Last year's "Other" feature of the Facebook Messenger app might not be the only thing we overlooked to check for messages. There is actually another feature within the app that stores messages from people you don't know or aren't in your friend's list.
Current updates notify you if a non-friend sends a message through Facebook. Users can then decide whether or not they will accept these messages and allow the conversation to continue.
However, not all messages seem to trigger a notification when they arrive in the Messenger app. Some of these messages are filtered by Facebook and go directly to a collapsed folder within your app. It is similar to the way spam folders will filter messages in email accounts.
The main version of Facebook messaging, accessed through the main site, lists the folders clearly. One for "Recent" messages, "Message Requests," "Unread," "Filtered" and "Archived." The folder marked "Filtered" is what the Messenger app seems to hide under a bunch of layers before the user can finally access its contents.
Here are the detailed instructions on how to access the "Filtered" folder.
Messenger.com:
1. Log into your account. The website can also automatically detect your Facebook connection if: (1) the site is opened in another tab and the user is logged in, or (2) the user has used their browser or Facebook's feature to stay logged in. A button saying "Log in as Your Name" will replace the dialog boxes instead. Click the button.
2. Scroll over to the upper-left corner of your screen where you will see a gear-shaped icon. This is the icon that universally stands for "Settings." Click the gear.
3. A drop-down window will appear. Scan the options for "Message Requests," usually the second item from the top, and click it.
4. A new prompt will replace your previous list of inbox messages. In here you will see a list of message requests that had notifications. Underneath those messages, is a link written as "See filtered results." Click the link.
5. You can now read the messages that Facebook "conveniently" filtered for you.
Android users:
Apple users:
Photo: Bhupinder Nayyar | Flickr
