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.
Understand 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 found friend.
It is important to point out that within the requests for messages there is also a subfolder dedicated to spam, where messenger automatically gathers messages that the system identifies as potentially fraudulent or unsolicited advertising. examine this section also can be useful to make sure you don’t miss 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 smartphones and tablets (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.
- acces to your profile: on the main screen of the app, search and tap your ** profile picture**, which is usually located in the upper left corner.
- select message requests: from the menu that opens, locate and select the option **‘request messages’*. 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 answer, 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 that 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 item ‘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.
Via web browser: #
- accept 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’re on facebook, you can click on the ‘messenger’** option in the left sidebar or on the top right cloud icon and then on ‘see all on messenger’. if you are already on messenger.com, you are on the right page.
- accept requests: on the messenger page, search and click on the three horizontal dots* icon (or sometimes vertical, depends on the interface) usually placed on the top left, near the search bar. from the drop-down menu, select the *‘request messages’ option.
Via desktop messenger application (windows/macos): #
- start the app: open the messenger application on your pc or mac.
- add to the profile:** click on your ** profile picture**, located in the upper left corner of the application window.
- select message requests: from the drop-down menu that appears, choose the option **‘request messages’*.
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 ‘see spam’********** to check messages that messenger has marked as unwanted.
Manage message requests: lock 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: #
- accept the request: open the messenger app, go to ‘request messages’* and open the user conversation you want to block.
- block:* on the conversation screen, look for the ‘block’ button. on iphone/ipad, you can also scroll 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 (‘lock messages and calls’) or lock it completely on facebook (‘block on facebook’). select the desired option.
From computer: #
- accept the request:* connected to messenger (via browser or desktop app), go to the ‘requests of messages’** and click on the conversation concerned.
- block:* click on *‘i don’t want to receive messages from [name]’. next, click the ******** button and choose between ******** and ‘lock messages and calls’. if you use the desktop app, could you find a similar option like ‘you don’t want to answer? check out the other options’, from which you can select ‘block on messenger’ for a limited block of 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: #
- accept settings: from messenger’s main screen, tap your profile photo* (top left).
- ** account settings:**** select ** account settings******** and then ** account settings****.
- privacy of the profile:** search and tap ‘privacy of the profile’****‘settings and privacy’ and then ‘manage receiving messages’.
- manage requests:* locate the ********. here you will find different categories of users:
- persons who have your phone number:** users who know you outside facebook.
- ** friends of friends on facebook:*** second-degree connections.
- other 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 messenger’s main page, click on the three dots icon on the top left, then on ‘preferences’**************** (or through the settings of your facebook account, in the ‘settings and privacy’ section, then ‘manage 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 messages 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: #
- accept requests:* open the messenger app, tap your ** profile photo*** and select ‘request messages’.
- **please 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 removal, tap ‘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: #
- accept requests:* open messenger (browser or desktop app) and go to ‘request messages’.
- **please click the mouse over the conversation you want to delete. an icon with *three horizontal dots will be displayed. click on it and select **‘delete chat’*. confirm the action by clicking again on ‘elimina’. if you use the desktop app, a right click on the conversation offers a similar option.
Delete multiple chats simultaneously (only from mobile app) #
If you have many message requests to delete, the mobile app offers a feature to block it:
- accept requests:* open the messenger app, tap your ** profile photo*** and select ‘request messages’.
- modify:* on the request screen, look for the ‘edit’* (usually on the top right) and tap it.
- select and delete:* apply the check mark next to all conversations you want to delete. once selected, tap the ‘elimina’ item (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.