How to Retrieve Lost Hangouts Chat History/Messages

Summary

This guide outlines the process to retrieve Hangouts chat history on your Android device. If you find yourself in this situation, follow this guide to restore deleted Hangouts messages.

"Unfortunately, I accidentally erased all my Hangouts chats today morning, which contained around two years' worth of conversations with my girlfriend. Is there any possibility to retrieve deleted Hangouts messages or chat history? I urgently need those messages! Please, anyone, assist me!!!!!!"

Have you ever encountered a situation where you accidentally delete some Hangouts chat history, only to realize later that the deleted messages were important and need to be retrieved? If that's your dilemma, explore the two methods provided in this guide to recover deleted Hangouts conversations.

Given that data loss can occur to anyone, we recommend that you regularly back up your device. If you tend to forget to back up your device, consider installing an Android data recovery tool on your computer. This way, you won't need to worry about losing data anymore.

Method 1: How to Retrieve Hangouts Messages in Gmail

If your Hangouts chat history is enabled to be saved with Gmail, you can attempt to locate and review your Hangouts messages within Gmail even if you accidentally deleted them.

Step 1. On your computer, open Gmail. Ensure it's the same account you use for Hangouts.

Step 2. On the left side of the page, click "More" located at the bottom of your Gmail labels list.

Step 3. Click "Chats." This will show you a list of all your saved Hangouts conversations.

Step 4. Locate the Hangout you want to read, and click on it to open it.

Recover Hangouts chat history with Gmail

Tips: You can also find your old Hangouts messages by following these steps: Open Gmail on your computer > Type "in:chats" in the search bar > Click on "Search" > Review all your Hangouts conversations.

Method 2: How to Retrieve Archived Hangouts Messages

If you've previously archived Hangouts messages, you can unarchive them to retrieve your deleted conversations. Here's how to restore deleted Hangouts messages from the archive: 1. **Open Google Hangouts**: Access Hangouts through Gmail or the standalone Hangouts app on your device. 2. **Click on the Menu**: In the top-left corner, tap or click on the three horizontal lines (menu icon) to open the sidebar. 3. **Select "Archived chats"**: In the sidebar, find and click on "Archived chats" or "Hidden" to view your archived conversations. 4. **Find the deleted message**: Scroll through the list of archived chats to locate the conversation containing the deleted message. 5. **Unarchive the chat**: Click or tap on the chat to open it, then look for an "Unarchive" option, usually located at the top or bottom of the chat window. Click or tap this to move the chat back to your main Hangouts inbox. 6. **View restored messages**: The chat should now appear in your main Hangouts list, allowing you to access the previously deleted messages. Remember that if the messages were permanently deleted and not just archived, they may not be recoverable.

Step 1. Open Hangouts on your Android device and tap the gear icon to access the settings.

Step 2. Click "Archive conversation." Following this action, all the messages within the conversation will be archived.

Step 3. Following that, return and click the gear icon once more. Next, select "Unarchive conversation."

Download the Android recovery app to retrieve other deleted files.

If you've lost or deleted other files (excluding Hangouts messages or data) such as pictures, videos, documents, text messages, etc., you can download a professional Android Data Recovery tool from reliable sources to recover them. First, try the trial version to scan for the files on your Android phone or memory card. Once you've confirmed that you've located all your desired conversations, you can then purchase a license code for actual data recovery.

To recover data from Android, you can: 1. Use a data recovery software: There are various dedicated Android data recovery tools available, such as Dr.Fone, tools MobiSaver, or DiskDigger. These applications can connect to your Android device and scan for deleted or lost files, including contacts, messages, photos, and videos. 2. Connect your Android to a computer: Connect your Android phone to a PC using a USB cable. Make sure you have enabled USB debugging in your Android's Developer Options. You can then use software like Android File Transfer (for Android 4.2 and above) or a file manager to access and copy the files you need. 3. Backup and restore from Google services: If you have synced your Android with Google accounts, you might be able to restore data like contacts, calendar events, and photos from Google services like Gmail, Google Photos, or Google Drive. 4. Factory reset: As a last resort, you can perform a factory reset on your Android device, which will erase all data and restore it to its original state. However, this should only be done if you've exhausted other options and have no need for the existing data, as it's not guaranteed that the data will be recoverable after a reset. Remember, prevention is better than cure, so always maintain regular backups of your important data to avoid losing it in the future.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the computer > Launch the MobiSaver for Android tool > Click "Start" to proceed. Note: This program only works with devices that have been rooted.

Recover data from Android

Step 2: The program will quickly scan your device and display all the data in an organized manner. > Select the categories that contain the deleted data.

Scan your device and find your wanted data

Step 3. Preview the deleted files, select the ones you want to recover, and click "Restore."

Recover deleted files on Android

Conclusion

This guide has covered two possible ways to get back your deleted Hangouts chat history on your Android. We hope that by following our steps, you'll be able to retrieve the Hangouts messages you need. Apart from Hangouts, your Android holds many other files. If any of those files get accidentally deleted, we suggest having the Android data recovery tool - Dr.Fone - Data Recovery (Android) installed on your computer. That way, you can easily and confidently recover any deleted data from your Android hassle-free.