# How to use Messenger without the Facebook feed

> Use Facebook Messenger on a computer without the news feed, Reels or Watch. Keep messenger.com and facebook.com/messages open while the feed is shut.

Source: https://ivehadit.app/docs/messenger-without-facebook-feed · Section: Site guides · Updated: 2026-10-25

To use Messenger without the Facebook feed on a computer, open your chats directly and shut the feed. With I've had it in Chrome, Edge, Brave or Arc, set Facebook to **No feeds** and keep **Messages always open** ticked: messenger.com and facebook.com/messages work as usual and aren't counted, while the news feed, Reels, Watch and Stories stay shut.

## Can Facebook show only messages?

Not on facebook.com. The site always opens on the news feed, with Reels and Watch a click away, and there is no setting that turns those off. Messenger on its own is calmer:

- **messenger.com** shows your chats without the feed, in a browser tab. At the time of writing it is the simplest built-in way to message without seeing the feed. If it sends you on to facebook.com/messages, that is covered too.
- **facebook.com/messages** opens your chats inside Facebook. The feed is one click away from here.
- **The Messenger phone app** keeps chats in their own app, separate from Facebook's feed. It has stories and suggestions of its own.

A bookmark straight to your chats helps. The catch is that the feed is always one tab or one click away, and the reflex is to check it on the way.

## How do I set up Messenger without the feed?

1. Add the extension from the [install page](https://ivehadit.app/install).
2. In [setup](https://ivehadit.app/start), leave Facebook on **No feeds** (the default).
3. Make sure **Messages always open** is ticked under Facebook. It is on by default. You can change it on your dashboard.
4. Bookmark `messenger.com` or `facebook.com/messages`, whichever you use.
5. Open the bookmark. Your chats work as usual. Click the Facebook logo or Home: the feed is shut.

## Which pages count as messages?

| Address | Counts as | With No feeds and Messages always open |
|---|---|---|
| messenger.com, any page | Messages | Open as usual, not counted |
| `facebook.com/messages` | Messages | Open as usual, not counted |
| `facebook.com/t/...` | Messages | Open as usual, not counted |
| News feed, Watch, Reels, Stories, Gaming | Feeds | Shut |
| Groups, Marketplace, events, profiles | Specific pages | 30 seconds from a link elsewhere, or a short pause and two minutes |

While Messages always open is on, messages are left alone completely: they are not timed, they don't use your [daily budget](https://ivehadit.app/docs/daily-budget-and-limits) or a site's daily limit, and the [scroll check](https://ivehadit.app/docs/scroll-check) doesn't run in a chat. Read more in [messages always open](https://ivehadit.app/docs/messages-always-open).

## What happens when someone sends me a link in Messenger?

It depends on where the link goes:

- **A Facebook post, group or event** gets a short pause and a two-minute window. Messenger and Facebook count as one site, so a link from a chat is treated like moving around inside Facebook, not like a link from elsewhere. The 30-second [quick pass](https://ivehadit.app/docs/quick-pass) is for Facebook links you open from other places, like email or another chat app.
- **A Facebook reel or video in Watch** counts as a feed, so it is shut. If you really need it, [unlock the feed](https://ivehadit.app/docs/unlock-a-feed) for 10 minutes.
- **Anything outside the watched sites**, like a news article, opens normally. The extension can't see other sites at all.

## What if I turn Messages always open off?

Then Messenger is treated like any other page on Facebook. With No feeds, opening your chats gets a short pause and a two-minute window. Most people leave the box ticked. Turning it off makes sense only if messaging itself is the thing you want to cut down.

## Does this work on my phone?

No. The extension works in desktop browsers only. The I've had it [phone app](https://ivehadit.app/docs/phone-app) shows your numbers and lets you change your plan, but it doesn't block inside the Facebook or Messenger apps. On a phone, a common setup is to keep the Messenger app for chats and move the Facebook app off the home screen, or limit it with Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing (Android).

## Questions

### Can I use Messenger without seeing the Facebook feed?

Yes. messenger.com shows chats without the feed. With I've had it on a computer, the feed, Reels and Watch are shut too, so they aren't one click away.

### Do Messenger chats count toward my time limit?

Not while Messages always open is ticked. Messages on messenger.com and facebook.com/messages are not timed or counted.

### Does blocking Facebook block Messenger too?

No. With No feeds and Messages always open, the default for Facebook, only the feeds are shut. Your chats keep working.

### Can I open links friends send me on Messenger?

Yes. Facebook posts and groups open after a short pause for two minutes, and links to other sites open normally. Facebook reels count as the feed and stay shut unless you unlock it.

### Does it work in Safari or Firefox?

Not yet. It works in Chrome, Edge, Brave and Arc on a computer.