Messenger guide
How to export your Messenger chats
Facebook lets you download a copy of your messages from Accounts Center. You upload the zip, then choose the conversation.
You'll upload .zip (JSON)
From Facebook
- 1On Facebook, open Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Accounts Center.
- 2Click Your information and permissions, then Download your information.
- 3Click Download or transfer information and select your Facebook profile.
- 4Choose Some of your information and tick only Messages.
- 5Choose Download to device. Set Date range to All time, Format to JSON and Media quality to Low.
- 6Click Create files. When it's ready, download the .zip and upload it here as it is.
End-to-end encrypted chats
Recent Messenger chats are often end-to-end encrypted and are stored separately.
- 1In Messenger, open Settings, then Privacy and safety.
- 2Tap End-to-end encrypted chats, then Message storage.
- 3Tap Download secure storage data and follow the steps.
- 4Upload the .zip you receive here. If it isn't recognised, use the Facebook download above.
Good to know
- Pick JSON, not HTML.
- Large accounts can take a while to prepare. Facebook notifies you when the file is ready.
- Your export holds every conversation. You pick one in the next step, and the file stays on your device.
Questions
Will the other person know?
No. Downloading your information doesn't notify anyone.
Why are names with accents broken in the file?
Facebook encodes special characters oddly. We fix them automatically when we read the file.
Can I analyse a group chat?
Yes. Today we analyse the two most active people in it.
Who's the toxic one?
Analyze my Messenger chat