Reddit just deleted years of direct chats and messages sent before 2023

While the world was focused on the blackout protests, Reddit implemented significant changes to its platform. One of the most notable alterations was the removal of every direct message sent or received before 2023.

Reddit did notify its users about the impending deletion of chats prior to 2023 on June 30. However, the announcement was inconspicuously placed at the bottom of a changelog on the platform's subreddit. Over the past few weeks, numerous Reddit users have reported the disappearance of their private chat logs and messages shared with other Reddit users over the years.

In response to the feedback on one of these posts, a Reddit admin clarified the situation. The admin explained that Reddit was in the process of migrating legacy chats to new platforms. Unfortunately, only data for 2023 was replicated in this migration.

Despite the general displeasure expressed by most users regarding this move, there seems to be a potential workaround for some to access their old chats. It has come to light that some users may be able to download all their messages, including those sent or received before 2023. This can be achieved by making a data request at https://www.reddit.com/settings/data-request while logged into their Reddit account.