How to View Archived Messages in Messenger

If you’re one of the 2.91 billion monthly active Facebook users in the world, then chances are you also use the built-in Messenger app. On average, 20 billion messages are sent monthly utilizing the app, making Messenger the second most popular app after Facebook itself.

With so many messages being exchanged, there may be times when you wish to remove a message from your inbox without entirely deleting it. For instance, you may be finished with a conversation, but the chat contains essential information you may need in the future.

With the archiving feature, you can avoid inbox clutter. But how do you access your archive?

In this article, we’ll show you how to access your archived messages, no matter which device you’re using.

How to View Archived Messages in the Messenger iPhone App

As of May 2021, Facebook introduced a new update for the Messenger app that simplifies accessing archived conversations from your smartphone. An “Archived Chats” folder was added to the app on both iPhone and Android phones.

To use this feature, first ensure that you are running the latest version of the app. If needed, head to the App Store and complete an update. Once this is done, here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Open the Facebook Messenger app on your iPhone.
   
2. Tap the icon on the top-left corner of the page with your profile on it.
   
3. Select “Archived Chats.”
   
4. From there, you’ll be able to access all conversations that have been saved in your archives.
   

If you’re using the older version of Messenger on your iPhone, here’s how to access your archived chats:

1. Open the Facebook Messenger app.
   
2. In the search button at the top of the screen, type the archived messages’ recipient name.
   
3. The archived chat will appear in the dropdown menu.
   
4. Tap on it to view.

How to View Archived Messages in the Messenger Android App

As of June 2021, Android has maintained its position as the world’s number one mobile operating system. Like iPhones, Android’s are also prone to their fair share of updates. The 2021 Messenger app has made accessing archived conversations on an Android far easier.

Once the update is complete, accessing archived messages is a straightforward process:

1. Open the Messenger app on your Android device.
   
2. From the top of the screen, tap on your profile.
   
3. Choose the option for “Archived Chats.”
   
4. All archived conversations will then appear.
   

If you’re using an older version of Android, then the “Archived Chats” folder may not appear even if you update the Messenger app. If this is the case, then follow these steps to access your archive:

1. From your “Home” page, open Messenger.
   
2. At the top of the screen, tap on the search bar.
   
3. Look up the name of the archive recipient you wish to access.
4. Tap on the person’s name to open the conversation.
   

How to View Archived Messages in Messenger on a PC

Facebook’s desktop version enables users to reach a wider audience. This is mainly because a majority of Facebook users use the desktop version despite the emerging mobile markets.

If you want to view your archived chats on a PC, simply follow these steps.

1. Head to the Facebook website and log in using your credentials.
   
2. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, look for the Messenger icon.
   
3. In the pop-up window, click “See All in Messenger.”
   
4. Navigate to the “three horizontal dots” icon to reveal a dropdown menu.
   
5. From the list of options, select “Archived Threads.”
   
6. You will then be taken to your archived conversations.

How Can I Archive Chats on Messenger Using the Latest Version of the App

The latest Messenger update lets users archive their conversations quickly and efficiently from their mobile devices.

From an iPhone:

1. Open the Messenger app.
   
2. Choose the conversation you wish to archive and slide from right to left.
   
3. From the options, choose the “Archive” option.
   

From an Android:

1. Open Messenger on your Android.
   
2. Press and hold the conversation you wish to archive.
3. From the menu that appears, select the option to “Archive.”
   

How Do You Delete an Archived Conversation From Messenger

If you no longer wish to have access to a conversation, even in your archived folder, then you may want to consider deleting it for good. Doing so is an easy process, depending on your device.

From an iPhone:

1. Open Messenger and head to your profile in the left-hand corner.
   
2. Select the “Archived Chats” option that appears.
   
3. Swipe from right to left on the conversation you wish to remove, then tap “More”.
   
4. Tap “Delete.”
   
5. The conversation will now be permanently deleted from your device.

From an Android:

1. Head to Messenger, then tap your profile in the top left of the screen.
   
2. Select “Archived Chats” from the list of available options.
   
3. Press and hold the conversation to remove it.
   
4. Choose the option to “Delete.”
   
5. You will no longer be able to view the conversation.

From a PC:

1. Log in to your Facebook account from your desktop.
   
2. Head to your messages.
   
3. In the sidebar on the left-hand side, select the three dots.
   
4. Open “Archived Chats.”
   
5. Click the three-dot icon next to the chat you wish to delete.
   
6. Select “Delete Chat.”
   
7. The conversation will no longer appear in any of your files.

Additional FAQs

Can I Unarchive Messages?

Starting a conversation with the recipient of an archived discussion automatically unarchives the messages.

However, based on your device, if you don’t wish to start chatting but wish to unarchive a conversation, there are other ways of doing so.

From an iPhone:

1. Open the Messenger app and select your profile.

2. Tap “Archived Chats.”

3. Swipe to the right and choose the “Unarchive” option on the chat you wish to unarchive.

4. The conversation will now appear in your primary inbox on Messenger.

From an Android:

1. From your Home screen, open Messenger.

2. Select your profile at the top of the page and tap “Archived Chats.”

3. Press and hold down the conversation you want to unarchive.

4. From the options that appear, select “Unarchive.”

5. The conversation will now be found in the main Messenger inbox.

One for the Archives

Archiving conversations is helpful if you want to hide chats from your Messenger inbox while still having access to them later. Deleting messages, on the other hand, removes them completely. For this reason, it may be better to archive chats you don’t wish to interact with, but that may contain some important information.

Do you regularly archive conversations on Messenger? How do you find the process? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.