Can I import Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages?

Yes. Dispute Buddy imports Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages from the files Facebook and Instagram let you download. You don't need to connect a phone, so it works whatever phone you have.

You can use them on their own, or together with iPhone messages, OurFamilyWizard, AppClose or TalkingParents.

1. Download your messages

This part happens on Facebook's and Instagram's websites. Facebook can take up to two days to prepare the files, so request them before you sit down with Dispute Buddy.

For Messenger you need two downloads. One has your older chats and group chats. The other has your newer chats.

• Messenger, older chats and group chats: go to facebook.com/dyi. Choose Download or transfer information, then Specific types of information, and tick Messages. Set the date range to All time and the format to JSON.
• Messenger, encrypted chats: go to messenger.com and click your profile photo. Choose Privacy & safety, then End-to-end encrypted chats, then Message storage, then Download secure storage data. You get a file called messages.zip. Most one-to-one chats since 2024 are only in this file.
• Instagram: in Instagram, open Accounts Centre, then Your information and permissions, then Download your information. Choose All time and JSON.

Save the zip files to your computer. Don't unzip them. Facebook's download link expires after four days.

2. Add them in Dispute Buddy

1. On Add your message sources, add Facebook & Instagram.
2. Choose the zip files. A large download can come as more than one zip file. Choose all of them.
3. Tick the conversations you want. One person's Messenger and Instagram chats can go together.
4. Review the messages and say which person is you, then add them to your sources.

After that, choose your dates and report type the same way as for any other messages. Messages of Interest and Full Behaviour Analysis work on Messenger and Instagram messages too.

If something is missing

• Messenger messages stop around the end of 2023: Messenger moved most one-to-one chats to end-to-end encryption from December 2023. Add the encrypted chats download (messages.zip) as well.
• Older messages or group chats are missing: add the download from facebook.com/dyi as well.
• The app says the download is in HTML format: request it again with the format set to JSON.
• The download only covers about a year: request it again with the date range set to All time.

To add another file later, click Change on the Facebook & Instagram card, then Add another download.

What appears in the report

Photos, GIFs and stickers appear in the PDF. A video appears as a still image. Voice messages are marked but not transcribed, and other files are listed by name. Calls, missed calls, reactions and unsent messages are marked. Dispute Buddy can't recover the words of a message that was unsent or deleted.

Privacy

The files are read on your computer and are not uploaded. Dispute Buddy never asks for your Facebook or Instagram password. Imported Messenger and Instagram messages are stored for this session only.