If you’ve recently noticed that your comments on Facebook posts are being sent as messages through Messenger rather than showing up directly on the post, you’re not alone. This confusing change has many Facebook users wondering why their comments are going to Messenger instead.
What’s Happening When Comments Go to Messenger
When you comment on a Facebook post, whether it’s your own post or someone else’s, that comment may show up in two places: directly under the post on Facebook, and as a message through Messenger.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening:
- You comment on a Facebook post as usual.
- Your comment appears under the post on Facebook as normal.
- The person who made the original post also receives your comment as a private message through Facebook Messenger.
So you’re commenting publicly on the post, but the comment is also being duplicated and sent privately via Messenger. This means the original poster can see your comment in two places – on the public post and in their private messages.
Why Are Comments Going to Messenger?
Facebook has not made an official announcement explaining this change, but it seems to be the result of an update rolled out in late 2022/early 2023. There are a few potential reasons why Facebook implemented this:
To Encourage More Private Interactions
Facebook has been pushing users to interact more through private channels like Messenger and Facebook Groups. Sending comments to Messenger helps drive more one-on-one conversations to the private platform.
To Keep Users Engaged
By duplicating comments to Messenger, Facebook may be trying to keep users engaged across multiple platforms. Even if you don’t check Facebook as often, you may still frequently check Messenger messages.
To Limit Comment Spam
Spam comments have been a longstanding issue on Facebook. Sending comments privately to the poster as well as publicly could help cut down on irrelevant or abusive comments.
To Mimic How Other Platforms Work
On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, commenting on a post also messages the poster directly. Facebook may be taking cues from other social networks.
How to Stop Comments from Going to Messenger
If you don’t like having your Facebook comments sent as Messenger messages, there are a couple of options to prevent it from happening.
Turn Off Message Requests
You can stop message requests from non-friends in your Messenger settings. This will prevent your comments from being delivered as messages, but they will still appear publicly on the Facebook post.
To turn off message requests:
- Open the Messenger app and tap on your profile picture.
- Go to Privacy Settings.
- Tap Message Requests.
- Toggle “Message Requests” to Off.
Limit Who Can See Your Comments
Alternatively, when commenting you can change your audience setting to limit who can see that comment.
To do this:
- As you are typing a comment, click the audience selector (it will say “Public” by default).
- Choose “Friends” or “Only Me” to limit visibility.
- Comments set to “Friends” or “Only Me” will not be duplicated and sent as messages.
Pros and Cons of Comments Going to Messenger
Whether you like seeing your Facebook comments in Messenger or not, there are some pros and cons to consider with this change.
Pros
- You can have more private, back-and-forth conversations with people through Messenger.
- The original poster is easily notified of your comment.
- Comments are less likely to get lost in a long thread.
- Could reduce irrelevant or abusive comments.
Cons
- Comment spam could become an issue in Messenger.
- Harder to delete or edit comments after posting.
- Public commentary on posts becomes more disjointed.
- Frustrating and confusing if you’re not expecting it.
Should You Use Messenger for Follow-Up?
If you get a Facebook comment via Messenger and want to continue the conversation, it’s best to keep things on Messenger rather than follow up publicly.
Here’s why Messenger is better for further discussion:
- Keeps conversations private and focused.
- Notifications and threading work better in Messenger.
- The original poster is directly notified of your replies.
- You avoid cluttering up public comment threads.
However, if the conversation clearly relates to something public that could benefit others, you may want to politely redirect the conversation back to the original Facebook post’s comments.
What This Change Means for Brands
For brands managing business pages on Facebook, comments being forwarded to Messenger presents some new considerations – both positive and negative.
Benefits for Brands
- Direct messaging creates new customer service and sales opportunities.
- Easier to track and manage conversations.
- Provides a private channel for customer feedback.
- Comments less likely to be missed if volume is high.
Challenges for Brands
- Harder to moderate negative comments in Messenger.
- Public conversations become disjointed.
- Customers may be confused by getting comments as messages.
- More resources needed to manage messaging at scale.
Brands will need to adjust comment moderation, customer service, and social media procedures to adapt to this added channel. Overall though, having direct messaging alongside public commenting provides more options to connect with customers.
Should Facebook Make This Change Permanent?
Given the mixed reactions from users, it’s unclear if Facebook will make commenting via Messenger a permanent feature. There are good arguments on both sides:
| Reasons to keep it | Reasons to ditch it |
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Given Facebook’s push towards private messaging, they may choose to keep comment forwarding in place officially. If so, they need to clearly communicate this change to avoid confusion.
It’s also possible this is just a temporary test. Facebook often rolls out experimental features then walks them back based on feedback. Public outcry from annoyed users may convince Facebook to ditch the change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are only some of my comments going to Messenger?
Typically only public comments on public posts will be forwarded to Messenger. Comments set to a limited audience or on private posts generally won’t duplicate.
Can I turn off comment forwarding?
Yes, you can turn off Messenger message requests in your settings to prevent comments being sent as messages. You can also limit your commenting audience on a per-comment basis.
What about comment replies?
Right now it seems that only original comments (not replies to comments) are getting forwarded to Messenger. Replies appear to only show up on Facebook currently.
How do I delete a comment forwarded to Messenger?
Unfortunately once your comment goes to Messenger, it can’t be deleted from there – only hidden from your view. You’ll need to delete the original public Facebook comment to fully remove it.
The Bottom Line
Facebook forwarding public post comments to Messenger is a recent change that has confused many users. While reasons for the change remain unclear, it shows Facebook’s focus on private messaging and keeping users engaged across platforms.
For brands, it presents new customer service opportunities, but also moderation and management challenges. As with any Facebook update, staying flexible and monitoring your analytics will help determine the right strategy.
Provided Facebook gives users enough control to opt out, sending comments to Messenger could be a positive shift overall. But if the public outcry grows, Facebook may need to walk back this approach and keep commenting contained within the platform it started on.