If you’re like most Facebook users, you’ve probably been asked by at least one friend to install the Messenger app. And if you’re like most people, you probably didn’t think much of it and just went ahead and installed it. But what do you do if, after installing the app, you start getting messages from friends who are not on the friend list but still want to view them?
Fortunately, there is a way to do so. You can make use of the “Message Request” feature on the Facebook Messenger app, which is essentially a way to view messages from people who are not in your friend list. You will find further information about the Message Request feature and how to use it on Facebook’s Help page.
What is Message Request?
The message request is a new feature of the Facebook Messenger app that allows you to view messages from people who are not in your friend list. It essentially creates a separate area in the app where you can view all incoming messages from those who are not on the friend list yet.
The feature was introduced with Facebook’s aim to make messaging faster and more efficient. The messages from your friend will be sent to your primary inbox, while messages from non-friends will be sent to the separate message request area. As a result, you can separately identify and reply to messages from people who are not part of your friend list.
How to View Messages From Non Friends on Facebook Messenger
Now that you know what the message request feature is’ let’s look at how to use it. Using the message request feature is relatively simple. All you have to do is open the Facebook Messenger app and find the message request feature. Here are the stages you need to pursue:
Here are the steps you need to follow to view messages from non-friends on Facebook Messenger:
1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/messages. There you will see the PC version of Facebook messenger.
2. In the right sidebar, click on the three-dot option (…)option.
3. Select the ‘Message Requests’ option from the drop-down menu.
4. Now, you can view all messages from people who are not your Facebook friends yet and reply to them as you wish!
If you dont want to reply to certain messages, you can also ignore them or delete them.
If you are using the messenger app on your smartphone, you can follow the below steps to view and reply to messages from non-friends.
1. Find and open the messenger app from the app list of your smartphone. If you are not already logged in, you must log in with your Facebook credentials.
2. In the top-left of the screen, click the menu icon (☰).
3. Now select ‘Message Requests’ from the available options below the contacts list.
4. On the new page, you can view all messages from non-friends. You can reply to them or delete/ignore them from there.
Also Read: How to Remove or Disable Reels on Facebook App
FAQs
Why do I get random message requests on Facebook?
Since Facebook is a public platform, anyone can send messages to you. But since the message request feature was introduced, these messages are now kept in a separate inbox. So if you receive random message requests on Facebook, it’s likely because someone is trying to reach out to you via this feature.
What happens when I reply to a message request?
When you take a message request, the person who sent it to you is added to your contact list. You can now start sending messages and calling them directly from Messenger. You will also be visible to them when they search for you on Messenger or when you are online.
What happens if I ignore a message request on Facebook?
Ignoring a message request on Facebook will not delete the message; instead, it will move it from the Message Requests area to the Ignored Requests area. From there, you can select to either take or terminate the message request. If you don’t take any action, it will stay in the filtered requests area until you decide to either accept or delete it.
Also Read: How to Fix Facebook is not Working Issue
Conclusion
The message request is an excellent way to stay in touch with people who are not on your friend list yet. It is also suitable for keeping track of all incoming messages from non-friends. With its easy-to-use interface, it makes it easier for you to view and reply to message requests on the go.
We hope this write-up was helpful in understanding how to view messages from non-friends on Facebook Messenger. Now you can employ this feature with ease!