In the digital age, communication is instantaneous and pervasive, but not always everything that is sent to us reaches our immediate attention. A flashing example is found on platforms such as Messenger, where messages from undirected contacts can end in a less visible section, often called ‘Requests of messages’. This feature, designed to protect privacy and filter out unwanted communications, can sometimes cause important or expected messages to pass unnoticed.
Imagine you have never received news from an old schoolmate, or lost a crucial working contact, simply because their attempts to reach you were automatically redirected. It is not rare to discover, almost by chance, that a ‘hidden’ section has kept silent conversations for a long time. If you've ever wondered how to recover or manage these messages, or just want to understand better how this aspect of Messenger works, you're in the right place. This detailed guide will accompany you through the procedure to view, respond, block and delete message requests, whether you are using a smartphone, tablet or computer.
Understanding Messages Requests on Messenger
Message requests are a Messenger feature designed to separate conversations from people who are not part of your circle of friends or direct connections on Facebook. This mechanism acts as an automatic filter, avoiding your main mailbox being invaded by unsolicited communications. In practice, when someone who is not your friend sends you a message, instead of appearing in your main chat list, is moved to this ‘secondary’ section.
The main utility of this function lies in the protection of privacy and spam management. Without this filter, anyone could contact you directly, making it difficult to distinguish between relevant and unwanted communications. However, as mentioned, this system can also hide legitimate messages coming from people we do not know well yet, but with which we may want to interact, such as a potential employer, a common acquaintance or, as in our example, a rediscovered friend.
It is important to emphasize that within the requests for messages there is also a subfolder dedicated to the spam, where Messenger automatically groups messages that the system identifies as potentially fraudulent or unsolicited advertising. Examine also this section can be useful to make sure you do not lose anything.
How to View Message Requests
The procedure for accessing this section is intuitive and can be performed both by mobile devices and computers. Below, detailed steps for each platform.
From Smartphone and Tablet (App Messenger)
To see message requests via the Messenger app on your Android or iOS device (iPhone/iPad), follow these simple steps:
- Start the App: Open the Messenger app on your smartphone or tablet. If you have not logged in, enter your Facebook credentials.
- Access your profile: On the main screen of the app, search and tap your profile photos, which is usually located in the upper left corner.
- Select ‘Requests messages’: From the menu that opens, locate and select the option Message requests. You will be so addressed to the full list of chats that were automatically redirected to this section.
Once inside, you can tap a single conversation to read the received messages. A fundamental aspect to remember is that, at this stage, the sender will not know that you read his message. Also, you will not be able to view any multimedia content (such as photos or videos) until you have sent at least one response message.
If you decide to reply, type your message in the text field (usually indicated with ‘Aa’) below and press the card airplane icon to send it. At that point, you will get in direct contact with the sender, you will be able to view all the multimedia content he sent you and the chat will automatically be moved to the list of your ‘normal’ Messenger conversations, becoming an active chat.
Do not forget to check the spam subsection: within ‘Requests of messages’, you may find the voice ‘Spam’ (sometimes a top menu or tab) that contains filtered messages as potentially unwanted. Also for these chats, the read and answer rules are the same.
From Computer (Browser and Desktop App)
Also from computer, the management of message requests is intuitive, both through web browsers and through the desktop application of Messenger.
By Web Browser:
- Login to Facebook or Messenger: Open your favorite browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and connect to the Facebook site (facebook. com) or directly to Messenger's main page (messenger.com). Please log in if required.
- Naviga su Messenger: If you are on Facebook, you can click on the option ‘Messenger’ in the left side bar or on the cloud icon (fume) on the top right and then on ‘See all about Messenger’. If you are already on messenger.com, you are on the right page.
- Access Requests: On the Messenger page, search and click on the icon of three horizontal points (or sometimes vertical, depends on the interface) usually placed on the top left, near the search bar. From the drop-down menu, select the option Message requests.
Using Messenger Desktop Application (Windows/macOS):
- Start the App: Open the Messenger application on your PC or Mac.
- Login to the Profile: Click on your profile photos, located in the upper left corner of the application window.
- Select ‘Requests messages’: From the drop-down menu that appears, choose the option Message requests.
In both cases (browser or desktop app), once in the ‘Requests/Requests of Messages’ section, you will see the list of filtered chats. Similarly to the mobile app, by clicking on a conversation you can read the content, but the media will be visible only after sending an answer. Answering, the chat will move to your main list of Messenger.
Also from computer, you can access the section ‘See spam’ or ‘Spam’ to check the messages that Messenger marked as unwanted.
Manage Message Requests: Block and Configure
In addition to displaying, Messenger offers tools to actively manage who can contact you and how. You can lock individual users or configure global settings for receiving requests.
Block a Single User
If you receive unwanted requests and wish to prevent a specific sender from contacting you, the procedure is quick:
From Mobile App:
- Login to the Request: Open the Messenger app, go to Message requests and open the user conversation you want to block.
- Block: On the conversation screen, look for the button ‘Block’. On iPhone/iPad, you can also scroll the chat from right to left and select ‘Other’, then ‘Block’.
- Choose Block Type: You will be asked if you only want to block messages and calls on Messenger from that user (‘Block messages and calls’) or block it completely on Facebook (‘Block on Facebook’). Select the desired option.
From Computer:
- Login to the Request: Connect to Messenger (via browser or desktop app), go to section Message requests and click on the affected conversation.
- Block: Click on the option ‘I don’t want to receive messages from [name]. Next, click on the button ‘Block’ and choose between ‘Block on Facebook’ and ‘Block messages and calls’. If you use the desktop app, you may find a similar option as “You don’t want to answer? Discover other options’, from which you can select ‘Block on Messenger’ for a block limited to messages and calls.
Configure Global Preferences for Message Requests
If you want to have a more granular control over who can send you messages requests in general, Messenger allows you to change the relative privacy settings:
From Mobile App:
- Access Settings: From the main screen of Messenger, tap your profile photos (top left).
- Account settings: Select ‘Account Settings’ or ‘Preferences’ and then ‘Account Settings’.
- Privacy of the Profile: Search and tap the voice ‘Privacy of the profile’ or ‘Settings and privacy’ and then ‘Manage receiving messages’.
- Manage Requests: Find the section ‘How do you receive message requests’. Here you will find different categories of users:
- People who have your phone number: Users who know you outside of Facebook.
- Friends of friends on Facebook: Second-degree connections.
- More on Facebook: Users without direct connections or telephone numbers.
- Define Preferences: For each category, you can choose from the following options:
- Chat: Messages will go directly to your main mailbox.
- Message requests: Messages will be moved to the ‘Requests of Messages’ section.
- Do not receive requests: You cannot be contacted by that specific category of users.
From Computer:
Also from computer, the settings are accessible. From the main page of Messenger, click on the icon of three points top left, then up ‘Preferences’ and ‘Manage receiving messages’ (or through the settings of your Facebook account, in the ‘Settings and Privacy’ section, then ‘Manage receiving messages’). Here you can configure the same options available from mobile, deciding who can send you messages requests and where they must be addressed.
Delete Message Requests
If you have read a message request and do not want to keep it, or simply want to get rid of spam, you can permanently delete it.
Delete a Single Chat
From Mobile App:
- Access Requests: Open the Messenger app, tap your profile photos and select Message requests.
- Delete: Hold your finger on the conversation you want to cancel. From the context menu that appears, tap ‘Elimina’. You will be asked to confirm the elimination, tap again ‘Elimina’. On iPhone/iPad, you can also scroll the chat from right to left and tap ‘Elimina’ twice. Alternatively, you can open the conversation and search for an ‘Delete’ option within the chat settings.
From Computer:
- Access Requests: Open Messenger (browser or desktop app) and go to section Message requests.
- Delete: Pass the mouse over the conversation you want to delete. An icon will be displayed with three horizontal points. Click on it and select ‘Delete chat’. Confirm the action by clicking again ‘Elimina’. If you use the desktop app, a right click on the conversation offers a similar option.
Delete More Chat Simultaneously (Only from Mobile App)
If you have many requests for messages to delete, the mobile app offers a feature to block it:
- Access Requests: Open the Messenger app, tap your profile photos and select Message requests.
- Edit mode: On the request screen, look for the voice ‘Modify’ (usually on the top right) and touch it.
- Select and Delete: Apply the check mark next to all conversations you want to delete. Once selected, tap the voice ‘Elimina’ (usually down) for two consecutive times to confirm the cancellation.
Conclusions
Management of message requests on Messenger is a valuable competence for anyone who frequently uses the platform. Not only does it allow you to recover otherwise lost conversations, but it also offers you greater control over your privacy and the amount of unwanted communications you receive. We hope that this detailed guide has provided you with all the information you need to navigate with confidence and awareness in this Messenger section, thus improving your overall experience on the platform.
