It contained messages from people you`re not friends with. But because it only showed up on desktop, not mobile, and you didn`t get notifications for these messages, it was easy to miss.
My Other inbox was almost entirely spam — another reason why the feature stank — but I also once had someone message me after I lost my wallet. Because I rarely checked the Other folder, it took me more than a week — and a lot of panicking — before I found the message.
No more, though.
Facebook has decided to get rid of the Other folder in favor of new "Message Requests," Messenger boss David Marcus said in a post on Facebook.
Now, someone will only be able to message you if you`re Facebook friends, you have an existing thread, or if you`ve both synced your smartphones contact lists to Facebook and you each have each other`s numbers.
If a stranger wants to message you, you`ll get a message request from them in your regular inbox that you can either accept or ignore. Facebook also says that it will continue to "ruthlessly combat" spam messages, and you won`t get requests from people the company thinks are fake.
This switch follows Facebook`s decision in June to let people sign up for Messenger without having a Facebook account.
"While this may seem like a small change, it`s actually a foundational development," Marcus writes. "Look for more in the months to come as we continue to improve ways to find the people you want to communicate with."
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