How do I see Facebook messages on my iPhone?

By Conner Carey Updated 08/02/2018

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In the past, when a stranger on Facebook sent you a message, you didn't receive a notification the way you would with messages from friends. These messages used to be filtered into a section of Facebook Messages called the Other Inbox, but now Facebook has split the Other Inbox into two separate areas: Message Requests and Filtered. The Message Requests Inbox is for messages from people you've communicated with in the past, although you might not be friends with them on Facebook. The Filtered Inbox is for completely unknown senders. There’s actually an easy (though unintuitive) way to access your hidden messages. Most of the time, these messages aren't important. But every now and then, there’s a message you need or want to read. Here’s how to view your hidden Facebook messages on iPhone.

Related: How to Save (All) Pictures from Messages & Facebook on iPhone

If you're looking for a way to find a message in your regular Inbox, it's easy to search Facebook messages. 

If you're looking for messages sent by unknown people: open the Facebook Messenger app.

  • Tap People on the bottom of your display.
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  • Now tap requests.
  • The first section is your Message Requests section; you can read these messages by tapping on the text. If you want to delete a message, simply tap the x to the right of it.
  • Note: If you have no messages in your Message Requests or Filtered Requests, those inboxes won't appear. Instead you will only see Suggested Contacts.
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messenger secretsfacebook
unseen
  • Below Message Requests, you'll see a section called Filtered Requests, tap Show All to read these messages.
how to see archived messages on messenger app

You’ll probably notice a lot of messages from people that you don’t know, and some of them may even be spam. If you see a message from somebody that you know, but that doesn't happen to be your Facebook friend, just tap the checkmark next to their message to approve the message and start receiving notifications when they contact you.

Top image credit: sitthiphong / Shutterstock.com

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Conner Carey's picture

Conner Carey's writing can be found at conpoet.com. She is currently writing a book, creating lots of content, and writing poetry via @conpoet on Instagram. She lives in an RV full-time with her mom, Jan and dog, Jodi as they slow-travel around the country. 

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How can I see Facebook messages without Messenger on iPhone?

2View Messages in the Facebook App.
Open the Facebook app on your phone. If you don't have it, you can install it..
Tap the message icon. It will direct you to a "Get Messenger" option. Below is a "go to recent chat" option. Select it to access Facebook messages..
You can access your recent chats and reply to them too..

How can I see all my messages on Messenger on iPhone?

Access Messenger History From the Messenger App.
Open the Messenger app and tap Search at the top..
Enter a search term..
Under Messages, you'll see any conversations that include the search term..
Tap the conversation to open it..

Why can't I see Facebook messages on my phone?

Clear Messenger Cache (Android) Facebook Messenger collects cache to load your conversations quickly. If you are a heavy Messenger user, the app might collect a lot of cache data in the background. Old cached data may lead to Messenger not showing the latest messages on Android.

How do you find hidden Facebook messages on iPhone?

Navigate through your iPhone and open the Facebook Messenger app. The next step is to click on your profile picture to open a menu of Message Requests. Once you click on your profile picture, the menu of Message Requests will pop up, showing a list of hidden Facebook Messages.