You can find restricted messages in Messenger through the privacy settings and the list of restricted accounts. Open the person whose conversation you are looking for there. Is the person not in the list? Then check message requests, spam, and the archive. These are separate places where a conversation may be located.
Below, you will learn how to check these places, what the differences are, and how to remove a restriction.
What are restricted messages in Messenger?
By “restricted messages”, people usually mean conversations with someone they have restricted in Messenger. You restrict a person, not one individual message. However, not every conversation that disappears from your chat list is restricted.
Suppose you are looking for a conversation about a used bicycle. You know who you spoke with, but you can no longer see the chat. Perhaps you restricted that person. You may also have archived the conversation, or it may have started as a message request. In this fictional example, you first need to determine where the chat is located.
| Category | What does it mean? | Where do you look? |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted account | You have restricted contact with a particular person. | Under restricted accounts in the privacy settings. |
| Message request | A message that has not yet been treated as a regular conversation. | Under message requests. |
| Spam | Messages set aside separately as potentially unwanted. | Under spam or filtered requests. |
| Archive | A conversation you have stored outside your regular chat list. | Under archived conversations. |
| Blocked account | You have stopped contact with someone by blocking that person. | Under blocked accounts. |
Restricting, archiving, and blocking therefore do different things. An archived conversation is also not the same as a deleted conversation. First check where your chat went before changing a setting.
Find restricted messages in Messenger on your phone
Open the Messenger app on your phone. The layout and names of settings may vary by version. The steps below will help you search, but the buttons may have different names on your device.
According to AirDroid’s explanation of restricting in Messenger restricted chats disappear from the chat list. You can find them through “Privacy and safety” and “Restricted accounts”.
- Check which account you are using. Open the Facebook account you used for the conversation. This is especially important if you switch between multiple accounts.
- Open Messenger settings. Look in the menu or your profile. The location of the settings may vary.
- Find the privacy settings. Look for a name such as “Privacy and safety”. In an English app, look for “Privacy and safety”.
- Open the list of restricted accounts. This may be called “Restricted accounts” in English.
- Find the person. Tap the account to view the conversation or available options.
Check that you opened the right person. Two contacts may have the same first name. Therefore, also check the profile picture and, if you can open the chat, the content of the conversation.
Can’t find the privacy setting or list? Check whether there is an update for Messenger. An update does not guarantee that the route mentioned will appear. Therefore, do not search only for one exact button name, but also look for a section with the same meaning.
Using a computer? Try the search function for your conversations there. The settings do not have to be the same as on your phone. If you cannot find the list of restricted accounts, try the mobile app.
Check message requests and spam in Messenger
Is the person not among your restricted accounts? Then check message requests. This is especially useful if you have not yet replied to the message or do not know the sender well.
Famety’s explanation of hidden message requests mentions a separate place for filtered requests, with names such as “Filtered” or “Spam”.
In Messenger, search for message requests and open that section. Also check whether you see a separate folder for unwanted or filtered messages there. The name and location may vary. An empty first list therefore does not mean that there is no request anywhere.
- Check who sent the message and what it is about.
- Also view older requests if you are looking for an old conversation.
- Check for any additional folders within message requests.
- Remember that spam is not the same as an account you restricted yourself.
For example, are you expecting a message from someone in a neighbourhood group? Then also search for the sender’s personal name, not just the group name. Don’t know the profile name? Ask through the group you know which name the person uses.
You do not have to reply immediately. First check whether the sender and subject match the message you expected.
Remove a restriction in Messenger
Do you no longer want to restrict the person you found? Look for the option to remove the restriction under the account or conversation. The button may have a different name than “Remove restriction”.
- Open the person from the list of restricted accounts.
- View the options for the account or conversation.
- Choose the option that clearly refers to removing the restriction.
- Read any confirmation before continuing.
- Return to your chats and search the name again.
Do you only see options to block or delete? Do not choose those options as a replacement. They have a different effect. Go back and check whether you are really viewing the restricted account.
Do you only want to reread an old message? First check whether you can do so without changing the restriction. Finding a conversation does not mean that you want to resume contact.
Removing a restriction does not restore deleted messages. Therefore, do not expect missing content to return automatically because of this.
A Messenger conversation or notification is missing: what should you check?
Can you open the conversation, but did you not receive a notification on your phone? Then the message is not missing, but the alert that something came in is. In that case, first check your notifications.
Check whether the conversation is muted, whether Messenger is allowed to send notifications, and whether your phone is set to silent. Change one setting at a time. This way, you know what you changed and can change it back.
Can’t find the conversation itself? Then go through these points:
- Search by name. Also try the profile name by which you know the person.
- Check the archive. A conversation you stored outside the regular chat list may be there.
- Check your account. A conversation from another account will not automatically appear in the account that is currently open.
- Think back to what you did. Did you restrict or block the person? Or did you archive or delete the conversation?
Does a list remain empty or does Messenger not load properly? Check your internet connection and reopen the app. Do not delete the app as your first attempt. Start with checks that do not change anything in your conversations.
Are you wondering whether someone else has restricted you? You cannot know for certain just because a reply or notification does not arrive. The list of restricted accounts shows only your own choices, not someone else’s settings.
Check unknown Messenger messages before replying
Did you find an unexpected message among requests or spam? Check who wants something from you and why. A familiar name or photo does not prove that the message really came from that person.
Is someone asking for money, a login code, or a quick click on a link? Verify the request through another contact method you already know. For example, call the number you already had. Do not simply use a new number from the suspicious message.
Do not share a password or code to have a hidden conversation restored. Does an unknown service promise to recover all your deleted messages? That promise is not evidence that it can do so.
Do you also have a problem with Instagram messages? Then read about not being able to reply to Instagram messages. Can’t start a conversation yourself? Then see why you cannot send messages on Instagram. This explanation is about Instagram, not Messenger settings. If you also publish your own content, our Facebook services includes packages for followers and page likes. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
