How Long Does Kik Keep Messages, and How Do You Save Them for Court?
Reviewed by Jacob Reed, founder of Verity ·
Short answer
Kik says it doesn't keep the content of chats, so it can't give them to you or anyone else later. The messages live only on the phones in the chat, and only the latest ones: on an iPhone, the last 1,000 messages of chats from the past 48 hours and the last 500 of older chats; on Android, 600 and 200. Logging out clears them, and Kik offers no way to save or back up chats. Screenshot the conversation now.
Kik is one of the few apps where waiting really does lose messages: older ones drop off the phone as new ones arrive.
How long does Kik keep messages?
On Kik’s servers
Kik’s help center says Kik does not retain the content of user chats, and so can’t provide it. If the account is still active, Kik can send the other data it holds on the account, but not the messages.
On your phone
Only the most recent messages in each chat. On an iPhone: the last 1,000 messages of chats from the past 48 hours, and the last 500 of older chats. On Android: 600 and 200.
After logging out
Kik clears your chat messages when you log out, as a security measure. Your contacts and chat list come back when you log in, but the messages don’t.
After deleting
Deleting a message removes it from your phone only. Kik says messages are stored locally on each device, so the other person’s copy stays.
How do you save Kik messages?
- Screenshot the conversation today, from the oldest message still on the phone down to the newest, with the other person's username in view. Overlap each screenshot with the last (see how to screenshot a long conversation).
- Kik's own suggestion if screenshots aren't possible: photograph the screen with a second device.
- Stay logged in, and don't delete the app, until the screenshots are saved somewhere else.
- Copy the screenshots off the phone the same day, and write down the username and the dates.
Can a lawyer get Kik messages from Kik?
Kik says it doesn't retain the content of chats and can't provide it, so there is nothing for Kik to hand over. The record is what is on the phones in the chat: your screenshots, and the other person's phone, which your lawyer can ask for (see how discovery of the other parent's messages works).
If a child is getting messages on Kik
Save the messages the same way before blocking or reporting. If an adult is sending sexual messages to a child, report it to the police and to NCMEC's CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org, 1-800-843-5678).
Can Verity read Kik messages?
From screenshots, yes. Verity reads chat screenshots in your browser without uploading them, lets you check and correct every message, then numbers them in date order and flags patterns such as threats and harassment. Times read from screenshots are marked as approximate.
Every app side by side: how long apps keep messages.
Common questions
How long does Kik keep messages?
Kik says it doesn’t keep the content of chats at all. The messages exist only on the phones in the chat, and each phone keeps only the most recent ones per chat.
How many messages does Kik save?
Per Kik’s help center: on an iPhone, the last 1,000 messages of chats from the past 48 hours and the last 500 of older chats; on Android, the last 600 and 200.
Can Kik give me my old messages for court?
No. Kik says it doesn’t retain the content of chats and therefore can’t provide it. The record is what is on the phones, and what you save from yours.
Does deleting a Kik message delete it for the other person?
No. Kik says deleting a message from your device doesn’t delete it from the other person’s device, because messages are stored locally on each one.
Can Verity read Kik messages?
From screenshots, yes: Verity reads them in your browser without uploading them, lets you correct every message, and numbers them in date order. Kik has no export file to upload.
Other apps work differently: see how long Snapchat keeps messages and how long X keeps DMs.
Kik pages cited
Read on November 3, 2026. Kik changes these features; check before you rely on them.
- Save or backup chat messages on Kik (Kik Help Center)
- Get a copy of message history (Kik Help Center)
- Messages disappear after logging out (Kik Help Center)
- Delete chat messages (Kik Help Center)
This is general information, not legal advice. Verity is not a law firm and is not affiliated with Kik. Ask your attorney what your case needs. If you are in danger, call 911; the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.
Have screenshots of the chat?
Verity reads them in your browser, without uploading them, and numbers every message for your lawyer.
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