Getting random messages from people you don’t know on Facebook Messenger can be confusing and concerning. There are a few potential reasons why this may be happening.
You have a public profile
If your Facebook profile is public, meaning anyone can see your profile picture, cover photo, and posts without being your friend, this makes you more visible to strangers. They can then message you out of the blue even without a friend connection.
To make your profile private:
- Go to your profile
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner
- Select “View As”
- Toggle ” Public” to “Friends”
This will make your profile viewable only to friends so random people won’t be able to find and message you as easily.
You’re part of public Facebook groups
Being a member of public Facebook groups also increases your visibility to strangers. When you’re part of a public group, anyone who is in or comes across that group can see you listed in the members section and message you.
To leave public groups:
- Go to your profile
- Click “Groups” on the left side
- For any public groups you want to leave, click the three dots next to the group name and select “Leave group”
Sticking to private groups with friends will give you more control over who can interact with you.
You recently posted publicly
If you’ve posted anything publicly on your profile or in public groups recently, this can attract attention from strangers. They may see your post and decide to message you in response, even if you don’t know them.
You can increase privacy by:
- Posting only to friends on your profile
- Leaving public groups and only posting in private groups
- Avoiding commenting on public pages that strangers can also comment on
This will limit your public exposure so random people are less likely to stumble upon posts from you.
You have mutual friends or followers with strangers
Even if your profile is private, having mutual friends or followers with someone else can still grant them access to send you a message. For example, if you and a stranger are both friends with John Smith, or you both follow Jane Doe, Facebook may allow that stranger to message you as a “friend of a friend” or follower connection.
To prevent this:
- Review your friends list and remove anyone you don’t know well
- Decline follower requests from people you don’t know
Having fewer loose social connections on Facebook will reduce situations where strangers can message you through mutual associations.
Your profile was found through Messenger user discovery
Facebook Messenger has user discovery features where you may come up as a suggested contact when someone new joins Messenger. This is based on criteria like mutual friends, shared networks, location, etc. So a stranger may find your profile through discovery and decide to message you.
To opt out of this:
- Open your Messenger app
- Go to your profile
- Tap Privacy
- Turn off “Allow people to find me by my phone number”
This will prevent your profile from being surfaced to strangers through Messenger contact discovery tools.
You have a Messenger community account
If you have a community account on Messenger to manage a business, brand, organization, etc. this account type is designed to be public. Anyone can find it and message it since it’s meant for interacting with customers or followers.
If you want to limit messages, switch the account to private in Settings > Account > Privacy.
It’s a message request from someone you blocked
If you’ve previously blocked someone, they will still have the option on their end to send you a message request. You won’t see these messages in your inbox until you accept their request. So random blocked messages are usually just coming from people you’ve blocked trying to contact you again.
To prevent any possibility of messages from people you’ve blocked:
- Go to your profile
- Click Settings & Privacy > Blocking
- Select “Block Messages Requests”
This will automatically deny any incoming message requests so you won’t see anything from blocked accounts.
Your number was shared publicly somewhere
If your phone number was ever included on a public website, social media bio, forum posting, etc., this gives strangers access to message you. Anyone who comes across your number in a public place can easily use it to try and start a conversation on Messenger.
Ways to prevent this:
- Avoid posting your number publicly anywhere online
- Periodically Google your phone number to see if it appears anywhere public
- Ask websites/forums to remove your number if you find it
Keeping your number private and off public websites will reduce the chances of misuse from strangers.
It’s spam or a scam attempt
Unfortunately spammy or scammy messages are common on Messenger just like on other messaging platforms. These automated bots and scammers use various ways of finding targets, including buying phone number lists and randomly messaging people hoping to get responses.
Signs it may be spam/scam:
- Generic greeting like “Hello”
- Profile seems fake, has no posts/friends
- Quickly asks for personal information
- Sends suspicious links
- Offers “free money”, prizes, deals, etc.
If you suspect a message is spam or a scam, report and delete it. Don’t engage with the sender at all.
You recently added your number to your profile
If you just added your phone number to your Facebook profile, this can trigger an influx of random messages initially. Your newly visible number may get scraped by bots and scammers, or discovered by strangers through search tools.
Give it some time for the spike in messages to die down after adding your number. You can also remove your number again to avoid unwanted messages.
Your privacy settings changed
Double check that your privacy settings on Facebook haven’t changed. Sometimes app updates or technical issues can alter your settings without you realizing, opening up your profile to be messaged by more people.
Confirm your key privacy settings:
- Profile visibility is set to “Friends only”
- Messenger discovery is disabled
- Messages from strangers are filtered into requests
Correct any settings that may have switched to be more public without your knowledge.
You have a Messenger Kids account
With Messenger Kids accounts for children, parents have the option to allow messaging with approved friends only or open messaging with anyone. If open messaging is enabled, it’s possible for random strangers to message your child’s account.
To limit messages to approved friends only:
- Open the child’s Messenger Kids app
- Go to settings
- Tap “Messaging Preferences”
- Select “Friends Only”
This will prevent unwanted messages from strangers on your child’s Messenger Kids account.
Conclusion
Receiving messages on Messenger from people you don’t know can be disturbing and frustrating. But in many cases, there are steps you can take to reduce unwanted messages by adjusting privacy settings, leaving public groups, reviewing your contacts, and being cautious what information you post publicly. Stay alert for spam and scam attempts as well.
Implementing some privacy best practices can help take control and minimize random messages from strangers reaching your inbox going forward.
If you continue to have concerns or feel harassed, you can also report unwanted messages to Facebook directly for further assistance managing the issue.
| Reason | Prevention Tips |
|---|---|
| Public profile | Switch to private “Friends only” setting |
| Public groups | Leave public groups, stick to private groups |
| Public posts | Post privately, avoid public commenting |
| Loose friend connections | Review friends list, decline follower requests |
| Messenger discovery | Opt out of user discovery |
| Community account | Switch account to private |
| Blocked contacts | Block message requests |
| Number posted publicly | Remove number, keep number private |
| Spam or scams | Don’t engage, report messages |
| New number on profile | Potentially remove number |
| Privacy setting changes | Double check current privacy settings |
| Messenger Kids open messaging | Restrict to approved friends only |