Knowing the high security required for users, Facebook Messenger has introduced a new feature among people. This new feature allows you to restrict someone from the Messenger app.
However, Facebook has launched a restricting feature long before, but now messenger users can also restrict someone from it.
This feature controls the inbox from getting message notifications from the user whom you restricted.
If you feel bored and disturbed after getting unwanted messages, you can simply choose the option of restriction instead of blocking.
You can also learn to restrict someone on Facebook if you wish to see fewer posts and activities of theirs on the app.
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Why Restrict Someone on Facebook Messenger
Moving someone to a restricted list on Messenger is a great way to prevent yourself from getting unwanted and disturbing messages and calls.
There exists a number of reasons to control someone ranging from stopping seeing annoying messages to protecting your privacy.
Some of the major reasons to restrict someone on FB Messenger are as follows.
1. To limit communication
When you get annoying messages continuously from the person whom you don’t prefer and don’t want to interact with them, then limiting the contact from the chat list is the best option to choose.
By adding the user to the restricted list, you won’t be disturbed because the app doesn’t notify you about the call and messages.
Sometimes we may be unable to notice the messages we receive because they get lost between the chats. To make your friend feel good, learn to find unread messages and reply to their texts immediately.
2. To prevent harassment
All the people who are connected with you on Messenger might not be friendly or polite as you think of them.
Not everyone who messages you is good; their intentions might be harmful. So if someone sends you indecent messages, add them to the restricted list without thinking twice.
3. To maintain boundaries
Managing more time for yourself is better than spending too much time on chatter chitter with useless people.
Restricting is one of the best ways to maintain boundaries with them. You won’t be notified when they send messages and calls.
4. To protect privacy
If you wish some people to notice you less on Messenger, then you can restrict them from your account. Along with not receiving notifications of chats, they will no longer see your active status on the app.
They can see your stories but can’t send messages from there. So there is no chance of getting fraud chats from the person whom you restricted.
Whatever the reason is, you can simply limit them whenever you feel unsafe and irritated. It is the most common and easiest way of ignoring messages without blocking them.
What Happens When You Restrict Someone on Messenger?
Restrict feature is mainly designed to control who can contact you. Restriction on Messenger means stopping getting notifications from particular users. Along with texts, you will get neither audio nor video calls or even voice records.
When you restrict someone on Messenger, they will be able to send messages or can call, but you won’t be notified about it.
Messages you get from the person will move to the restricted folder and won’t appear on the chat thread as previously. You will no longer be able to receive notifications of new messages as they don’t appear in your regular inbox.
You both will be unable to see each other’s active status but can see the stories you added on Messenger or vice versa. If you try to send messages from the story, the app sends a notification that the message couldn’t send.
If you wish to send messages or reply to the story, first undo them from the restriction list. Only after this can both send messages to each other as usual.
If you wish to manage the chat screen, restrict the unwanted contacts and pin the most useful messages you don’t want to miss.
How to Restrict Someone on Facebook Messenger in 2023
It is a medium to confine unwanted users within a boundary. The app does not notify you even after getting a call and messages from the users.
You can complete the process using smartphones and computer web browsers. Users can restrict friends even from messenger lite.
Using Mobile App
Anyone can restrict unwanted people from Messenger using both Android and iOS applications. The app should be updated and installed on your device.
We have got the easiest steps for you to make it easy to accomplish the process.
Method 1: From Individual Chat Settings
This is the method of restricting a contact on which you must go on individual chat settings. For this, follow the given mentioned methods to restrict unwanted persons from your chat screen.
1. Open the Messenger app on your smartphone. Chats will appear on a screen.
2. Find and open the chat with whom you want to control. You can also seek a person from the search bar for your ease.
3. Tap on the information icon from the top of the conversation screen. Finally, you enter the user’s settings. Scroll until you find the Restrict option under Privacy and Support.
4. Tap on “Restrict”; instantly, after touching, the contact will be moved to the restricted list.
By this method, you can restrict a single individual at a time. This method is not much effective if there are multiple contacts to limit.
Method 2: From the Chat Thread
Using this method, you don’t need to open the chats of the recipient. It is the best method to use if you wish to control without even viewing their messages.
Follow the below step-by-step guide to restrict a person on Android or iPhone.
1. Open Messenger on your smartphone.
2. Find and hold the friend whom you want to add to the restriction list. Various options will appear on the screen.
3. Touch on “Restrict” from there. Contact will immediately move to the restricted list.
With this technique, you can restrict your messenger friend without viewing their latest messages. Due to the privacy features of Messenger, recipients won’t be notified about the changes.
Using Desktop Web Browser
Many of the users choose an option to delete and deactivate their own accounts because of distasteful messages. But now Messenger successfully added a feature of limiting someone without even letting them know.
Unfortunately, Messenger has not yet designed the restriction feature for desktop web apps. But the changes you do on mobile will also apply automatically to the web browser app. Follow the above-mentioned steps to restrict a person from Messenger.
Restriction done from mobile phones stops showing notifications on PC also. Instead, you can also choose the option to mute someone on Facebook Messenger; this feature also lets you stop showing sound notifications of chats and calls.
How to Restrict Multiple Friends at a Time on Messenger
Talking with your parents and sharing your day outs with your besties is a pleasure to do in Messenger. With the growing number of users, it has become difficult for people to maintain their security. To avoid unwanted messages, they choose the option of blocking.
Blocking might be the rudest decision you ever take to control useless messages from friends. Besides this, restriction of users could be a better alternative to minimize undesirable chats.
If you are searching for a way to restrict multiple people without viewing individual chats, here are the steps that you need to follow.
1. Open Messenger and go to its settings. You will get to see various edit options.
2. Tap on “Privacy and Safety” from there, which is under Preferences.
3. Touch on “Restricted accounts.” There you will see the users if you have added them to the list.
4. Tap the “Add icon” from the top right corner. If the desired peoples are on the suggested list, pick them up from there. Otherwise, you can search for a person from the search bar.
5. Tap the account person will immediately move to the restricted list.
It feels irritating and annoying to limit the users by opening their chats individually. If you have a number of contacts for restriction, then you can follow the steps mentioned above that are easiest and simplest.
You can also easily find all the media in a single place that you shared on Messenger with a specific person. Those pictures and videos can be saved in the phone gallery if you wish to save them.
How to View Restricted List on Messenger
If you desire to limit unwanted and purposeless contacts from Messenger, then choose the option of restriction. This feature prevents showing chats and the notifications that you receive from your friends.
After some time, you may want to see all restricted accounts in a single place because of various reasons.
If you are searching for a way to find a restriction list, we will show you how you can see all users of them at a single time.
Open the messenger app and go to your profile settings. Find and tap Privacy & Safety from under Preferance. Choose “Restricted accounts” from the available options. There you will get the list of restricted users.
After viewing, if you wish to remove them from the restriction list and want to continue chats with them. Then don’t worry because you can unstrict and reply to their chats anytime. First, you have to undo them to start a conversation with them.
For this, Go to the restricted list > tap the account > Unrestrict.
You are allowed to undo the process at any time and as often as you want. There is no limitation to adding or removing contacts from the restriction.
If you are free, you can read what this person is unavailable means on Messenger.
Differences between “Blocking” and “Restricting” on Messenger
Most of the users get confused about two terms, “Restricting” and “Blocking.” If you are one of them, then we are here to clear your doubts. These are two distinct features of Facebook Messenger. Let’s know more about them.
Restricting is a feature that prevents chats from showing on the main chat screen, where Blocking means removing the friend from Messenger.
Once you restrict someone, they won’t be able to find out the changes that you made in a conversation because they can call and message you at any time. Block is a feature where your friends won’t be able to message you and find out that you have blocked them.
The restriction is the temporary technique of ignoring someone, but Blocking is a permanent option to get rid of the user permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: No, you can’t message them because once you restrict someone, they will add to the restricted list. But if you want to continue chats with them, it is possible to retrieve them.
To start a conversation or to reply to their chats, firstly, you need to unrestricted them from the list.
A: Yes, you can remove the person at any time who is on the restricted list. For this, go to settings from Messenger and then tap on privacy and settings. After this, touch on the account’s name and unrestricted the desired person.
This method allows you to view and unrestricted the bulk number of contacts.
Wrapping Up
Restriction, someone on Messenger, is mainly designed to stop showing the notification of messages and calls. Due to concerns about users’ privacy, the recipient won’t be notified about the changes you made to the conversations.
You can perform the action using any smartphone. But unfortunately, one can not add a contact to the restriction list from Laptops or Computers.
You can also undo the friend immediately if you mistakenly touch the option. Restriction means blocking but in a polite way.
Rather than block, restrict is a better feature if you want to be friends on Messenger and to keep the previous chats safe.
