main chat list, which makes them easy to miss. Start with the Archive view, then use search, unarchive, Message requests, or chat storage depending on what you need to recover.
The fastest path is in the Messenger mobile app, with a separate archive view available on Facebook.com.
Open your Messenger archive on mobile
Use this when you want to see every conversation you archived in Messenger. It works in the Messenger mobile app on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Open Messenger.
Tap Menu.
Tap Archive to see your archived chats in one place.
Facebook Lite is not the supported place to find archived Messenger chats. Use the full Messenger app instead.
Search for one archived conversation
If you already know who you are looking for, search is faster than browsing the archive list. From Chats, tap Search at the top.
Enter the person’s name in the search bar, then tap the person’s name to open the conversation. Opening an archived conversation this way lets you read it without moving it back to your inbox.
To put the chat back in your main chat list, unarchive it or send a new message in that conversation.
Move an archived chat back to your inbox
Open Messenger.
Tap Menu.
Tap Archive to bring up your archived conversations.
Touch and hold the chat you want to restore to your inbox.
Tap Unarchive.
You can also search for the person in Messenger and send a new message in that chat to move it back to the inbox.
Use Facebook.com on a computer
On desktop, archived Messenger chats are available through Facebook’s Messenger menu.
- 1.Open Facebook in your browser.
- 2.Click Messenger in the left menu.
- 3.In the top left next to Chats, click Options.
- 4.Click Archived chats.
On messenger.com the archive sits somewhere else: in the left menu, click Archive to see all your archived conversations. Search works there too, from the search bar at the top.
Check Message requests when the chat is not archived
The most common mix-up is looking in Archive for a message that Messenger filtered into Message requests instead.
On mobile, open Messenger.
Tap Menu, then tap Message requests.
Reply to open the conversation and connect with the person, or tap Delete to remove the request.
On Facebook.com, click Messenger in the top right.
Next to Chats, click Options, then choose Message requests.
Download a copy of your Messenger information
Use an export when you need a downloadable copy of message data, not when you simply want to move a chat out of Archive.
- 1.Open the Messenger app on your phone.
- 2.Tap Menu, then tap Settings.
- 3.Scroll down and tap See more in Accounts Center.
- 4.Tap Your information and permissions, then tap Export your information.
- 5.Tap Create export, choose options such as date range, notification email, and format, then tap Start export.
Restore encrypted chat history after changing devices
Use Messenger’s restore options when encrypted messages are missing after reinstalling Messenger, switching devices, or restoring chat storage.
Choose the security method you set up for Messenger encrypted chats.
Select your PIN, Apple account, Google account, one-time code, or 40-character code.
On iPhone or iPad, Messenger can save the key in iCloud Drive. In Messenger, tap Menu, tap Settings, tap Privacy & safety, tap End-to-end encrypted chats, tap Message storage, then turn on Save key in iCloud Drive.
Apple requires iCloud Drive sync to be on. Go to Settings, tap [your name], tap iCloud, tap Drive, then turn on Sync this iPhone.
On Android, Messenger can save the key in Google Drive. Open Messenger, tap Menu, tap Settings, tap Privacy & safety, tap End-to-end encrypted chats, tap Message storage, then turn on Save key in Google Drive and follow the prompts.
This restores encrypted history; it does not unarchive chats by itself.
Fix Messenger when Archive is missing
Use this when the Archive option is not showing or Messenger is not behaving normally. The normal retrieval path is still Menu then Archive; updating the app is troubleshooting.
Install the latest version of Messenger from the App Store on iPhone or iPad, or from the Google Play Store on Android.
After updating, reopen Messenger and check Menu again.
If Messenger still malfunctions, uninstall the app and reinstall it.
After a reinstall, encrypted chat history requires a Messenger message storage restore before older encrypted conversations appear again.
Skip old desktop-app instructions, profile-picture archive menus, Hidden Chats, and gear-icon menus. The Messenger desktop app for Mac and Windows is no longer available. The current supported paths are Menu then Archive on mobile, Messenger then Options then Archived chats on Facebook.com, and Archive in the left menu on messenger.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does opening an archived Messenger chat unarchive it?
No. Opening an archived conversation from search does not unarchive it. To move it back to your inbox, use Unarchive or send a new message in that chat.
Can I see archived Messenger chats in Facebook Lite?
No. Use the Messenger app to find archived Messenger chats on mobile.
Are Message requests the same as archived chats?
No. Archived chats are conversations you moved out of your chat list. Message requests are messages Messenger filtered separately until you reply or delete them.
Can downloading my Messenger data unarchive chats?
No. Exporting your information gives you a downloadable copy of message data. It does not move chats out of Archive inside Messenger.