When you send a message to someone on Facebook Messenger, they have the option to react to your message with one of Messenger’s reaction options – like Thumbs Up, Heart, Laugh, Surprised, Sad or Angry. This allows them to quickly respond to your message without having to type out a text reply.
A common question people have is – do you get a notification when someone reacts to your message on Messenger? The short answer is yes, you do get notified when someone reacts to your message.
Notifications for Reactions
When another user reacts to a message you sent in Messenger, you will get a notification for it. The notification will show you which message got a reaction, who reacted, and what reaction they used.
For example, if John reacts with a Thumbs Up to a message you sent, you would get a notification saying “John reacted with Thumbs Up to your message”.
The notification shows up just like any other notifications you get in Messenger – in the main Messages list, as well as in the notifications panel on desktop or the notification shade on mobile.
This allows you to see when someone has acknowledged or responded to your messages even if they didn’t type out a text reply.
Seeing the Specific Message
The notification shows you the name of the person who reacted and the reaction they used, but it does not show a preview of the actual message.
To see which of your messages got the reaction, you would need to open the conversation thread and look for the react icon on that message.
Reacted messages show a tiny react icon badge on the bottom right corner. Tapping on this icon opens up a pop-up showing the type of react and who reacted.
Notification Settings
You do have some control over reaction notifications in the notification settings:
- On desktop, go to Settings > Notifications and toggle off “Reactions and reads” to disable reaction notifications.
- On Android, go to Menu > Notifications and toggle off “Reactions and reads”.
- On iOS, go to Settings > Notifications > Messenger and toggle off “Reactions”.
With notifications turned off for reactions, you won’t get notified when someone reacts to your messages on Messenger.
Summary
To recap, when another Messenger user reacts to a message you sent:
- By default, you get a notification informing you of the reaction.
- The notification shows who reacted and their reaction type.
- To see the actual message they reacted to, open your conversation thread.
- You can disable reaction notifications in your notification settings.
So in summary, yes you do get notified by default when someone reacts to your Messenger messages. The notifications allow you to easily keep tabs on responses to your messages even if they are just reactions instead of text replies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you get notified of reactions to your messages in group chats?
Yes, the same notification rules apply in group chats. If someone reacts to your message in a group, you will get a notification letting you know who reacted and what reaction they used.
Do message requests trigger notifications?
No, you do not get notifications for message requests. You will only be notified when someone reacts to a message in an existing conversation thread where you already have an open chat history with them.
Can you turn off notifications for some reactions but keep others?
Unfortunately no, the notification settings do not allow that level of granularity. You can either keep notifications for all reaction types or turn them off entirely.
What happens if you have notifications off completely?
If you have disabled notifications for Messenger completely, then you will not get any notifications at all – including for reactions. You would need to manually open conversations to check for any new reactions.
Comparing Reactions Across Platforms
Many chat and social media platforms have some implementation of message reactions. Here is a comparison of how reactions behave on some popular platforms:
| Platform | Sender Notified on Reaction | Reaction info in Notification |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Messenger | Yes | Reactor’s name and reaction type |
| No | None | |
| Slack | Yes | Reaction type only |
| Discord | Yes | Reactor’s name and reaction count |
| Skype | No | None |
As you can see, whether the sender gets notified and what details they get varies by platform. Messenger provides more context than most in its notifications.
Use Cases for Reaction Notifications
Now that you know reaction notifications exist in Messenger, here are some useful cases where they come in handy:
Know your message was seen
A reaction notification tells you the recipient has seen your message even if they haven’t typed a reply. This confirmation can be useful in both personal and professional contexts.
Understand replies at a glance
In a busy conversation with multiple participants, scanning for reaction notifications lets you quickly filter for messages intended for you.
Avoid repeating yourself
If you get a Thumbs Up reaction, you know your message was clear and does not need further clarification.
Gauge reactions
The react emoji itself conveys sentiment – you can get a sense of how your message was received.
Prompt urgent replies
If you need time-sensitive info, reacting to your own message with Surprised or Angry conveys urgency.
Customizing Notification Settings
While having reaction notifications on by default makes sense for most people, you may want to customize them for your use case:
Disable reactions you don’t care about
If you find some reactions like Laugh or Sad unhelpful, turn them off.
Mute group conversations
In huge groups, consider muting notifications to avoid reaction spam.
Turn off notifications at night
You can schedule Do Not Disturb to avoid unnecessary notifications when asleep.
Troubleshooting Missing Notifications
If you aren’t getting notified of reactions, here are some things to check:
- Notification settings – reactions may be disabled
- Do Not Disturb is enabled – turn off Scheduled DND
- Internet connection – notifications require connectivity
- Messenger updated – ensure app is updated to latest version
- OS updated – update iOS or Android to resolve any bugs
You can also try force quitting the Messenger app or rebooting your device to troubleshoot notification issues.
Conclusion
Messenger’s reaction notifications allow you to stay updated on who has seen and acknowledged your messages even without text replies. They provide a useful signal especially in busy group conversations. While they are on by default, you can customize notification settings based on your preferences and troubleshoot any issues with missing notifications.