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Read time 7 minutes

Summary: The content discusses recovering deleted Google Hangouts messages, highlighting causes like uninstallation, accidental deletion, and malware attacks. It provides manual steps to retrieve messages and emphasizes the importance of routine backups using the Kernel G Suite Backup tool for data security.

Google offers a variety of applications that prove beneficial not only for personal but also for professional purposes. Among these, Google Hangouts stands out as a widely used application that facilitates seamless communication with fellow Google account users.

This application relies on chat, storing all messages in a conversation hierarchy. Google Hangouts proves to be a convenient chat medium, seamlessly integrated into Gmail, Android, and the Hangouts website. Thanks to automatic saving in the associated Google account, there’s no need for extra precautions to preserve data. However, occasional user errors may lead to data deletion. How does one recover deleted data in such instances?

Prior to proceeding with potential solutions to the issue, it’s advisable to examine the likely reasons behind the deletion of Hangouts messages.

  • The Google Hangouts application has been removed from the user’s device.
  • The user accidentally deleted the conversation.
  • The user performed a factory reset without backing up their conversation data.
  • The account is facing an attack from malware or spyware.

Retrieve Deleted Hangouts Messages

Hangouts History serves as a security feature that automatically archives all your chats. It allows you to easily check, locate, and review your messages.

  1. When you login to the Gmail account, then you can find the Hangouts message in the correct sequence in the Chat folder. First, click the More option.
    login to the Gmail account
  2. Navigate to the Chat folder, where you’ll find a record of all your Hangouts messages (You can also enter:chats in the search bar to retrieve the same messages). Confirm the absence of any specific messages as needed.
    Hangouts messages

Unarchive the Messages

The act of unarchiving a message serves as a security feature, enabling you to recover messages that have been archived.

  1. Simply click on the gear icon in any message tab to access the settings.
    open the settings
  2. Click the option to Archive Conversation.
    Archive Conversation
    All the messages present in the account’s chat will be saved in the archive.
  3. To access the identical messages, simply open the chat, click on the gear icon once more, and select the Unarchive conversation option.
    Unarchive conversation
    The archived message will appear again in the chat box.

Limitations of the Manual Procedure

The ability to retrieve messages through manual methods depends on the existence of a previously created archive. Unfortunately, a message that has been entirely deleted cannot be recovered using any of the mentioned techniques. To protect your Hangouts message from permanent deletion, you should take a routine backup using the Kernel G Suite Backup tool.

You have the flexibility to preserve G Suite data in various output formats, allowing seamless integration with MS Outlook or any preferred application. Below outlines the comprehensive process of backing up Hangouts chats using the tool.

  1. Get the software by downloading and installing it. Then, launch it from the application menu. On the home screen, simply click the Add button.
    Click on Add button
  2. Enter the G Suite account’s email ID, server account ID, and provide the file path for the P12 key. Opt for the second option to include multiple mailboxes through the Super Administrator. Finally, select Retrieve User Mailbox(es).
    Enter G Suite account details
  3. Select the required G Suite mailboxes whose chats you want to save in the backup. Then click the Add button.
  4. Select the required G Suite mailboxes

  5. The tool will enlist the selected G Suite mailboxes. Now click the Set Filter and Migrate button.
    Set Filter
  6. The Filter selection page is important – here, you need to make sure that the chats folder is checked. You can also use other filter options to select other file types. Then click I am OK, Start Migration.
    Click I am OK, Start Migration
  7. There are multiple output formats that you can choose like PST, MSG, HTML, MHTML, DOCX, DOC, PDF, EML. Then click OK.
    Save output file type
  8. Select the folder to save the backup file and click OK after that.
    Select the folder to save the backup file
  9. The backup process will complete, and a message will appear showing the Process completed message. Click OK.
    backup process will complete
  10. To save the report of the backup process, click Save report to CSV. Then click OK.
    Save report to CSV

Conclusion

Hangouts messages gain significance in a professional G Suite account setting. Since permanently deleted data is irretrievable through any means, it’s crucial to regularly back up your information using the Kernel G Suite Backup tool. The elegant interface of the software uses the same methodology to export G Suite emails to PST, contacts, and hangout chats, etc. A routinely taken backup makes sure that the data is secure from any other threat or security breach.