Facebook offers several privacy features to counter growing spam on the platform. You can unfriend annoying contacts, restrict them from peeking over your profile, and even block people from reaching you via Messenger. Among all privacy features, the ability to restrict someone is a nice balance between mute and block. The add-on lets you protect from spam messages and calls on the platform. But have you wondered what happens when you restrict someone on Facebook Messenger?
If you don’t want to block someone on Messenger outright, you can permanently restrict them and protect your profile. Here’s how you can restrict someone on Messenger and the implications of your steps. Before we start, let’s learn more about the restrict function on Messenger.
What Does Restrict Mean on Messenger
As mentioned, the Restrict function is the right blend between mute and block on Messenger. The mute function works as expected and only silences notifications from a conversation. Block is an extreme solution and cuts all ties with the person. If you don’t want to block someone but simply aim to limit the person’s reach on your profile, restrict such an account on Facebook Messenger.
The option removes the conversation from your chats list so that you won’t get message notifications. The restricted person won’t see when you have read messages or your Active status. Let’s check it in action.
Why Should You Restrict Someone on Messenger
There are times when you can’t block some of your annoying friends or family members on Messenger. Your extreme step may spoil your relationship with the person. Muting such accounts isn’t an ideal solution, either. As soon as you launch Messenger, your Chat menu may fill up with messenger from them. Here’s where the Restrict option comes into play.
Restricting someone hides the chat thread from the main page, mutes messages and calls, and even hides your upcoming posts from the person. Facebook doesn’t send any alerts to the restricted account. However, the person can take an educated guess on being restricted on the platform (more on that later).
How to Restrict Someone on Facebook Messenger
Before discussing the restrict function on Facebook Messenger, let us show you the steps for using the function.
Note: Facebook uses an identical UI on Messenger for iOS and Android. The steps to restrict someone on Messenger remain the same on both platforms. We will use the Messenger app for iOS as an example here.
Step 1: Open the Messenger app on your Android or iPhone.
Step 2: Select a conversation with the contact you want to restrict.
Step 3: Tap on the contact name at the top.
Step 4: Select ‘Restrict’ under Privacy and Support.
Implications of Restricting Someone on Messenger
Now that you have a good idea of how the restrict function works on Messenger, continue reading to learn the implications of it.
What Happens to Incoming Messages and Calls
When you restrict someone on Messenger, you won’t receive any notifications when the person sends a message. Your phone won’t even ring when the recipient calls you on Messenger.
You can’t send a message or call the person either. You must unrestrict the person before sending a message (more on that later).
What About Previous Messages
When you use the restrict function, Facebook hides your current chat thread in the Messenger app. You don’t see new messages in the default Chats tab either. You must search for the contact’s name at the top and open the conversation to check all new and previous messages.
Facebook doesn’t delete any past messages, either. The app hides them from the main tab. When you create a new chat group on Messenger, the app alerts you about the restricted accounts on Facebook (if you try to add them to the group).
Can the Restricted Person See My Facebook Status
The ability to restrict someone is a privacy feature. You only limit the person’s reach to see your profile and other online activities. The restricted contact won’t be able to see when you’re online or if you’ve read their messages. You also can’t see their active online status on the platform.
Does the Recipient Know When You Restrict Them
As we mentioned above, Restrict is one of the privacy features on Facebook. The company doesn’t send any notification when you restrict someone on Messenger.
Do I Remain Friends with a Restricted Account
You continue to remain friends with restricted accounts on Messenger. Facebook won’t automatically unfriend someone.
Can the Restricted Person See My Posts
The restricted person can see all the previous posts but not any of the new posts on Facebook.
How to Find Restricted Accounts on Messenger
If you change your mind and want to unrestrict someone on Facebook, you can review the restricted accounts list to make necessary changes. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Launch Messenger on your phone.
Step 2: Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
Step 3: Select Privacy.
Step 4: Tap Restricted accounts.
Step 5: Select the Facebook friend name you want to unrestrict.
Step 6: Confirm the same from the following menu.
Repeat the same for all contacts to unrestrict them on Facebook. You can check your restricted messages from the same menu.
How to Know If You Are Restricted on Messenger
Did someone restrict you on Facebook Messenger? You can look for following signs and confirm your friendship status with the person on Facebook.
- The person doesn’t respond to your messages
- You can’t see their active status
- You can’t see the person’s profile picture
- Your messages don’t reach on the person’s account
- The person doesn’t pick your Messenger call
- You don’t see the person active on Facebook
When you combine all the factors above, you have been restricted by the person on Messenger. You can check our dedicated post to learn more.
What’s the Difference Between Block and Restrict on Messenger
Blocking someone makes you invisible to the person on Facebook. They can’t see your profile, send messages, start voice/video calls, check online status, and remain unfriended with you on the platform. Even after restricting someone, Facebook doesn’t resolve the spam problem, you can take the extreme step and block the recipient.
Like Facebook restrict, the platform doesn’t notify the person when you block them. To learn more, check our dedicated guide on Messenger restrict vs. block.
Mute vs. Restrict on Messenger
Muting someone silences all upcoming messages and calls from that person on Messenger. You can still see the latest incoming messages in the main chats tab. At the same time, restricting someone hides the conversation completely.
Unlike restricted accounts, muted ones can see your active status and all future posts on Facebook and even add you to a group chat.
Restrict Annoying Contacts on Messenger
The restrict function on Messenger gets the best of Mute and Block add-ons and delivers an excellent solution to keep your Facebook account spam-free. If you have any other questions regarding restricting someone on Facebook, let us know in the comments below.
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Last updated on 18 November, 2023
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If you restrict someone on Facebook messenger, will it still show that you have read old / prior messages?
If you are restricted on FB messenger does it leave your main Facebook alone or is the person also restricted there too?
No!! You only restricted that person from you receiving any of their messages. So if they replied back to your message you won’t get notified or see it anywhere on messenger/spam but they still have access to be your friend on fb unless you completely block them.
When I send a message and immediatly restrict the person, can I see if the person read the message?
I still receive a notification that the person has messaged me so I don’t find the “restricted” feature useful at all.
I can’t send messages on Facebook & messenger can u help me to recover my account
if you restrict someone will you still see anything they sent you while restricted if you unrestrict them?
Yes dude, it’s simple. If u restrict them then they have all their messages sent to a seperate box. You have to go to that inbox to see if they sent you anything. Nothing changes on fb except they won’t see any new posts you put up after you restricted them. Other than that nothing changes on fb. There’s no way for them to tell if you’ve restricted them except the little circle that shows if a message is sending/ delivered/ read, won’t ever show delivered. (White circle with blue arrow vs. blue circle with checkmark) That’s also how you can tell if someone’s restricted you. Unless they’re pretty far away from home, like another country, your messages should be getting delivered. And another feature is you can open their messages and read them and it won’t show on their end because it will still be showing its sending. Pretty cool.
If someone restricts you on FB messenger does the existing chats you had with them before they restricted you remain in your chats?
When you restrict somebody on messenger and they send you a message will it come up as delivered or sent at there end of the message
If you restrict someone can they still send you payments
If you restrict someone and they send a message can you still see the message and read it if you want without them knowing you seen it or read it?