How to search Facebook profile content?

January 31, 2011 4:15 PM

Is there a way to search through your own Facebook Profile, specifically your status updates? Alternately, is there some sort of third-party app that would allow me to gather/download that data and dump it into a local program and search that way?

This question was asked before, but the best answer was a link to a FB app that is no longer operational. Is there another out there that currently works?

I'm specifically looking for search, but if there's even a way to get a look at all your past status updates without having to scroll endlessly through FB.com, I would appreciate it.

posted by Ike_Arumba to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

You can download all of your profile/wall data by by accessing your account settings. Click on 'account' in the upper right hand corner, select account settings, then scroll down to 'download your information'. Facebook will email you several files containing all of your past wall posts, notes, pictures, etc, which you can easily sift through using ctrl+f. I think it only goes as far back as 2006 0r 2007, though.
posted by chara at 4:20 PM on January 31, 2011

Awesome, chara. I am surprised I didn't know about this. Downloading now. Thanks.
posted by Ike_Arumba at 4:24 PM on January 31, 2011

I did that a while ago, and it only got me about two months worth of my wall.... if there's a way to get all of the status updates, even back to 2006, I would love to know about it.
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:22 PM on January 31, 2011

dpx.mfx, you should try again. I just got my download link from FB -- it has everything I ever posted, all the way back to when I joined in 2008. All pics as well.
posted by Ike_Arumba at 6:21 PM on January 31, 2011

Weird. I did it again, and I got all my pictures, videos, and messages - but only status/wall stuff going back to October 2010. Huh.
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:47 AM on February 1, 2011