Where IM Messages Are Stored on Facebook

• Your IM messages on Facebook are stored in your account inbox. To get there, log in to your Facebook account and click the "Messages" link on the left side of the screen next to your News Feed. Your messages are displayed as threads, with the most recently updated threads at the top.
  
  

Searching IM Messages

• To search for specific IM messages on Facebook, visit your inbox and click inside the "Search Messages" box near the upper right corner of the screen. Type a word or phrase that was mentioned in a chat you are searching for, and then press "Enter." This returns a list of threads containing that word or phrase. Click any thread to view its contents.
  
  

Searching IM Messages in a Specific Thread

• In addition to searching your entire inbox for IMs, you can search within single threads to narrow the parameters. While viewing your messages, click a thread to view it. Then type a search term into the search box above and to the right of the thread.
  
  

Searching Within Specific Types of Messages

• When you are searching your Facebook inbox for IM messages, you can narrow your search to just unread messages, archived messages or sent messages. Click the icon that depicts a magnifying glass to the left of the search box, select an option from the drop-down menu, and run your IM search. You can also select "Email Only" or "Spam" from this menu, but those options do not apply to an IM search.