Lost All Chat History and Contacts - How to Recover?

Microsoft Teams
1

After updating to the latest version of Teams, I've lost all my chat history and contacts. I desperately need to recover this data as soon as possible.

2

Bummer Sorry to hear that you lost all your chat history and contacts after updating Teams. Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through some steps to help you recover them.

Step 1: Check Your Microsoft 365 Admin Settings**

If you’re part of an organization, check with your IT admin to see if they’ve made any changes to the retention policies. Sometimes, these policies can be set to delete chat data periodically, which might have caused the loss. If that’s the case, your admin might be able to restore the data from backups.

Step 2: Use Microsoft Support and Recovery**

Reach out to Microsoft Support directly and explain your situation. They might be able to help you recover your chat history and contacts. You can submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 admin center or the Teams app itself.

Step 3: Check Your Local Machine**

Teams stores some chat data locally on your machine. You can try checking the following locations to see if any data is still there:

  • Windows: %appdata%\Microsoft\teams\application cache\IndexedDB
  • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams\Application Cache/IndexedDB

Step 4: Export Data from Teams (Prevention for the Future)**

To avoid losing data in the future, enable the “Export to CSV” feature in Teams. This will allow you to regularly export your chat history and contacts to a CSV file, which you can store safely.

  1. Go to Teams Settings (gear icon in the top right corner).
  2. Click on “General” and then “Export data to CSV”.
  3. Select the data you want to export (e.g., conversations, contacts).
  4. Choose the export frequency (e.g., daily, weekly).

Make sure to save the exported files in a secure location, like OneDrive or an external hard drive.

Additional Tips**

  • Always keep your Teams app and Microsoft 365 subscription up to date, as new versions often include data protection features.
  • Regularly back up your important data to avoid any potential losses.

Hope these steps help you recover your lost chat history and contacts Good luck