What Facebook Messenger is and how to start using it
Facebook Messenger is a separate app and website where you send text messages, photos, and voice calls to people who have Facebook accounts. You do not need to be friends with someone on Facebook to message them — you can contact almost anyone, though their settings control whether your message lands in their main inbox or a "requests" folder they may never see.
To use Messenger, read the app from your phone's app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) or visit messenger.com in a web browser. You log in with the same username and password you use for Facebook. Once you are logged in, you can search for someone by name and start a conversation. If you have already messaged someone before, their conversation appears in your chat list.
Messenger works on phones, tablets, and computers. Your messages sync across all devices — if you read a message on your phone, it shows as read on your computer too. You can message one person or create a group chat with multiple people.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook Messenger stores all your messages on Meta's servers, and the company can see the content of text messages you send, even if you delete them from your phone.
- Messages you send to someone do not disappear from their phone just because you delete them from yours — they still have a copy.
- Anyone with your phone number or email can find you on Messenger unless you change your privacy settings to limit who can contact you.
- Messenger collects information about who you message, when you message them, and what links you click, and uses that data to show you targeted ads.
- You can use Messenger without a Facebook account by signing up with just a phone number, but Meta still collects the same data about your activity.
Who can see your messages and what Meta does with them
Facebook Messenger messages are not encrypted by default, which means Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Messenger) can read the text of every message you send. The person you are messaging can see it, and so can Meta's systems. If you delete a message from your phone, it is still stored on Meta's servers and in the other person's Messenger account.
Meta uses information about your messages — who you talk to, how often, and what you discuss — to build a profile of your interests and habits. This profile is used to show you ads that are more likely to catch your attention. You cannot stop Meta from collecting this data, but you can limit what ads you see by adjusting your ad preferences in Messenger settings.
If you want messages that Meta cannot read, you can turn on end-to-end encryption for one-on-one chats. This is called "Secret Conversations" on Messenger. When you use this feature, only you and the person you are messaging can read the messages — Meta cannot. However, Secret Conversations are not the default, and they only work between two people, not in group chats.
Privacy settings and who can contact you
By default, anyone on Facebook can send you a message on Messenger. If they are not your friend, the message goes to a "requests" folder instead of your main inbox, but they can still reach you. You can change this by going to Settings in Messenger, selecting "Privacy," and choosing who is allowed to message you — options include friends only, or no one except people you have already messaged.
Your phone number and email address are connected to your Messenger account. If someone has your phone number, they can search for you on Messenger and find your account, even if you have never talked to them. You can turn this off in Settings under "Who can contact you," but the setting is turned on by default.
If you use Messenger on your phone, the app asks permission to access your contacts. If you grant permission, Messenger uploads your entire contact list to Meta's servers so the app can show you which of your contacts have Messenger accounts. You can deny this permission when you first install the app, or revoke it later in your phone's settings.
What information Messenger collects about you
Messenger collects far more than just the words in your messages. The app tracks which people you message most often, how long your conversations last, what time of day you are most active, and which links you click. It also collects information about your device — what kind of phone you have, what operating system it runs, and how you use the app.
If you have a Facebook account, Messenger links all this data to your Facebook profile. If you do not have a Facebook account but use Messenger with a phone number, Meta still collects the same information and stores it under your phone number. This data is used to show you ads both in Messenger and across other Meta services like Instagram and Facebook.
Messenger also collects information about websites you visit outside of Messenger. If a website has a Facebook pixel (a piece of code that tracks visitors), Meta knows you visited that site, and Messenger can use that information to show you ads related to what you were looking at.
How to control what ads you see
You cannot stop Messenger from collecting data about you, but you can control which ads appear in your feed. Open Messenger, tap the profile icon in the top right, select "Ad Preferences," and you will see categories of interests that Meta thinks you have. You can remove interests or add new ones to change what kinds of ads you see.
You can also limit ad targeting by turning off "personalized ads" in your settings, though this does not stop ads from appearing — it just makes them less targeted to your specific behavior. Some people find this makes ads less relevant but also less intrusive.
If you want to reduce the amount of data Messenger collects, you can turn off location services for the app in your phone's settings, deny permission to access your contacts, and avoid clicking links within Messenger when possible. However, these steps only reduce data collection — they do not stop it entirely.
Messenger without a Facebook account
You can create a Messenger account using only a phone number, without creating a Facebook account. This is useful if you want to use Messenger but do not want a Facebook profile. However, Meta still collects the same data about your Messenger activity — your messages, contacts, and behavior — and uses it the same way it would if you had a Facebook account.
The main difference is that your Messenger activity is not linked to a Facebook profile that other people can see. Your data is still stored on Meta's servers and used for advertising purposes, but it is not connected to a public Facebook page. You still cannot prevent Meta from reading your messages or collecting information about who you talk to.
What happens when you delete messages or your account
When you delete a message from your phone, it disappears from your view, but the other person still has a copy in their Messenger account. Deleting a message from your side does not remove it from theirs. If you want to delete a message from both sides, you can use the "unsend" feature, which removes the message from both your inbox and the recipient's inbox — but only if you unsend it within a certain time window (usually 10 minutes on newer versions).
If you delete your Messenger account, your messages are deleted from your account, but Meta keeps a copy of the data for a period of time before permanently removing it. The other person's copies of your messages remain in their account. If you want a complete record of your conversations before you delete your account, you can read your Messenger data from Meta's read tool.
Deleting your Messenger account does not delete your Facebook account. If you have a Facebook account, you can deactivate Messenger separately, which hides your active status and stops notifications, but you can still be contacted through Facebook's messaging system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone see if I have read their message?
Yes. Messenger shows a small icon next to your message when the other person has read it. You can turn off read receipts in your privacy settings so others cannot see when you have read their messages, but this works both ways — you also will not see when they have read yours.
What does it mean when someone's status says "active now"?
It means they are currently using Messenger or Facebook. You can turn off your active status in settings so others cannot see when you are online. If you turn it off, you also cannot see other people's active status.
Can I send a message to someone who has blocked me?
No. If someone has blocked you on Facebook or Messenger, you cannot send them messages, and you cannot see their profile. They will not receive any messages you try to send.
Is Messenger safe to use for sensitive information?
Standard Messenger messages are not encrypted, so Meta can read them. If you need to send sensitive information, use Secret Conversations (end-to-end encrypted chats) instead. However, Secret Conversations only work between two people and are not available for group chats.
What should I do if someone is harassing me on Messenger?
You can block the person, report them to Meta, or restrict them so they cannot see your active status or know when you have read their messages. To report someone, open the conversation, tap the person's name at the top, and select "Report."