What Happens When You Restrict Someone on Messenger?

About a billion people all around the world actively use Messenger. And it is the primary means of communication for a lot of people. Casual chats, business conversations, buying and selling products, a lot happens on Messenger. And being tied to Facebook, is it easily integrated with a lot of its services making it an essential for Facebook users. 

Because of all these interactions, Messenger can also feel a bit overwhelming at times. People can be annoying at times, or you may have many reasons to avoid someone. Now you can block them, but that might be a bit too drastic. You can also turn off notifications for a specific chat. But that doesn’t completely take it out of your sight. The best solution is to restrict them. That way you can get some breathing room without cutting off ties with them completely.

But if you’re not completely sure what the restrict feature does or how to use it, that’s what we’re here to break down.

What Does Restricting Someone on Messenger Really Mean?

Restricting someone on Messenger is a subtle way of putting a Do Not Disturb sign. Restrict lets you limit someone’s ability to interact with you without them knowing. Think of it like a digital timeout.

So, what actually happens when you restrict someone? A few things:

  • Their messages go to your separate inbox.
  • You won’t get notifications for their messages or calls.
  • They can still message you, but the chat won’t appear in your main list.
  • You can still read their messages.
  • They won’t see your active status or know if you’ve read their messages.
  • You won’t see their active status either (out of sight, out of mind, right?).

The best part about this feature is that they cannot confirm that you have restricted them, and it’s easily reversible.

How to Restrict Someone on Messenger?

We’ve talked about what really happens when you restrict someone, but how do you do it?

On Mobile:

There are two ways you can restrict someone on the Messenger app, directly from your inbox or from the chat. If you want to restrict someone without having to read their message, doing it directly from the inbox is a good idea. Here’s how you can do it. 

  1. Open the Messenger app and make sure you’re signed in from the right account. 
  2. From your inbox, find the message thread you want to restrict. 
  3. Instead of opening the chat, press and hold.
  4. From the pull-up menu, click on Restrict
  5. Confirm by pressing the Restrict [Person] button. 

Alternatively, you can restrict someone from inside the chat. 

  1. Open the Messenger app and go to the conversation you want to restrict. 
  2. From the chat, click on the person’s name at the top. 
  3. Scroll down to Privacy & support and tap on Restrict.
  4. Confirm by tapping on the Restrict [Person] button. 

On Desktop: 

On a desktop, you can either do it by opening the full-screen chats, or you can do from the small chat windows. However, it only works on Browser via Facebook. The Messenger app on the desktop does not support restricting users or accessing the restricted inbox. Here’s how you do it on the full-screen messenger. 

  1. Open a web browser and log in to Facebook. 
  2. Click on the messenger icon in the top right corner. 
  3. Then click on the expand button, which says open Messenger app.
  4. It will attempt to launch the Messenger app. Ignore whether it succeeds or fails and check the browser tab it opens. 
  5. There will be an option to continue in the browser. 
  6. You can choose to continue with always or just this time based on your preference. 
  7. Either one you choose will open a full-screen messenger on your browser. 
  8. From there, click on the conversation you want to restrict, and if the right sidebar isn’t open, click on the (i) icon.
  9. On the right sidebar, scroll down to Privacy & Support. Expand it. 
  10. Use the restrict option.

However, simply restricting the chat window is an easier way to do this. 

  1. Log into Facebook from a web browser.
  2. Open the conversation you want to restrict from the active list on the right or from your inbox in the top right.
  3. Click on the person’s name at the top of the chat window and scroll down.
  4. Click on restrict.

How to Unrestrict Someone on Messenger?

Another good thing about this restrict feature is that it’s easily reversible. However, you can only do it on Mobile. So, if you change your mind or need to communicate with someone you have restricted, here’s how you can do it:

  1. Open Messenger.
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu in the top-left corner.
  3. Again, tap on the gear icon
  4. Go to Privacy & Safety and then Restricted Accounts.
  5. Select the person you want to unrestrict and tap Unrestrict.

Things to keep in mind when you restrict someone on Messenger

When you restrict someone on Messenger, a few things will change. So you should know what you’re getting into. 

  • Their messages will move to the Restricted Accounts folder in Privacy & Safety.
  • They won’t see your active status, and you won’t see theirs.
  • They won’t know if you’ve read their messages, and you won’t know if they’ve read yours.
  • Interactions remain visible in group chats. Messenger will alert you if the restricted person is in a group chat you’re about to open.
  • You won’t receive notifications for their messages or calls.

Alternatives to Restricting Someone on Messenger

Restricting someone on Messenger is a great middle ground, but it’s not your only option. Depending on the situation, you might want to explore blocking or turning off notifications instead. Let’s break these down briefly.

How to Block Someone on Messenger

Blocking someone is the nuclear option. When you block someone on Messenger:

  • They can’t send you messages or call you.
  • Your chat thread disappears from their inbox.
  • You won’t receive any messages, calls, or notifications from them.

Here’s how you can block someone:

  1. Open the Messenger app or log into Facebook on a browser.
  2. Find the conversation with the person you want to block.
  3. Tap their name at the top of the chat window.
  4. Scroll down and select Block.
  5. Confirm your choice.

This is the best choice when you want to cut off all communication with someone entirely, whether it’s for personal or safety reasons. However, if you only block someone on Messenger they will still be able to see your Facebook profile. 

How to Turn Off Notifications for a Conversation

If you’re just tired of constant pings but don’t want to block or restrict someone, turning off notifications is a simple solution. This way, the conversation stays in your inbox, but you won’t be disturbed.

  • Open the chat in Messenger.
  • Tap the person’s name at the top.
  • Scroll down to Notifications and turn them off.

You can also turn off Notifications for the entire app from your system settings. Messenger also lets you do it within the app. And you also get the option to schedule it. 

Restrict vs. Block vs. Turn Off Notifications

Each of these options has a specific purpose. Here are the shortest, differentiating descriptions for each one:

  • Restrict: Keeps the relationship intact but limits interactions. They can message you, but it goes to a separate inbox, and you won’t be notified.
  • Block: Completely cuts off all communication and interaction.
  • Turn Off Notifications: Stops alerts for a specific conversation without moving it out of your main inbox.

The choice usually depends on your situation. Restricting is ideal for a soft pause, blocking is for severing ties, and muting is for a temporary breather. 

Can Someone Know If You’ve Restricted Them On Messenger?

Here’s the good news: Messenger doesn’t send out a notification saying, “Hey, you’ve been restricted!” So, no, they won’t officially know. However, over time, they might figure it out. If their messages are consistently ignored, or if they notice you’re always “offline,” they might put two and two together. Still, it’s a more diplomatic solution than blocking someone outright.

How do you know if someone has restricted you on Messenger?

The signs are very subtle. If someone restricts you have no way of knowing. And here’s why:

  • You won’t be able to see their active status. But it could also be because they turned off their active status.
  • Your messages will stay on sent. They won’t be delivered or seen. But the same happens if someone uninstalls the messenger app. 
  • Will messages will remain unanswered. But that could happen for many other reasons. 

While it may seen like this is bad for you, because you won’t know, this can also work in your favor if you decide to restrict someone else. 

Wrapping Up

Restricting someone on Messenger is like a “soft block”. They can still message you, but you have full control over how and when you engage with them. It’s a practical, non-confrontational solution to manage your conversations and keep your peace of mind. 

It also helps set boundaries. However, if you find yourself constantly needing to restrict someone, you may consider just having a conversation with them to address your issues. And always remember that communication is a two-way street.

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