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This wikiHow teaches you how to read your old chat messages on Facebook. You can do this from within the Facebook Messenger app, or you can use the desktop Facebook website.
How to See Your Messenger History
On the Messenger app, choose a conversation and scroll up to access your past messages. On a desktop browser, click on a conversation and browse through the old messages. You may also search your conversations to find specific messages.
Steps
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![Step 1 Open Facebook Messenger.]()
Open Facebook Messenger. This app resembles a white bolt of lightning on a blue background.- If you aren't signed into Messenger, type in your phone number, tap Continue, and enter your password.
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![Step 2 Tap Home.]()
Tap Home. It's a house-shaped tab in the bottom-left corner of the screen.Advertisement -
![Step 3 Tap a conversation.]()
Tap a conversation. Older messages will be further down the page, so you may have to scroll down. -
![Step 4 Scroll up through your messages.]()
Scroll up through your messages. The further up the page you scroll, the older the messages are. -
![Step 5 Tap a message you want to read.]()
Tap a message you want to read. This will open it, allowing you to read it.
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![Step 1 Go to Facebook's website.]()
Go to Facebook's website. Go to https://www.facebook.com in your preferred browser. This will load your News Feed if you're already logged into Facebook.- If you aren't already logged into Facebook, enter your email address (or phone number) and password before continuing.
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![Step 2 Click the Messenger icon.]()
Click the Messenger icon. It's a speech bubble with a lightning bolt icon that's in the upper-right side of the Facebook window. A drop-down window will appear. -
![Step 3 Click See All in Messenger.]()
Click See All in Messenger. This link is at the bottom of the drop-down window. -
![Step 4 Scroll down through your conversations.]()
Scroll down through your conversations. Conversations will be listed in chronological order, so older ones will be toward the bottom of the page. -
![Step 5 Click a message you want to read.]()
Click a message you want to read. Doing so will open it, allowing you to read it. -
![Step 6 Scroll up through the conversation.]()
Scroll up through the conversation. The further up the conversation you are, the older the messages are. -
![Step 7 Click Settings icon.]()
Click Settings. It's in the upper-left side of the Messenger window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
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![Step 8 Click Archived Threads.]()
Click Archived Threads. This option is in the middle of the drop-down menu. -
![Step 9 Review your archived messages.]()
Review your archived messages. Any messages that you archived will appear here. If you can't find an old message in your inbox, it may be on this page.
Video
Expert Q&A
Tips
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If you deleted the message from Facebook Messenger, you likely won't be able to retrieve them.Thanks
About This Article
1. Open Facebook Messenger.
2. Tap Home.
3. Tap a conversation.
4. Scroll down through your messages.
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