Messenger
A guide for families with key information about ‘Messenger’, including the age rating, key terminology, risks and instructions for enabling parental controls and safety settings.
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Messenger is a free social media messaging app and is part of the wider Meta group. Messenger enables Facebook members to chat and video call each other and has over 1.3 billion monthly users worldwide. The platform gives users the chance to create group or individual messages and calls, where they can communicate via text or voice and can also share files and posts with each other. There are a range of fun effects available on the app such as the use of stickers and GIFs, and further playful features within the video call feature. Messenger has a range of privacy settings available and a designated ‘Parents portal’ for parents to explore.
Messenger now sits alongside Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook under the parent company Meta. Meta replaces Facebook as the leading company/brand in this group, and the Meta branding is likely to become increasingly visible on all of these apps.
Official age rating
The minimum age for Messenger users is 13, however, it does not have any rigorous age verification methods.
Messenger accounts are linked to Facebook accounts and the account settings applied in Facebook take effect within Messenger. For account holders under 16, the default settings are ‘Private’. All other Facebook accounts default to a public setting, where content can be viewed by any other users on the platform. Setting a Facebook account to ‘Private’ is recommended.
Find out more about age ratings in our ‘A parent and carer’s guide to age ratings of apps and games’
How children and young people use the app
There are many fun ways to connect with others via the Messenger app. The use of avatars, stickers and GIFs within written messages is engaging for younger users, whilst the use of playful video effects during video calls allows users to have fun when speaking with others. The introduction of ‘Group effects’ to group video calls is an additional fun element. This feature allows users to apply whole group effects that changes the appearance of all participants at the same time. The fact that Messenger syncs with your Facebook account makes it easy for young people to use and connect with their friends.
Key features and terminology
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This is the name given to your list of messages and conversations within the app.
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Users can create a group including other Facebook users.
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When members post a message, other members of the group chat can react to that message using an emoji to demonstrate their reaction.
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Messenger users are able to create ‘rooms’ where multiple people can meet to video chat. Users are not required to have a Facebook account to join open rooms. Users can create rooms from Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
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This is where a group chat can all video chat live and use filters and fun backgrounds.
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Users can use features such as GIFs and stickers to communicate. You can create your own stickers by taking pictures of yourself and decorating them.
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This allows users to preview the messages sent to them by people they are not friends with. This helps users to determine whether they would like to accept and reply to the message, ignore it, or delete it.
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As well as sending text and emojis, users can also send GIFs to their contacts. A GIF is an animated image without sound.
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This feature prevents third parties from viewing or reading a message. Only the sender and receiver of the message can access its content. End-to-end encryption means that the message is encrypted before it leaves the senders device and can only be decrypted once it reaches its destination. This means that data on a server cannot be accessed by hackers because the data is encrypted. As of December 2023, end-to-end encryption is a default for all Messenger chats.
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A messaging feature where users can set a time limit, after which the message will be deleted and cannot be traced within the chat. Note that this is only available to chats with end-to-end encryption enabled.
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Users can post photos or videos that last 24 hours for their friends to see.
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Users can use camera filters to edit their video chats. Features include mood lighting, themes and 360-degree backgrounds.
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These are new augmented reality experiences that can change the appearance of everyone in the video call at the same time. There are 70 group effects to choose from, such as giving all participants funny features.
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This allows others to see when you are active, so they know when it’s a good time to call or message. Users can choose to turn this feature off.
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The chat heads feature allows users to continue using messenger while using other apps on their device. A chat head will display either the contact or group the user is talking to.
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A one-to-many messaging feature available to all users where only the creators or admins of a chat are able to post messages for others to see.
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A messaging option where users can send voice recordings to other users.
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A feature that allows users to edit messages they have already sent. This is available for messages sent up to fifteen minutes prior. Note that users are able to report messages even if they have been edited as moderators will be able to see previous versions of the message.
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An indicator in chats that informs someone when their message has been read by the recipient. These can be switched off in the settings menu.
Potential risks
Content
Like other messaging apps - many personal stories, messages and pictures are shared by users on Messenger that are not moderated. The best way to help limit the content your child is exposed to is to ensure they are only connecting with people they know, rather than strangers. Ensure the privacy settings have been set to ‘Facebook friends’ rather than everyone. It is also possible your child may stumble across inappropriate content in the form of bad language or mature content in their messages. By restricting who your child can access on the platform, your child is less likely to experience language or behaviour that is not suitable for their age. However, it should be acknowledged that your child may still be exposed to inappropriate content by their known contacts.
Connecting with others
As Messenger is linked to a user’s Facebook account, it is important for your child to be aware of their Facebook privacy settings to help limit contact within Messenger. Meta has introduced changes that prevent Messenger users under 18 from receiving messages from accounts they do not follow. Despite this, parents should still be aware that people may use fake information to persuade users to follow or accept friend requests from them.
With Messenger putting more emphasis on video calls rather than just written chats, it is important that your child has enabled the relevant privacy settings to avoid strangers being able to call them. Full information on privacy and video call settings can be found in the ‘Managing privacy’ section of this app guide.
As with other social networks, it is possible for users to set up fake accounts, pretending to be someone else. Encourage your child to question whether they really know the person who has sent a message before accepting. Speak to your child about the risks of connecting with strangers and explain the importance of not sharing personal or private information within chats.
User behaviour
If your child has their own Messenger account, it is important for you and them to be aware of what they share within messages and calls, and the impact this will have on their digital footprint. The introduction of ‘Disappearing messages’, ‘End-to-end encryption,’ and ‘Edited messages’ within Messenger has meant that some users assume they cannot be held accountable for what they share or have it traced back to them. However, young people need to be aware that any content they post leaves a digital footprint. Remind your child that anyone can take a screen shot of a message before it disappears. Have a conversation with them to help them understand what is and is not appropriate for them to share and discuss the various ways they can protect themselves. Ensure your child knows it can be difficult to keep ownership of any content once it has been shared online, as it can easily be copied and reposted without their knowledge and can then become difficult to remove from the internet.
Messenger now has in-app parental supervision options available, which come with a range of features available to parents and carers. These include being able to see how much time their child spends on Messenger, who their child adds as a contact on Messenger, view who can message their child, and their child’s privacy and safety settings among many other features. It is advised that you speak with your child about enabling supervision. It may be important to specify that parental supervision is not about taking away your child’s privacy but ensuring that your child is safe on Messenger and to avoid inappropriate or upsetting content.
Design, data and costs
As with many other messaging apps, it has been designed to keep users engaged and on the platform for extended periods of time. It can be difficult for children to resist the notifications encouraging them to respond. Encourage your child to take a break from Messenger by enabling the ‘do not disturb’ feature, which will stop all notifications for a set amount of time.
The ‘Chat head’ feature may keep young people more engaged in the app or conversation by repeatedly showing who they are talking to, even while on other apps. Whilst this feature is disabled by default, it can be enabled in settings. It is advised that you do not enable this setting to help ensure extended engagement stays at a minimum. If your child has enabled ‘Chat heads’, encourage your child to disable the feature to help them maintain control of their personal time and resist pressure to use the app. Guidance to disable chat heads can be found in the ‘Managing interactions and content’ section of this guide.
Messenger’s ‘Read receipts’ can also create an obligation by users to reply as soon as they have opened a message. They can also negatively affect users’ mental health if they can see that the recipient has seen a message but not replied. We therefore encourage users to turn this feature off as illustrated in the ‘managing time and purchases’ section of this guide.
Tips for keeping your child safe
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As Messenger is linked to a user’s Facebook account, many of the privacy settings are set within the Facebook account itself. However, you can access some of these privacy settings via the Messenger app.
To manage who can send you messages:
- click the three lines icon in the top corner of the screen and select the cog symbol in the top right
- scroll down and select ‘Privacy and safety’, then choose ‘Message delivery’
- work your way through the menu to select who you want to be able to send you messages
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There are a few settings to help manage interactions and content. Ensure you have set the relevant privacy settings to limit who can message you. You can ignore messages from individual users and limit who can see your stories.
To set ‘Story audience’:
- click the three lines icon in the top corner of the screen then select the cog symbol in the top right
- scroll down to select ‘Privacy and safety’, then choose ‘Story controls’
- ensure the setting has been set to ‘Friends’ or 'Custom' rather than ‘Public’
To ‘Restrict’ another user:
- select the conversation you wish to ignore and click on the user’s name at the top
- scroll down to ‘Restrict’
- this will give the option of seeing less of the person without blocking them
- to enable, select ‘Restrict’
To ‘mute’ a conversation or group chat (restricting notifications from that chat):
- select the conversation you want to mute and click on either the user’s name or the chat name at the top of the page
- at the top select the mute icon to mute this chat
- you will be presented with the following mute options:
- mute message notifications
- mute call notifications
- mute message and call notifications
To disable chat heads:
- select the three lines on the top left corner
- choose the cogwheel on the top right corner of the pop-up menu
- scroll down to ‘Chat heads’ and switch the toggle. This will turn from blue to grey, to indicate that it is disabled
To enable parental supervision:
- select the three lines on the top left corner
- choose the cogwheel on the top right corner of the pop-up menu
- select ‘Supervision’
- choose ‘Create invitation’ (teens can invite their parents to supervise, alternatively parents can invite their teens to be supervised)
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Users can report and block other users who may be bothering them or behaving inappropriately on the platform.
To report a user or group chat:
- open your conversation with the user or group you wish to report.
- select the user’s or group’s name at the top of the page
- scroll down to ‘Report’ and select the problem to report from the listed options
To block a user:
- open your conversation with the user you wish to block and select the user’s name at the top of the screen
- scroll down and select ‘Block’ (you also have the option here to block on Facebook)
To report a message:
- find the message you want to report
- press and hold on the message until reactions and other options appear below the message
- select ‘More’ and choose ‘Report’
- select the reason for reporting on the list provided then tap ‘Submit report’ to confirm your choice
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There are limited features to help manage time and purchases in Messenger. Users can manage their notification settings to help limit screen time and disable their activity status. Users are also able to disable ‘Read receipts’.
To manage notification settings:
- select the three lines icon in the top corner then select the cog symbol in the top right.
- scroll down to select ‘Notifications and sounds’
- select ‘Manage notifications’ towards the bottom of the menu to change the app notification preferences on your device
- to mute notifications for a selected time period, select the ‘On’ toggle option in the notifications menu and select the time period from the list provided
To disable ‘Activity status’:
- select the three lines icon in the top corner of the screen then select the cog symbol in the top right
- scroll down to select ‘Active status’
- toggle off the ‘Show when you’re active’ option
- choose ‘Until I change it’ from the options provided then hit ‘Pause’ to confirm your choice
To disable ‘Read receipts’:
- click the three lines icon in the top corner of the screen then select the cog symbol in the top right
- scroll down to select ‘Privacy and safety’, then choose ‘Read receipts’
- toggle the option so that it is switched off and turns grey
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Messenger users can either deactivate or delete their Messenger account. Meta advises that a deactivated account is temporary and that a user can reactivate their account when they would like to. A deactivated account will seem deleted to other Messenger users, as they will be unable to see a deactivated account’s name and photos. Alternatively, users can permanently delete their accounts which Meta advises is irrecoverable. Users should additionally note that either deactivating or deleting their Messenger account would perform the same action on their Facebook account if they used one to sign up.
To deactivate your Messenger account:
- choose the three horizontal lines ‘☰’ and choose the cogwheel icon from the pop-up menu
- scroll down and select ‘Accounts Centre’
- choose ‘Personal Details’
- select ‘Account ownership and control’ and choose ‘Deactivation or deletion’
- select your Facebook/Messenger account
- choose 'Deactivate account' Write in your password and follow the prompts
To delete your Messenger account:
- choose the three horizontal lines ‘☰’ and choose the cogwheel icon from the pop-up menu
- scroll down and select ‘Accounts Centre’
- choose ‘Personal Details’
- select ‘Account ownership and control’ and choose ‘Deactivation or deletion’
- select your Facebook/Messenger account
- choose 'Delete account’
- write in your password and follow the prompts
To delete your Messenger account without a Facebook profile:
- choose your profile photo in the top left corner
- select ‘Account settings’
- scroll down to find ‘Delete your account and information’
- write in your password and choose ‘Submit’
Additional tips
Keeping up to date with your child’s settings and friends on Facebook will help manage their privacy and interactions within Messenger, as both accounts are linked.
Meta has created a dedicated Teen privacy centre to help teen users manage their privacy on all Meta platforms.
Facebook has a designated ‘Parents portal’ which is worth exploring to find out more about Facebook and Messenger.