People who want to connect with old friends and classmates need only send a message on the social media platform to reconnect, strike up a conversation and plan meetups.

But what if you're sending messages that are never seen? And what if people are sending you messages that you've never seen?

A Facebook messaging feature holds messages from Facebook users who you are not Facebook friends with in a separate folder.

To see the hidden messages, you must access message requests in your account.

Here's how to do it:

Facebook (online): Click on the messages icon at the top of the screen in the blue bar > Message Requests > See filtered requests

Messenger app (mobile): Settings > People > Message Requests > See filtered requests

Have fun perusing old messages, and hopefully, it's not too late to respond to some of them!

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez