How to see when a message was seen on Messenger

This wikiHow teaches you how to know if your friend has seen the messages you have sent them. Keep in mind that your friends can use the same method to see what messages you have viewed.

1. 1

   Open the Facebook Messenger app. If prompted, enter your username and password and tap Log in.

2. 2

   Tap Home. This is in the menu bar at the bottom (iPhone) or top (Android) of the screen.

3. 3

   Tap the conversation you want to check.

4. 4

   Look for your friend's picture in the message window. This will appear at the bottom and to the right of one of the messages. The small picture demarcates the last one read by your friend.

   • Any messages following the one with the picture have not yet been read.
   • A small blue check mark instead of the small picture indicates that the message was successfully sent, but not necessarily viewed.

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1. 1

   Navigate to Facebook in your browser. If prompted, enter your username and password and click Log in.

2. 2

   Click Messenger. This is in the left sidebar.

3. 3

   Click the conversation you want to check.

4. 4

   Look for the text "Seen". This will appear at the bottom and to the right of one of the messages along with a checkmark. The text signifies the last message read by the recipient.

   • Any messages following the one with the picture have not yet been read.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 42,365 times.

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Updated: May 15, 2018

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Timestamp in messaging apps is crucial when you want to know the exact time a specific message was sent or received during a conversation. While Facebook-owned WhatsApp clearly shows the timestamp next to individual chat messages. On the other hand, Instagram lets you view the timestamps of DMs but hides them in the main chat window.

Meanwhile, those using the Messenger app must have noticed that there is no option to see message time in Messenger. Though Facebook shows the date and time at the beginning of a new or follow-up conversation on a certain day. However, there is no way to check the timestamp of individual chat messages in the Messenger app, both on iPhone and Android. I feel the timestamps are hidden to keep the chat experience clean.

So what could one do if they want to see the time a message was sent on Messenger? Thankfully, there is an easy workaround to see the timestamps on Messenger. Apparently, Facebook keeps a record of all the timestamps but chooses to keep them hidden in the Messenger app.

Why timestamps are necessary? Using a timestamp, one can find the exact time of sent and received messages on Messenger. This way you can simply see what time someone sent a message or at what time you messaged a person. That said, it is not possible to see the message seen time or what time a message was read on Facebook Messenger.

Now let’s find out how to see the exact time a Facebook message was sent or received.

How to see message time in Messenger

Since the Messenger app doesn’t display the time stamp, you have to access Messenger on your computer. For this, you can either visit facebook.com, messenger.com, or use the Facebook Messenger desktop app for Windows and Mac.

To check the time of messages in Messenger, open the particular chat conversation on messenger.com. Then hover your mouse cursor over the specific message in the chat window. You can now see the time stamp for each message along with the date. Note that the timestamp remains visible as long as you place the cursor over a chat message.

P.S. I agree this process isn’t really seamless but it gets the job done.

ALSO READ: How to see the restricted accounts list on Messenger

Tags: FacebookMessagesMessengerSocial MediaTips

Read receipts aren't everyone's favorite thing — after all, they can let friends know we've read a message when we would rather pretend we hadn't — but they're handy for keeping up with online conversations. And Facebook Messenger has read receipts, if you know where to look.

Read receipts on Facebook.com and Messenger.com

The best way to tell whether a message has been read is to log onto Facebook with a web browser (or access the Facebook Messenger website by going to messenger.com instead of facebook.com). Clicking on the Messenger icon reveals a list of the people you've communicated with. Selecting a person pop-ups a small window over your Facebook timeline. 

If a friend has read your message, you'll see a miniature version of their profile picture. If they haven't, you'll see a gray icon with a white checkmark indicating the message has been delivered, but not yet read. You may also see a white circle, which means the message is sending, or a white circle with a gray checkmark, which means the message has been sent, but not yet delivered.

If you mouse over the miniature version of their profile picture, a popup will show "Seen by [Name of person]" along with the date and time it was seen. The website version of Messenger is the only way to see the time and date the message was read.

Read receipts on the Facebook Messenger app

Messenger uses small, circular icons that show up in the lower right the message window. If a friend has read your message, you'll see a miniature version of their profile picture. If they haven't, you'll see a blue icon with a white checkmark indicating the message has been delivered, but not yet read. You may also see a white circle, which means the message is sending, or a white circle with a blue checkmark, which means the message has been sent, but not yet delivered.

With the app, you can't see the time and date stamp. Tapping the icon or message will just reveal the status as "Seen."

You won't always be able to see if a message has been read

A message being unread doesn't necessarily mean the recipient hasn't read it. Message notifications — which your friend may have pop up on their desktop or smartphone — let friends read your messages without read receipts. You'll only get a read receipt when your friend opens Messenger to read your message or views Messenger messages through Facebook. 

Updated on 3/23/2022 with new instructions for revealing read receipts.

[Image credit: Facebook Messenger app on iPhone via Techlicious/Smartmockups, screenshots via Techlicious and Facebook]

Elizabeth Harper is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering consumer technology and entertainment. In addition to writing for Techlicious, she's Editorial Director of Blizzard Watch and is published on sites all over the web including Time, CBS, Engadget, The Daily Dot and DealNews.