Facebook’s message request feature allows users to receive messages from people who are not their friends on Facebook. Message requests are a way for strangers or acquaintances to contact you on Facebook without the message going directly to your main inbox. This helps prevent unwanted messages from spam accounts or strangers from cluttering up your inbox.
When someone sends you a message request, you’ll get a notification on Facebook. However, the message itself won’t show up in your regular message inbox. Instead, it will be sent to your message request folder which you need to access separately.
Here are some quick answers about finding and accessing message requests on Facebook:
On Desktop:
– Click on the Messages icon in the top right corner of Facebook
– On the left side of the page, click on Message Requests
– You’ll see a list of all message requests you’ve received
On Mobile:
– Tap on the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner
– Scroll down and tap on Message Requests
– You’ll see a list of all message requests you’ve received
On Messenger App:
– Open the Messenger app
– Tap on People at the bottom of the screen
– Tap Message Requests at the top of the screen
– You’ll see a list of all your pending message requests
Turning Message Requests On/Off:
You can choose whether you want to receive message requests or not by following these steps:
On Desktop:
– Click on the arrow in the top right corner and go to Settings
– Click on Messaging on the left sidebar
– Under Message Settings, turn Message Requests on or off
On Mobile:
– Tap the Menu icon and scroll down to select Settings & Privacy
– Tap Settings and select Messaging
– Turn Message Requests on or off
Replying to Message Requests:
When you open a message request, you have a few options to respond:
- Accept as Friend – Accept their friend request and move your message history to your regular inbox
- Reply – Keep the conversation in your message requests and respond back
- Delete – Delete the message request and conversation
- Report/Block – Report the user to Facebook or block them from contacting you
Once you reply to a message request, the conversation will stay in your message requests folder rather than moving to your regular inbox. The only way for the messages to move your inbox is if you accept their friend request.
How Long do Message Requests Stay?
Message requests will remain pending in your message requests folder indefinitely until you take action on them. The messages will not expire or be deleted automatically. It’s up to you to either reply, delete, or accept the message request when you’re ready.
This means your message requests can build up over time if you don’t check them regularly or just ignore them. Make sure to review your requests periodically and respond or delete them as needed to keep your message inbox organized.
Message Request Limit
Facebook limits the number of message requests you can have pending at one time as a way to prevent spam and abuse. The limit is different depending on whether you’re using Facebook on desktop or mobile:
- Desktop – 250 pending message requests at once
- Mobile – 100 pending message requests at once
Once you hit the limit, new message requests will be temporarily blocked until you take action to delete or reply to your existing requests. The easiest way to manage this is by regularly reviewing and responding to your message requests so they don’t build up.
Prioritizing Message Requests
Since message requests don’t show up in your main inbox, it can be easy to overlook them and ignore new ones coming in. If you want to stay on top of important message requests, here are some tips:
- Check your message requests daily or every few days
- Look to see if you recognize the name of the person messaging you
- Give priority to responding to messages from people you know versus strangers
- Consider allowing message requests from Friends of Friends to go to your inbox directly rather than requests
Why Use Message Requests?
Message requests have some benefits for both receivers and senders of messages:
For receivers:
- Prevents spam or unwanted messages from strangers cluttering up your main inbox
- Lets you screen messages before accepting them
- Blocks offensive/abusive content from unknown users
For senders:
- Allows messaging people who aren’t your Facebook friends already
- Increases chance recipient will see your message request and respond
- Provides a way to make initial contact and introduce yourself
Turning Off Message Requests
If you don’t want to receive any message requests at all, you can disable the feature completely in your Facebook settings:
On Desktop:
– Click the arrow in the top right and select Settings
– Click Messaging on the left sidebar
– Turn off Message Requests
On Mobile:
– Tap the menu icon and go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
– Tap Messaging
– Turn off Message Requests
With requests disabled, all messages from non-friends will be automatically blocked. Only your Facebook friends will be able to message you directly.
Message Requests vs. Regular Messages
Message requests operate differently than regular messages between Facebook friends:
| Message Requests | Regular Messages |
|---|---|
| – Only shown in the message requests folder | – Appear in your regular message inbox |
| – Only received from non-friends | – Only sent between confirmed Facebook friends |
| – Limit of 250 pending requests on desktop | – No limit on number of messages |
| – Conversation remains in requests after replying | – Conversation moves to inbox after first reply |
Troubleshooting Message Requests
If you’re having issues with message requests, here are some steps to try:
- Make sure Message Requests are enabled in your Facebook settings
- Refresh your browser or app to load new requests
- Check your internet connection
- Update your Facebook app to the latest version
- Clear your Facebook cache/cookies to fix loading issues
- Report bugs or problems to Facebook
Conclusion
Facebook’s message request system provides a separate inbox for receiving messages from people outside your friend list. To view these requests on desktop or mobile, simply access your dedicated message requests folder. You can then decide to reply, delete, or accept any message requests as needed. Just be sure to check your requests regularly so they don’t build up over the limit. With this system, you can screen incoming messages and avoid spam from strangers. Message requests help facilitate communication while giving you control over your Facebook messaging experience.