Prepare before changing devices.
- 01
Storage setting
Review secure-storage settings in your own Messenger account.
What this tells youYou know whether your account has a storage setup to review.
Signing in successfully does not by itself tell you whether older encrypted history was saved.
- 02
Recovery method
Identify the recovery method you actually configured.
What this tells youYou know which recovery method belongs to that setup.
Use the method you actually configured. An available option in someone else’s account does not establish availability in yours.
- 03
Device change
Keep that method available before replacing a device.
What this tells youA recovery method remains available during the device transition.
Keep the old device and your own recovery access until you have checked the restored conversations.
Storage is one layer of access.
| Layer | What it answers | What it does not answer |
|---|---|---|
| Account sign-in | Can I access this account? | Can this device read the old encrypted history? |
| Saved encrypted history | Was history preserved in secure storage? | Do I still have a usable recovery method? |
| History restoration | Can I use my method to restore the saved history here? | Was every conversation ever created preserved? |
The same account, a new device.
A new phone may let you log in while still requiring a separate step to restore older encrypted messages.
Earlier encrypted history
Use the configured recovery method if it is available for this device.
A method is useful when you can still use it.
PIN or saved code
Identify the method actually configured for your account. Keep it private and available.
A linked cloud key
Check that the method was configured and that you retain authorized access to the linked account.
Confirm the new device can read the history you need. A sign-in success message answers only the account-access question.
Check the device transition →Keep this boundary.
Encryption does not protect an unlocked device from its user.
Protect the device itself as well as your storage recovery method. Do not treat encryption as a substitute for account and device security.
References and current instructions
Go to the source.
Device labels and feature availability can change; use the current official page before taking action.
Explains protection in transit and recovering personal encrypted history.
Explains how your existing secure-storage PIN is used on a new device.
Explains the permanent-loss consequence of deleting secure storage.