How to Know if Someone Restricted You on Facebook Messenger

What Does Restrict Mean on Facebook Messenger?

Before starting, it is wise to understand what Facebook Messenger’s restrict function does. When someone restricts you,

• Facebook doesn’t alert them about your incoming messages and calls. The recipient’s phone doesn’t even ring.
• Your conversation remains intact, but Messenger hides the chat thread in the Settings menu.
• You remain friends on Facebook. But basically, you are sort of operating on DND mode.

Additionally, you can’t see the person’s online status and profile picture if you’re restricted. These are the two major red flags to confirm your restricted status with someone on the platform (more on that later).

How to Know if You Are Restricted on Messenger

Here are the signs to look for when someone restricts you on Messenger. You can combine all the points and confirm your troubled relationship with the person.

Method 1. You Can’t See Their Active Status

When restricted on Facebook Messenger, you can no longer check the person’s last active status on the platform. However, it’s not a foolproof trick as multiple variables are involved.

• The person may have turned off their active status on Messenger.
• There’s also a feature where a user can hide active status from a particular person.

You can ask your mutual friends to check if they can see the person’s active status. If the status is visible to others, you are restricted, or they are hiding their status from you.

Method 2. The Profile Picture Will be Hidden

If the person has restricted you on Facebook Messenger, you can’t check their profile picture. However, not having an account picture can be a personal choice, so you must dig a little deeper.

So, if you could see a profile picture before and not now, that’s a hint. Moreover, if your common friends can see the profile picture and not you, you are most likely restricted.

Method 3. Lack of Responses

When someone restricts you on Messenger, the app hides your conversation on their mobile apps. You can send as many messages as you want, but Messenger doesn’t notify the person about any of them.

If the person doesn’t reply to your messages for several days, weeks, or months, there can be two possibilities. Either the person is inactive on Messenger, or he/she has restricted you on Facebook Messenger.  

Method 4. Check the Delivery Status of Sent Messages

When restricted on Messenger, your messages will never go through. Technically, you can still send messages, but it’s not delivered. Therefore, you’ll see a small blue empty checkmark instead of a filled round tick.

Method 5. The Person Doesn’t Pick the Call

It’s another effective way to check if someone restricted you on Messenger. You can call the person on Messenger, but they won’t pick it up since the calls don’t ring on their phones.

Method 6. Lack Of Activity On Facebook

When someone restricts you on Facebook Messenger, it also affects your Facebook interaction. Unlike blocking on Messenger, you can check out their profile and previous posts.

However, you can’t check new ones unless they’re public or you’re tagged in them. If you notice someone absent from Facebook for a few months, the person may have restricted you.

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