How to stop receiving messages from strangers on Messenger

Since we often link our Facebook account to Instagram , when someone sends a message from Instagram, you'll also receive it on Messenger. And when a stranger sends you a message on Messenger, those messages will be moved to the Messages Inquiry section and appear in your incoming notifications.

If you don't want to be bothered by messages from strangers, scroll down and see how to block messages from strangers.

How to block receiving messages from strangers on Messenger

The latest interface currently available.

Step 1: Select the three-line icon in the upper left corner of the Messenger home screen.

Step 2: Select Privacy and Security.

Step 3: In the Privacy and Security interface , select Message Distribution .

Step 4: Here you will have two options. With the "Other people on Messenger or Facebook" option , you will completely block messages from strangers on Facebook and Messenger. With the "Friends of friends on Facebook" option , you will only block friends on your friend list.

With both options, you will have 3 choices:

1. Chat thread: Receive all messages and they will be forwarded to your current main chat thread list.
2. Pending messages: Move the message to the Pending Messages section.
3. Do not receive pending messages: Do not receive any pending messages.

If you want to block all messages from people who are not your friends, select "Do not receive pending messages" in both options .

The advantage of blocking messages as described above is that it provides maximum privacy protection, especially for those providing services or selling products on Facebook, or simply for those who spam. It also avoids the risk of receiving scam messages or unsafe content from strangers.

However, if you frequently get information through Facebook groups or fan pages, or similar platforms, you shouldn't turn off the option to receive messages from strangers. This is especially important for buying and selling on Marketplace.

Old interface

Step 1:

On the Messenger interface, tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen. You will then be taken to the account settings interface; select Privacy & Security .

Step 2:

In the new interface, scroll down and select " Message Distribution" to choose who can message you. Under "Others ," select "Others on Facebook . "

Step 3:

By default, Messenger will show a "message pending" notification for messages sent to us by strangers.

To turn off notifications for messages from strangers on Messenger , tap " Do not receive pending messages ." The settings will then be saved.

Step 4:

Go back to the interface and tap People on Instagram . By default, people from Instagram will also send you messages via the notification queue.

We will tap on "Do not receive pending messages from strangers" on Instagram.

Video tutorial on how to block messages from strangers on Messenger.

How to block receiving messages from strangers on Messenger on your computer.

Step 1:

On the Facebook interface, click on your profile picture and then select Settings & Privacy. Then, click on Settings to adjust your settings .

Step 2:

Next, on the new interface, users will click on the Privacy option in the list on the left side of the interface.

Step 3:

Now, look to the right of the interface and you'll see the section "Recipients of pending messages" under "Other people" . We'll click the "Edit" button to change it.

Step 4:

For other people on Facebook , we will switch to the " Don't receive pending messages" option .

Step 5:

Next, users will adjust their settings to block messages from accounts on Instagram. We also adjust it to block messages from strangers and prevent notifications from being sent to you.

Where do spam messages appear on Facebook Messenger?

By default, Facebook Messenger hides spam messages so you don't receive unwanted messages. Instead of going to your main message inbox, Facebook moves spam messages to a separate folder called Pending Messages . Because you may not access that location often, you might occasionally find yourself "flooded" with spam messages when checking your message requests.

To view message requests—which may also include spam messages—on your desktop, launch Facebook in your browser and click the Chat icon at the top of the page. Then click the square " View all in Messenger" button at the top of the chat window.

At the top of the chat list, tap the three-dot menu and select Pending Messages .

Finally, you can switch between the "You Might Know " and "Spam" tabs to see all pending message requests.

In the Messenger mobile app, tap your account icon in the top left corner and then select Pending Messages from the menu.

Just like on a computer, you can switch between the "You Might Know " and "Spam" tabs to see all your pending message requests.

Remember that Facebook will do its best to sort your messages, but some messages in the " You May Know" tab are more likely to be spam, and not all messages in the Spabm tab are spam.