Facebook to Remove Other Messages Folder

Facebook is removing the Other Messages folder.

The unpopular folder was rarely used, and most of the messages that went to it were either spam or unwanted messages from people not on the user's friend list.

Facebook introduced the Other Messages folder in order to help users get rid of unwanted messages in their inboxes, but the company is now getting rid of it, Fox 6 Now reports.

Most messages that appeared in the Other Messages folder were undesirable. While some messages could have been from contacts who had yet to send a friend request, more often these messages came from strangers, some of whom tried to send fake flirty messages to trick Facebook users into scams.

The folder was only accessible through the desktop version of Facebook, and there was no alert or notification when a new message appeared in the folder. 

Facebook will replace the Other Messages folder with a "message requests feature," which will require the Facebook user to approve or deny unfamiliar messages sent to them.

"We're removing the 'Other Folder' ... and are enabling you to accept or ignore new requests without the requester knowing you've read their message," said David Marcus, the vice president of messaging products at Facebook. 

All messages sent from people on a user's friends list will come to their normal inbox. Other messages from external users not on their friends list will arrive as a message request. If the Facebook user chooses to approve the message, they will be able to read it and reply to it. If they want to deny it, they can simply click ignore and the message will disappear.

Over the years, Facebook has tried to help users stay safe, allowing them to retain their privacy on the social network by adjusting privacy settings and displaying only the information they choose. 

With the removal of the Other folder, Facebook users should see less unwanted messages coming through to their inbox.