How to Read Messenger Messages without Seen | 7 Proven Ways

Facebook Messenger has made communication easier, enabling users to talk to anyone anywhere in the world. However, sometimes people want to take a break from social media and not respond to unimportant messages. At the same time, it makes them wonder, “What if I miss an important message?”

The easiest solution is to read the message without seen as it does not notify the person that you have read the message on Messenger. But then, “How to read Messenger messages without seen?”

This article helps you understand the seen feature on Messenger and tells you how to read messages in Messenger without seen.

Part 1. Understanding the 'Seen' Feature on Messenger

Have you noticed that every time someone reads your message on Facebook Messenger, you see a smaller version of their display picture under the message? This is similar to blue ticks or “seen” on WhatsApp and Instagram respectively. It informs the sender that the receiver has seen their message.

What is the 'Seen' feature

The seen feature is an important element of Facebook Messenger that allows individuals to know if the other person has read their message. It makes it easier to know if the receiver is available for a conversation at the moment. Thus, people who want to avoid conversing with someone on Messenger, prefer not to open the message and avoid seen status.

Why people want to avoid 'Seen' receipts

There could be multiple reasons why people want to avoid seen receipts. Sometimes, if someone has had a bad day, they might not want to talk to anyone, but not miss important messages either. At the same time, they might not want to respond to a work colleague’s work-related messages. Moreover, many people do not prefer seen receipts when they are busy and pick their phone for a quick break. Seeing someone’s message can turn the short break into a long one that eventually impacts work.

That brings us to the big question: How to read Messenger messages without seen on iPhone and Android?

Part 2. How to Read Messenger Messages Without 'Seen'

If you’re looking for a way to read messages on Messenger without seen, we’ve shared seven simple methods to help you. These easy methods can save you from people who say “You saw my message, but didn’t reply” when you don’t want to engage in a conversation. Pick the method that suits you the best and converse with people on Messenger at your ease.

Method 1. Turn off read receipts on Messenger

Most social media chatting apps offer the read receipt control feature, including Facebook Messenger. When talking to anyone on messenger, you can turn off the read receipts and get rid of the burden to reply immediately. It allows you to read the message and reply whenever you want, without notifying the other person of the read messages.

How to turn off read receipts on Facebook Messenger:

Step 1. Open your Messenger panel and click on the three lines in the top left corner.

Step 2. Go to "Settings".

Step 3. Find "Privacy and Support" or "Privacy & safety" and select "What People See".

Step 4. Click on "Read Receipts".

Step 5. Toggle to turn off "Show Read Receipts".

If anyone does not want to turn off read receipts for everyone, they can turn off read receipts for particular users by the following steps:

Step 1. Open the chat with that particular account.

Step 2. Click on the profile picture.

Step 3. Select "Read Receipts" in "Privacy and Support".

Step 4. Toggle the "Show Read Receipt" button to turn off read receipts.

Method 2. Read messages from notifications

When looking for answers to “How to read a message on Messenger without seen?” reading the message through the notification bar is undoubtedly the simplest way.

Whenever you receive a message on Messenger on iPhone or Android, you see a preview of the message in the notification bar. If there’s only one message, you might be able to see the complete message on swiping the notification down or clicking on the small down arrow on the top right corner. However, it might not be possible with multiple messages in one chat box.

Users who have turned off Messenger notifications may not be able to read the message from the notification panel. Thus, they must turn on notifications to view messages according to their phone’s setting options.

How to turn on Messenger notifications:

Step 1. Open "Settings".

Step 2. Go to "Notifications".

Step 3. Select "App Notifications".

Step 4. Find "Messenger".

Step 5. Toggle the "Allow Notifications" button.

Step 6. Select "Pop-up" from the options.

Method 3. Use Airplane Mode

Though this method works for all phones, it is a favorite when thinking, “How to read Messenger messages without seen Android?”

Airplane mode disables Wi-Fi and mobile data, allowing you to view messages without making it obvious to the sender. When using Airplane mode to read Messenger messages without seen, you must ensure that the messages are loaded. Once you’ve seen the messages, turn off the airplane mode; the sender will not know you read the message until you turn on internet or reply to it.

How to read Messenger messages on Airplane mode without seen:

Step 1. Click on the "Airplane" icon on your notification panel. Or turn on Airplane Mode from Quick settings.

Step 2. Once the airplane mode is on, open "Messenger" and read the message.

Users can read any text on Messenger with these two easy steps. However, if you want to be surer, clearing cache is suggested after reading the message:

Step 1. Go to home screen and long press the "Messenger" app icon.

Step 2. Click on "App Info" and select "Storage".

Step 3. Tap on "Clear Data" and then "Clear Cache".

Method 4. Use long press to read

iOS users enjoy some perks of using social media on an iPhone and the long press feature for reading messages is one of them. Whether you want to view a message on WhatsApp, Messenger, or any other app, you can long press it to read the message without read receipts.

It is among the simplest ways when looking for “How to read Messenger messages without seen on iPhone?”

How to read Facebook Messenger messages without being seen using long press:

Step 1. Tap and hold the chat with the new message.

Step 2. Read the message on the pop-up window.

Method 5. By ignoring conversation

While you can ignore a new message on Messenger and not respond to it, Facebook has a particular feature known as “Ignore conversation” or “Ignore messages.” By turning on this feature, you can automatically ignore new messages from a particular user. It sends these conversations to the Message Requests folder, and the best part is that the sender does not receive a ‘seen’ notification until the receiver replies to the message request.

However, the method varies for iOS and Android. We’ve explained how to read a message in Messenger without seen for both.

How to ignore conversations on Facebook Messenger on Android:

Step 1. Open the "Messenger" app.

Step 2. Long press the chat you want to ignore.

Step 3. When the menu appears, select "Ignore Message".

Step 4. Next, you’ll see a confirmation message.

Step 5. Click "Ignore".

How to ignore conversations on Facebook Messenger on iOS:

Step 1. Open the "Messenger" app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Swipe left on the chat you want to ignore.

Step 3. Select "More" from the menu.

Step 4. Choose "Ignore" from the multiple options.

Step 5. You’ll see a confirmation message.

Step 6. Click "Ignore".

Method 6. Seen on Facebook Web

Using Facebook Messenger on the browser can help read messages without the ‘seen’ status. Users can even view the previous conversation without read receipts. Check these two methods to read Messenger messages without seen.

How to read Messenger messages without seen on PC:

Step 1. Visit Facebook site on your PC.

Step 2. Log into your account.

Step 3. Stay on the home page.

Step 4. When you receive a message in the message box, read it but do not click on it.

This way, you can read the message without being seen. The sender will only get read receipts when you click in the message box.

How to read messages on Messenger without seen using Inspect Element on PC:

Step 1. Visit Facebook site  and log into your account.

Step 2. Click on the Messenger icon in the top right corner.

Step 3. Drag your cursor (do not click) to the chat you want to read.

Step 4. When it shows a snippet of the message, right click, and select Inspect Element.

Step 5. Scroll through the code to find the message.

Though it’s slightly technical, reading your message on a PC like this will not notify the sender.

Method 7. Use a chrome extension

Chrome extensions can be a game-changer when finding ways to trouble-shoot any issue. It might surprise you that Chrome offers some extensions that enable you to read messages on Messenger without turning off read receipts, turning on airplane mode, or using the ignore conversation feature.

How to read Messenger messages using a Chrome extension:

Step 1. Visit the Chrome Store on Google Chrome.

Step 2. Search "ESUIT Unseen Chrome Extension".

Step 3. Click "Add to Chrome".

Once you add the extension to Chrome, you can easily read all the messages without showing ‘seen.’ In case you’re unable to view the message without notifying, enable the extension first.

Part 3. Bonus: How to Read Someone's Messenger Messages without Them Knowing

Though all these methods for “How to read a message on Messenger without seen” are quite simple, people can also opt for a parental control or spy app to view someone’s Messenger messages without telling them. Users can use these on your or your family and friends’ phones to read their messages on Facebook Messenger. Msafely is one of the most popular apps families use to keep an eye on children’s social media activity, including messages.

3.1. What is Msafely

Msafely is a parental control spy app that enables individuals to monitor any device’s activities remotely. They can track the target device’s phone location, downloaded apps, and many other functions, including messages, calls, notes, etc. Besides Facebook, it also lets you track other social media app usage like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram.

3.2. Strength of Msafely in monitoring someone's Messenger

Msafely is among the most credible applications when you want to monitor someone’s Facebook Messenger. Whether you suspect your partner of cheating or want to protect your kids from online predators, Msafely can help you analyze their online chats. With Msafely, you can:

• Access all Facebook chats, both sent and received.

• Review photos, videos, audio files, and other shared media within Messenger.

3.3. What other phone activity can Msafely monitor

In addition to Messenger, Msafely can help remotely monitor over 30 types of activities on someone else's phone, including messages, call logs, location, browsing history, and more.

Depending on whether you want to monitor an Android or an iPhone, there may be some differences in the data that Msafely can access. You can refer to the table below:

3.4. Steps to use Msafely to read someone's Messenger messages secretly

The connection process of Msafely is very simple and only requires 3 steps.

Step 1. Create a free account

Go to the Msafely official site and register a free account with your email.

Step 2. Choose the type of phone you want to monitor.

Depending on whether the phone you want to monitor is an Android or iPhone, follow the corresponding setup steps.

Step 3. Start monitoring someone's Messenger messages remotely

Follow the on-screen instructions to connect to the target device. This way, in addition to viewing someone's Messenger messages, you can also monitor their text messages, installed apps, and activity on other social media apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

Part 4. FAQs about Reading Messenger Messages without 'Seen'

Q1. Can you read a Messenger message without the sender knowing?

You can read a Messenger message discreetly by viewing it from the notification panel or turning on Airplane mode. At the same time, you can also turn off read receipts to enable ignore messages feature for the particular account.

Q2. Can you read ignored messages on Messenger?

When you turn on the ignore messages feature, you can view the messages in Message Requests. Click on your profile icon and select Message Requests to see the ignored messages in the Spam folder. The sender will not be notified of ‘seen’ until you reply to the message.

Q3. Can you see someone's message without them knowing?

You can view someone’s messages and online activity by using a spy or parental control app. Apps like Msafely and Spyx are among the top choices for tracking a device’s activity remotely.

Q4. How to unseen a message in Messenger?

Though you cannot unseen a message in Messenger after you have seen it, you can mark it as unread if you wish to respond to it later. It will still show the message as read to the sender.

Q5. How to not be seen on Messenger?

If you do not want your friends on Facebook to know that you’re online, tap on your profile picture. Click on “Active Status” and toggle the button to disable the feature.

Part 5. Conclusion

When you do not want to use Messenger, but don’t want to miss any important message either, viewing the messages without seen can save you the hassle of replying immediately. This article covered 7 simple methods on “How to read Messenger messages without seen” along with a bonus suggestion for remote monitoring. Turn off the read receipts, read the message from the notification panel, use airplane mode, or long press the message to read it without seen. At the same time, using Facebook on a web browser can also make it easy to view messages without notifying the sender. When you want to read someone else’s messages, a spy app like Msafely can be your best pick. It shows you all the messages, along with the media on Facebook Messenger.