Where Facebook is concerned, Messenger has become something of a success story. While it might not be as successful as their own WhatsApp, unbundling the messaging side of the big blue app has helped change opinions about the main app and keep people tied to Facebook. The Chess and hidden Basketball games can’t have hurt either, but there’s something else that’s being hidden by the Messenger app as well; messages themselves. Facebook has developed some pretty smart algorithms over the years to help curb spam and make life as pleasant as possible for people, but it appears that one algorithm has gone rogue and is taking things too far.
As The Next Web is reporting, the Messenger app will keep spam and other unsolicited messages away from your main inbox, keeping things clean and tidy. However, users have discovered that – by viewing where these messages end up – that Facebook might be being a little over zealous in its approach. To take a look for yourself, open up the Messenger app on your phone, head on over to settings (the tab farthest to the right), then Message Requests to see what Facebook has kept away from you. Here at Android Headlines we found a few guest post submissions and such, nothing major, but others online have been reporting messages of importance getting blocked by this algorithm, from added friends and so on.
This sort of filter has probably been in place for quite some time now, but Facebook haven’t exactly hidden this away behind a million settings; it takes just seconds to find. Even so, with little rhyme nor reason to why these messages are being blocked, it does appear as though Facebook has some explaining to do. There’s probably a very good reason why Facebook’s servers automatically do this, but without a way to turn it off, it’s difficult to understand why important messages about lost loved ones or work related messages would be blocked. Those interested to see just what Facebook has blocked can do so on Android using the instructions listed above, and feel free to let us know the sort of messages have been blocked your end.