Have you ever opened the “Other” inbox on Facebook Messenger only to find it filled with creepy messages? Chances are you have. Girls, you especially must’ve bumped into unsavoury guys trying to butt into your lives, eager to ‘do fraandship’ with you! We feel your pain.
But how do these jerks find their way into the inbox of your Messenger app?
It’s very simple – you gave them the license to do so.
Whaaaat? How?
When you allow Facebook to access the address book on your iOS device(s), it basically gets the license to recommend every Tom, Dick, and Harry in your contact list by uploading their information to your account.
Another way this happens (quite unknowingly) is when you fail to disable the contacts toggle switch from the settings after signing into Facebook. As a result, your address book automatically syncs with Facebook. You see where the problem lies?
Now that you’ve discovered the source of the problem; it is already half solved. The next thing to do is to ensure that you’re able to maintain the privacy you so badly long for. It’s very simple if you follow these steps:
A. Open your browser, log into Facebook.
B. Click on this link to head over to the Facebook’s Contacts page.
C. Scroll down and click on the ‘Delete All’ button.
D. Wait for a few minutes as the list below the dialogue box clears up.
NOTE: Now that the list is clear, messages from only your Facebook friends will remain in your inbox. You can also ditch specific contacts by choosing them individually from the list.
E. That done, log out of Facebook on all your devices and sign in again. You have succeeded in clearing all unwanted addresses from your account. Congratulations!
The next step is to prevent them from coming back. This means you have to prevent Messenger from accessing your contacts. Here’s how you can do that:
- Open Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll to Facebook’s pane.
- Toggle “off” the switch against “Contacts.”
That’s it. Your account is now secure. Facebook will no longer be able to access your contact list and you have all the privacy you could ask for.
A word of caution: Avoid the blue “Update All Contacts” button; or else, you will reverse whatever changes you’ve made so far!
Finally, you have to prevent Facebook Messenger from accessing your address book. To do that, go to Settings > Privacy > Contacts. Now turn “off” the toggle in front of the Messenger tab.
Voilà! You are home and dry! Be safe now, and may the creeps never trouble you again!!
