Facebook’s messaging settings allow you to control who can send you messages on the platform. By default, you can receive messages from friends as well as non-friends who follow you or are connected to you in some way on Facebook.
Can people message me if we are not friends on Facebook?
Yes, people who are not your friends on Facebook can send you messages in certain situations:
- If you have it set so that “Everyone” can message you, then anyone on Facebook can message you, even if they are not your friend.
- If you have it set so that “Friends of Friends” can message you, then a friend of one of your friends can message you, even if you are not direct friends with them.
- If someone follows you on Facebook, they are able to message you even if you are not friends.
- If someone is a member of a group that you are also a member of, they can message you through the group, even if you are not Facebook friends.
- If you have interacted on Facebook in some way by commenting, liking, reacting to the same post or being tagged in the same post, a non-friend may be able to message you.
- Pages and businesses you follow can message you even if you are not direct friends.
So in summary, yes non-friends can message you based on your messaging settings, if they follow you, are in a common group, or have had some interaction with you on Facebook already.
What are the Facebook messaging settings?
Facebook allows you to control who can message you through your messaging settings. There are three main options:
Everyone
This opens messaging up to anyone on Facebook. Any Facebook user would be able to send you a message, regardless of whether you are friends or have any connection. This is the most open setting.
Friends of Friends
This allows friends of your friends to message you. So anyone who is a second-degree connection is able to message. This allows for wider connection while still limiting messages to people you likely have some connection to through your network.
Friends
This limits messaging to only people you are direct friends with on Facebook. Non-friend followers, group members, or general Facebook users would not be able to message you with this setting. It is the most restrictive option.
You can access these messaging settings by going to your Facebook profile, clicking the three dots in the top right, choosing “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings” and selecting “Messaging.” You will then see options to choose who can message you.
How do I know if someone messaged me on Facebook if we are not friends?
If you receive a new message on Facebook from someone who is not your friend, there are a couple ways you can tell:
- You will get a notification that you have a New Message. When you click on it, you can see the name and profile of the person who messaged you.
- Open your messages by clicking on the Messenger icon. Look for a message from someone that does not have a friend’s icon next to their name.
- The message may also be marked as “Message Request” or be filtered into your Message Requests folder if the person messaging is not on your friends list.
You can then check that person’s profile to confirm you are not friends. If they don’t have a friend’s icon on their profile and it says “Add Friend” instead of “Friends”, that confirms they are not on your friends list.
What happens when a non friend messages me?
Here is what happens when someone who is not your Facebook friend sends you a message:
- You will receive the message in your inbox like normal.
- The message may be marked as being from a “Non-friend” or be filtered into your Message Requests folder.
- You can read and reply to the message like any other message.
- The conversation will show up in your messages like discussions with friends.
- You have the option to delete the message, report it as spam or accept/decline any friend requests.
The main differences are that the person may not show up as a friend in your contacts, messages might be filtered into Message Requests, and you can’t start a new conversation with a non-friend, only reply to existing threads.
Can I stop non friends messaging me?
If you want to prevent non-friends from messaging you on Facebook, there are a few options:
- Go to your messaging settings and change who can message you to “Friends Only”.
- Unfollow or block a specific person who is messaging you.
- Adjust your privacy settings to limit who can see your posts and interact with you.
- Decline any friend requests from people you don’t want messaging you.
- Report or delete any unwanted messages.
Restricting your messaging settings is the best way to limit non-friend contact overall. You can also take steps to block or unfollow specific individuals as needed.
Should I reply to messages from non friends?
When you receive a Facebook message from someone you don’t know, here are some things to consider before replying:
- Check the sender’s profile. Do you have any friends or interests in common? Are they trying to sell something?
- Is the message polite and harmless? Or unusual, inappropriate or suspicious?
- Do you want to get to know this person and are open to a new connection?
- Does replying feel safe? Or do you feel pressured or uncomfortable?
If the message seems polite and you are open to the interaction, replying is fine. But listen to your instincts if you feel uneasy. You do not need to reply to anyone you don’t want to. You can also report or block the sender if needed. Replying cautiously or just deleting non-friend messages are both perfectly acceptable.
Can I message someone who is not my Facebook friend?
Typically you can only directly message people who are already friends with you on Facebook. There are a couple exceptions where you can message non-friends:
- If you are both members of the same Facebook group, you can message them through the group.
- If they have their messaging settings open to “Everyone”, you can message them.
- If you share a mutual friend, you can send a message that the mutual friend can forward to them.
Without an existing two-way connection on Facebook, there is no way to directly message someone who is not your friend. The only option is to send a friend request and message them if they accept. Messaging strangers or non-connections is against Facebook’s policies.
Can business pages message me if I’m not their friend?
Yes, Facebook business pages can message people who like or follow their page, even if they are not direct Facebook friends. This allows pages to communicate updates, promotions, offers and more to their audiences.
As a page follower, you may receive:
- One-to-one messages from the page sent directly to your inbox
- Auto-reply messages when you comment, ask a question, or interact with the page
- Group messages sent to multiple followers at once
You can unfollow or mute a page if you do not want to receive these messages. But by default, liking or following a Facebook page allows it to message you directly even if you are not Facebook friends.
Conclusion
While Facebook is designed for connecting with friends and family, the platform does allow some forms of messaging between non-friends in certain situations. Setting your messaging privacy to “Friends Only” is the best way to limit contact from strangers. With open settings, you can receive messages from outside your friends list, so it’s important to use caution and judgment when interacting. Remember you are always in control – you can ignore, delete, report or block unwanted messages.