Facebook Messenger allows you to mute or ignore someone’s messages so that you don’t receive notifications from them. This can be useful if someone is sending you too many messages or if you just need a break from their conversations for a while. Here’s a look at what happens when you mute or ignore someone on Messenger and how to use these features.
Muting a Messenger Conversation
If you mute a conversation in Messenger, you’ll stop getting notifications for new messages from that person or group. Their messages won’t show up in your inbox or on your home screen. However, they won’t know that you’ve muted them and can still see when you’ve read their messages.
To mute a conversation on desktop:
- Open the conversation you want to mute
- Click on the name of the person or group at the top
- Select “Mute [name]”
To mute a conversation in the Messenger mobile app:
- Open the conversation
- Tap on the name at the top
- Tap “Mute [name]”
You can unmute a conversation at any time by following the same steps and selecting “Unmute [name].”
What the muted person sees
When you mute someone on Messenger, it doesn’t affect their side of the conversation at all. They can still see all the messages you’ve exchanged and won’t know that you’ve muted them. They’ll be able to keep messaging you as normal.
The only way they may realize something has changed is if you suddenly stop responding to their messages. But from their perspective, there will be no indication that you muted the conversation.
Where muted conversations are stored
Muted conversations remain in your message inbox, but they get sorted lower down so the most recent conversations you’ve been active in are at the top. You can still find and open muted conversations when you want to view them again.
On mobile, muted conversations can be found by tapping your profile photo > Muted in the app. On desktop, click the Messenger icon in the lower left corner > Muted to see your muted conversations.
Ignoring Messages on Messenger
If you want to completely ignore someone on Messenger without keeping their messages in your inbox, you can block them. This prevents them from messaging you entirely.
To block someone:
- Open your conversation with them
- Tap their name at the top
- Select Block
When you block someone, their messages will no longer show up and they won’t be notified about it. They also won’t be able to start new conversations with you or add you to group conversations.
Unblocking conversations
If you change your mind, you can easily unblock someone on Messenger. This will open up communication between you again.
To unblock a conversation:
- Open your blocked conversations list
- Tap on the conversation you want to unblock
- Select Unblock
The conversation will be moved back to your inbox and the person will be able to message you again.
Why You May Want to Mute or Ignore Someone
Here are some common reasons for muting or blocking someone on Messenger:
- They’re sending too many messages and annoying you.
- You’re having an argument and need some space.
- You want a break from their messages for a little while.
- Their messages are negatively affecting your mood or mental health.
- You don’t want to interact with them anymore.
- They’re harassing or bullying you.
Muting allows you to take a temporary break if someone is bothering you or you feel overwhelmed. Blocking is better if you want no contact from someone on Messenger anymore.
What Happens When You Unmute or Unblock
If you unmute a conversation, it will move back to your inbox like normal. The other person will still have no idea that you had muted them previously.
When you unblock someone, they will regain the ability to message you. Your past messages won’t automatically return, but they may still have them if neither of you has deleted the conversation.
Seeing past messages after unblocking
Unblocking someone won’t restore your previous messages with them. Their past messages to you are gone for good after blocking them.
However, if they didn’t delete the conversation on their end, they may still have access to your earlier messages together. So you may see old messages if they send a screenshot or copy and paste the conversations after you unblock them.
Other Ways to Limit Contact
In addition to muting and blocking, Messenger has a few other features to help control conversations:
- Turn off read receipts – Stops people from seeing when you’ve read their messages.
- Restricted list – Allows limited access so they can only reply, not start new conversations.
- Message filtering – Automatically filters lower priority messages away from your main inbox.
Using these options can help gradually reduce unwanted contact before deciding to mute or block someone entirely.
What About Deleting Conversations?
Deleting a conversation is different from blocking or muting. When you delete a Messenger conversation:
- All messages from both sides are erased and gone for good.
- The other person can still send you new messages that will start a new conversation.
- You can no longer access any past messages in the conversation.
So deleting is permanent and erases chat history, but doesn’t prevent future communication like blocking does.
Conclusion
Muting or blocking someone on Messenger lets you take control of unwanted conversations easily. With muted conversations, you avoid notifications but can still view message history. Blocking goes a step further by preventing any new messages entirely.
Just remember that the other person won’t know if you’ve muted or blocked them. Your actions only affect your side of the conversation. But using these tools can help you manage difficult situations and take a break when needed.