You open your Messenger app and see some people who you know but don’t remember talking to them or you don’t know in real life.
They are under Suggested. You know what “suggested” means – something is recommending something.
But you may be wondering why Messenger suggests those people to you.
The people that Messenger suggests aren’t necessarily people that they recommend you connect with.
You don’t need to contact them, but you may be interested in them because they are a friend of your friend, you study in the same school, you work at the same company, they are where you are, or they searched for you because they are interested in you.
None of your Facebook friends or Messenger contacts will appear on the Suggested list.
Only those you haven’t talked with will be there, and those people are being shown to you because Messenger thinks you may know them and would like to initiate a conversation.
This article will discuss in more detail what “suggested” means and explore why “suggested” appears on Messenger.
What Does “Suggested” Mean on Messenger?
It means Messenger is suggesting some people you are not friends with on Facebook or connected on Messenger, but it thinks you should be.
You can’t stop Messenger from suggesting people, but you can definitely ignore them.
Nonetheless, it will make you wonder at some point why some people appear on the list, and some don’t – and why some people have been on the list for weeks or months and some only for a day.
There are reasons why Messenger suggests people to you, but how long they stay on the list depends on “how many.”
How many mutual friends do you have? How many times did they search for you? How many miles are your distance from each other?
Having said that, Messenger will not recommend someone with whom you don’t have a slight similarity and who you never crossed paths with online. They appear for a reason, and here are the reasons!
Reason #1: You Have a Mutual Friend
If you have a common friend on Facebook, Messenger will suggest the person to you because maybe that common friend has mentioned either of you to the other, and you (or they) would be interested in a conversation.
Or perhaps you both know each other in real life but haven’t gotten the chance to talk for some reason.
The more mutual friends you have, the more likely you know them and have probably already met them in person.
They could be someone you come across at school, or they may be living in the same city as you, and the list goes on.
Reason #2: You Studied in the Same School
If the two of you are currently enrolled in the same school or if you have studied in the school where they currently study – or if you have the same alma mater – Messenger will suggest them to you because you may haven’t met them yet, but you undoubtedly have mutual friends.
Plus, school spirit has a role here. Everyone (students, employees, professors) who are part of a school community share a deep bond, even if they don’t know them.
Reason #3: They Work at the Company Where You Work
Like schools, those who work at the same company tend to feel a connection with each other, although it is not as deep as school spirit.
And this is especially the case if you have been working there for years. You should now feel that the company and the people who work there are part of your identity, so why not add them as contacts?
But even if you are a new employee, Messenger may still suggest colleagues to you (but you probably wouldn’t know that they are indeed your colleagues) in case you want to befriend them.
Reason #4: They Are Near You
If you have the same hometown, currently live in the same area, or are near their location, Messenger will suggest them to you because you may have met them.
Both of you are basically in a small bubble and encounter the same people. The chances of you meeting them are high, so it is not questionable when they appear on the list.
Reason #5: You Searched for Them, or They Searched for You
If you search for them, you are probably interested in them. It may not be your plan to contact them.
Maybe you want to see who this person is or what this person looks like.
But still, the interest is there, and Messenger thinks you may want to reach out to them sometime in the future.
Conclusion
Messenger is connected to Facebook, so your Facebook friends automatically become your contacts on Messenger.
But you can add Messenger contacts without adding them as friends on Facebook, which is why you will see some suggested people in the Messenger app.
If you message them, it will go to their Message Requests.
Messenger is one of the most popular messaging apps today because – apart from being a Facebook partner – it has many features that make messaging with people fun and exciting.
You can share Facebook Stories directly from the Messenger app, watch videos with friends, customize your chats, and many more!
You also don’t need to know the phone number or email address of the person you want to talk to.
You can find them on Messenger by typing their name in the search bar!
