How to check Facebook filtered messages and message requests

If you enter giveaways on Facebook, you should be checking your message inbox (or Messenger app) regularly in case you get a winning notification! But it’s not as straightforward as it seems – there are also Message Requests and Spam (Filtered Messages) inboxes to check.

  • If you get a Facebook message from a friend (or a page you’ve messaged), it will go into your regular Chats inbox at www.facebook.com/messages
  • If a message comes in from someone Facebook thinks you might know, it will go into your Message Requests
  • Messages from non-friends, assumed by Facebook to be spam, are sent to your Spam (previously called Filtered) folder 

A Facebook page (company) can only message a fan directly if they have commented on their page – OR they can message if the fan has previously sent a message. Sometimes though, a notification about a giveaway you’ve won will come from a page admin, who has to use their personal account to send that message – and it may well go to your Spam folder!

Find your messages on facebook.com

Go to www.facebook.com and click the speech bubble icon at the top of your browser window to open your main message inbox – it will have Chats at the top. This is also the same format as if you go directly to www.messenger.com

Click the three dots to the right of the Chats heading, and from the drop-down menu select Message Requests.

Facebook Message Requests 2021

This will open your Requests inbox. Scroll right down to the end of all your Message Requests and you should see a link to See Spam messages – if you have any!

Facebook Spam Inbox

If you Reply to a message request or a spam (filtered) message, it will move to your main Chats inbox. If you don’t want to respond, you can either leave the message in your inbox, or click I don’t want to hear from…

Spam Facebook Message

If you choose this, you can then decide whether to delete conversation or block the sender.

Spam Facebook Message

Find your messages using the Messenger app

To find your Message Requests on mobile, open Messenger (if you tap the Chat icon in the Facebook app, it will open Messenger for you too).

You will see a list of your current Chats (your regular inbox). Tap your profile photo at the top of the screen. Then tap Message Requests from the menu.

Finding Facebook message requests on Messenger

On the Message requests screen you’ll see messages from people that Facebook thinks you may know. At the top, tap Spam to view your spam inbox. 

Facebook Message Requests

Tap the messages in your spam list to view each one – you can delete the message, or block the sender. 

Find your messages using the Messenger app (old version)

Spam messages are harder to find on older versions of Messenger! From your main inbox, tap your profile photo at the top of the screen. Then tap Message Requests from the menu.

Finding hidden Facebook messages on Messenger

Scroll down past all the Requests and you’ll see a Spam icon – this is where your filtered messages are (if you have any!)

Finding Facebook message requests on Messenger Finding Facebook message requests and spam on Messenger

If you pick up an old winning message and find you’ve missed the claim date for your prize (or there was no claim date!) don’t despair. Send a polite message back to the promoter explaining that you didn’t know about the Filtered Messages folder – they may be sympathetic!

If it’s a UK promotion you could also point out that the Advertising Standards Authority recommends that only contacting a winner once is NOT sufficient, and more attempts should be made if there’s no response (read more on this here).

Don’t forget to check your message requests on Twitter and Instagram too!

If you found this blog post helpful, why not download my free PDF A Comper’s Guide to Facebook, or watch my Beginners Guide to Facebook on YouTube? I also have a guide on how to unlike multiple Facebook pages quickly, which will help you spring clean your account!

What’s the most exciting message you’ve found in your hidden Facebook folder? Tell me in the comments!

20 Responses

  1. Nina Norman says:

    What I was looking for was a direct message that was sent to me by a actor. After I clicked on it. I spoke to him. I wanted to see if that direct message has a verify blue check mark. I think after I answered it. It got deleted by that person. Thank you, very much.

  2. Tom says:

    Thank you for the information! I’d also like to advise using software for Facebook called cucomm. I use Facebook for work, so it’s important for me to properly allocate my time. With this program, I automatically send messages to users. It’s convenient, simple, and safe.

  3. Nikoleta says:

    Thank you so much! I’ve finally find Filtered Messages in the FB Messenger App. I have the old version. I am so happy for finding your explanations!

  4. Enkeleda Kamxhiu says:

    Thakn you

  5. Matty says:

    Thank you for that great insight. I’m a little late to the party but is there anyway to find out who a Facebook User is? I received a message almost over a year ago and just found it today. When I try to click on the user to see their profile I get an error message after being directed back to Facebook and this individual is no longer using messenger. I understand it could be spam but the date and text seems otherwise. Hate to miss a lost connection especially with the COVID these days. Appreciate any help!!

  6. Susan says:

    I have 3 unread messages in messenger. I can’t find them. I’ve checked my message Requests and spam (filtered messages) as well. Where else can I look?

  7. anon says:

    I wasted a lot of time on other webpages, many very “official” sounding (or at least confident) – but this one paid off. Praise to you for being the only one.
    I don’t know if all the other pages are lame or lazy but they are all out of date. Much of the blame goes to FB itself, who keeps changing it around to be dicks and make things needlessly more difficult. (Yes, they indeed do it for that reason. I’ve worked in software forever.) At any rate, I see that you update your page at times, and it’s refreshing to see that someone puts effort into their endeavors that way. Unfortunately too few do.

    One more thing: you DATED the article at the top. I don’t know if you realize just how valuable that is. I want to take a baby seal club to all the sites that neglect that critical detail!

  8. Yfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfyfy says:

    I have a filtered message that won’t allow me to delete

  9. Ste says:

    I have some filtered messages on messenger that has been marked as spam/abuse by FB and won’t allow me to read them. How can I request to see the content of these messages?

  10. Ali says:

    Hi thanks for that in for you shared in have a question kindly of you answer it in have problem in my facebook account that my comment will not appear when in leave comment for my friend the problem has been started when in recieve a message pocket through the massenger that flush after opened please till does my phone comment can be stole through this way and when Is the solution thanks you

  11. Rosemary says:

    How do i find messages on facebook prior to 2017?

  12. Malak says:

    I cant find ignore message any more when i updaded the messenger . I need it back pelase tell how or where . Version 222.0.0.

  13. Bre says:

    This is what worked for me on android April 2019: click on the people icon in the middle on the bottom. Click on the add person icon on the top right corner then click on requests.

  14. Joan collier says:

    You are the winner of our eighth day of Christmas prize – please email customerservices@ilovemeetandgreet.co.uk to claim your prize. Well done…. found after reading this x

  15. lorraine kirk says:

    Thank you for this info Di, I just found a winning email for a pin badge that had been sent to my filtered messages 🙂

  16. John Russell says:

    thanks for that info on receiving messages. I have just sorted it.

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