How to Search Messages on Messenger (Phone and Computer)

Scrolling back through months of chat to find one address, one booking reference or one photo is a special kind of misery. Messenger has a search for exactly that, but it's tucked away inside each conversation, so plenty of people never find it. There are really two searches on Messenger: one that finds a conversation, and one that finds words inside a conversation. I'll take you through both, using the steps in Messenger's help pages.

Searching messages inside one Messenger chat on your phone

This is the search most people want. It looks for a word or phrase within a single conversation. The help pages give the same steps for Android and iPhone.

1. From Chats, open the conversation you want to search.
2. Tap the name at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Search in conversation.
4. Type what you'd like to find, then tap Search.

Menus vary by app version. If you can't see Search in conversation, scroll down the chat information screen, because it can sit below the options for notifications and members.

Searching messages in a Messenger chat on a computer

1. Open a conversation from Chats.
2. Click Information in the top right to open the chat information.
3. Click Search.
4. Type what you'd like to search for, then press Enter on your keyboard.

The help pages describe these steps for messenger.com, the web version. Messenger's update page also notes that the desktop app for Mac and Windows is no longer available, and that facebook.com/messages in a browser is the way to use Messenger on a computer.

Finding a Messenger conversation rather than a message

If you can't remember which chat something was in, search for the person or group instead. Messenger's help pages say that on messenger.com you click Search Messenger at the top of your inbox and search for a person, business or group. On mobile you can tap Search from Chats and type a name. My guide to finding someone on Messenger covers the different ways to look people up, including through contacts and Facebook.

What you're looking for	Where to search
A word or phrase in one chat	Open the chat, then use the search in the chat information
A person, business or group	Search at the top of your chats or inbox
A chat you've hidden	Search by the person's name from Chats

Searching Messenger archived messages

Archiving hides a chat from your inbox, and it's easy to think the messages have gone. Messenger's help centre says archived chats can be viewed anytime, and you can look one up by tapping Search at the top of Chats and entering the person's name. It adds that sending the person a new message adds the chat back to your inbox, while simply opening it will not. If you want the full walkthrough, I've written about archiving chats on Messenger.

Searching Messenger messages tips for business owners and creators

If you handle customer enquiries on Messenger, in-chat search becomes a small time-saver. A few habits help:

• Search for an order word, a name or a date format you always use, such as a job reference.
• Search for words from the part of the message you remember, not the whole sentence.
• Use the person search first to land in the right chat, then search inside it.
• Move important details, like an address or a deadline, into your own notes so you never depend on search alone.

Search only reaches what's in the chat. If a message was deleted, it won't turn up, and the help pages are clear that deleting messages permanently removes them.

Clearing your Messenger search history

Messenger remembers what you typed into the main search. The help pages have a separate article on editing or clearing your search history, and they note that changes only apply to the device or app you're using. That's handy on a shared tablet or a work phone. It's separate from searching inside a chat, so clearing it won't affect your messages.

How Messenger search results behave and what to expect

When you search inside a chat, you're looking at words that people typed in that one conversation. The help pages don't promise that it will find text inside a photo or a voice note, so don't count on it. If the thing you need arrived as an image, scroll to the date you remember instead, or ask the person to send it again. For anything you'll need repeatedly, copy it somewhere you control.

If Messenger search isn't finding your message

• Check you opened the right chat. Search only looks inside the conversation you're in.
• Try fewer words, or a different spelling of the word you remember.
• Look in archived chats if the conversation has disappeared from your inbox.
• Remember that deleted messages can't be found. Messenger says deleting removes them permanently.
• Update the app, since older versions can have different menus. My guide to updating Messenger has the steps.
• If search still isn't working, report the problem inside the app or through Messenger's help centre.

A short recap on searching Messenger messages

Open the chat, open its information, choose Search in conversation (or Search on a computer), and type your word. To find a whole conversation, search for the person from your chat list or the top of your inbox.

If you want the full set, start at the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search messages on Messenger?

Open the chat, tap the name at the top, tap Search in conversation, type what you want and tap Search. On a computer, click Information, then Search, type your words and press Enter.

Can I search every Messenger chat at once for a word?

Messenger's help pages describe searching for a person, business or group from your inbox, and searching for words inside one chat. They don't describe a single search across the words in every chat.

How do I find an archived Messenger chat?

Tap Search at the top of Chats and enter the person's name. Messenger says archived chats can be viewed anytime.

Does searching a chat show deleted messages?

No. Messenger says deleting messages permanently removes them, so you won't be able to find them.

Can I clear my Messenger search history?

Yes. Messenger's help pages have a separate article for editing or clearing it, and changes apply only to the device or app you're using.