Prevent "Friendversary" notifications in Facebook Messenger

Question

I rarely use Facebook Messenger. But I am often given red Messenger badge "unread message" notifications for friendship anniversaries.

The notification causes a red Messenger badge, which is very annoying as you think you are getting a real message. If you are using a mobile app, you also cannot clear the red Messenger badge without installing the separate Facebook Messenger app.

The title of these messages is:

You and FRIEND_NAME are celebrating X years of friendship on Facebook

Opening the message in your inbox displays the message:

Happy Friendversary with FRIEND_NAME

You became friends on Facebook X years ago.

See Friendship

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This notification is not a "Facebook Memories" feature, nor a Friendversary Video. It is not in the Timeline. It seems to be a "growth hack" designed to drive usage of Facebook Messenger.

How do I prevent these Friendversary messages from showing up in my inbox and causing the Messenger badge to turn red due to unread messages?

Answer 1

I am looking for the same answer, but here's a handy tip: you don't necessarily need to install Messenger to access private messages. Either install an app such as Swipe or Friendly that will allow you to use Facebook AND Messenger simultaneously. Or just bookmark Facebook Basic. The interface isn't particularly attractive, but it consumes very little battery power and you can check your pms.