This article explains how to view archived messages on Facebook Messenger. You can use the mobile app to search for archived conversations by name, or you can view the list of all chats that you have archived on your computer.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Desktop
Step 1. Open Facebook Messenger
Visit the page with the browser on your computer. If you are logged in, the Facebook Messenger message screen will open.
Note: You need to do this on a computer
If you are not logged in, enter your Facebook email and password when prompted.
Step 2. Open Settings
Click the blue gear icon in the top left corner of the page. A menu will appear.
Step 3. Click Archived Conversations
It is one of the items on the menu that has just appeared.
Step 4. Scroll through archived conversations
You will see a list of chats on the left side of the page; are all the conversations you have archived.
To view an archived conversation, click on it
Method 2 of 2: Mobile Devices
Step 1. Note that it is not possible to view the list of archived conversations from a mobile device
You can read the chat you're interested in by searching for it specifically, but you can't open a list of archived messages from the Messenger app.
Step 2. Open Facebook Messenger
Press the app icon, which looks like a blue balloon with a white lightning bolt inside.
- If you are not already signed in, you will be asked to enter your Facebook phone number and password (or to select your account) before continuing.
- If you want to see the list of all your archived conversations, use the Facebook website to do so.
Step 3. Press Home
This is the house button in the lower left corner of the screen.
If a Messenger conversation opens, first press the "Back" button in the upper left corner of the screen
Step 4. Press the search bar at the top of the screen
The virtual keyboard of the smartphone will open.
Step 5. Enter the name of the recipient of the archived conversation
Type the name of the person you spoke to. You should see some results appear in a menu.
- If the conversation was with a group of people, just write one of the participants.
- If you're looking for a group conversation that had a name, write that name down.
Step 6. Select the conversation
Press the name of the person (or group) you spoke to. The archived chat will open and you can read it.
If you're looking for a group conversation that doesn't have a name, you might need to scroll down to find the specific chat you're interested in
Advice
- You can archive a conversation from a mobile device by holding down the chat for a few seconds, then Other (not needed on Android), finally Archive.
- Desktop users can select a conversation in the chat list, click the gear button that appears on the right, then click Archive to archive the conversation.
