Facebook Messenger allows users to customize their messaging experience in various ways. One option is to hide the message options that appear when you hover over a message thread. These options include Archive, Mute, Mark as Unread, etc. Hiding these options can declutter your messages and prevent you from accidentally clicking on them. Here are a few methods to hide the message options on Facebook Messenger on desktop and mobile.
Hide Message Options on Facebook Messenger Desktop
On the Facebook website, you can hide the message options that appear when you hover over a thread. Here are the steps:
Use a Browser Extension
One of the easiest ways is to install a browser extension that removes the message options.
- For Chrome, you can use Simple Facebook Demessenger or Facebook Message Options Hider.
- For Firefox, there’s Hide Facebook Messenger Options.
These extensions will automatically hide the options when you hover over a thread.
Edit the Page HTML
You can also edit the Facebook page’s HTML to hide the options:
- Right click anywhere on the page and click ‘Inspect’ or ‘Inspect Element’. This will open the browser’s Developer tools.
- In the Elements panel, use Ctrl+F or Cmd+F to search for ‘hoverAction’. You should see some code like this:
div class="hoverAction"
- Delete or comment out this code block. This will remove the hover actions.
- Refresh Facebook, and the message options should now be hidden.
This method works but the change will go away if you refresh the page.
Use a Userscript
Userscripts are scripts that modify web pages. We can use them to hide Facebook message options:
- Install a userscript manager like Tampermonkey (Chrome) or Greasemonkey (Firefox).
- Go to OpenUserJS and search for ‘facebook message options’. Install a script like ‘Remove Facebook Messenger Hover Actions’.
- Refresh Facebook to apply the userscript. Message options will now be hidden.
The userscript will run automatically whenever you open Facebook.
Hide Message Options on Mobile
On Facebook Messenger’s mobile app, the message options are always visible under each thread. Here’s how to declutter your mobile messenger:
Hide Options in Threads
In any message thread:
- Tap on the recipient’s name at the top.
- Tap ‘Hide Options’.
This will hide the options underneath that specific thread.
Disable Swipe Actions
Normally, you can swipe left on a thread to access the options. To disable this:
- Open Messenger and tap your profile pic (top left).
- Go to Preferences.
- Turn off ‘Swipe Actions’.
Now you won’t see any options when swiping message threads.
Hide Options for Specific Contacts
You can choose to hide message options for some contacts while keeping them enabled for others:
- In any thread, tap the recipient’s name and turn off ‘Show Options’.
- Alternatively, from your contacts list, open a contact’s profile and tap ‘Show Options’ to toggle it off.
This will remove the options only for that person’s messages. Your settings for other contacts will remain unchanged.
Why Would You Want to Hide Message Options?
Here are some reasons why people choose to hide Facebook message options:
- Avoid accidentally archiving or deleting important threads.
- Reduce distractions and simplify the messaging interface.
- Prevent snooping if lending your phone to someone.
- Clean up your inbox by removing extra buttons.
- Personal preference for a minimalist UI.
For some users, the extra options add unnecessary clutter. Hiding them helps focus on the conversations themselves.
Considerations Before Hiding Options
While hidden message options can declutter Messenger, keep a few things in mind:
- You lose quick access to features like mute, mark as unread, notifications, etc.
- Options are still available, just hidden (e.g. via contact’s profile).
- Can make swiping between threads slower if you’re used to the gestures.
- Might need to undo if you hide options for the wrong chat.
Test it out first before hiding options on important message threads. Also be careful when lending your phone – hidden options could confuse someone.
Other Ways to Declutter and Customize Messenger
In addition to hiding hover or swipe actions, you can optimize Messenger in a few more ways:
- Turn off read receipts and typing indicators.
- Disable message previews in notifications.
- Adjust notification sounds and vibrations.
- Use filters to categorize different types of messages.
- Mute busy group conversations.
- Limit notifications during study, work, or sleep.
- Archive stale threads you still want to keep.
Take advantage of Messenger’s customization settings to craft your ideal messaging experience.
Troubleshooting Hidden Message Options
If you run into any problems after hiding message options, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Refresh the page or app – changes may not apply immediately.
- Check that the browser extension or userscript is still enabled.
- If options are gone completely, they may be hidden globally under a setting.
- On mobile, toggle ‘Swipe Actions’ back on in Messenger settings.
- For individual contacts, tap their names and turn ‘Show Options’ back on.
- As a last resort, log out and log back into Facebook to reset settings.
Reverting the changes is straightforward in most cases. Note that it may take some trial and error.
Conclusion
Hiding Facebook Messenger options allows you to declutter your message inbox and simplify the UI for a distraction-free experience. On desktop, browser extensions provide the easiest way to remove the hover actions. For mobile, you can disable swipe gestures and hide options under specific threads. Just be aware that you lose quick access to certain features by hiding them. With the right settings, you can customize Messenger to focus on connecting with people and minimize social media noise.
| Platform | Method to Hide Options |
|---|---|
| Desktop | Browser extensions, HTML editing, Userscripts |
| Mobile | Disable ‘Swipe Actions’ or hide per thread |