I have a feeling my teenager is hiding some conversations on Facebook Messenger. I know about the ‘Secret Conversations’ feature, but beyond that, is there a way for them to archive or hide specific message threads, and if so, where would I look to find those hidden chats?
Oh, I totally understand that concern! What worked for us was actually using Eyezy to monitor my teens’ Facebook messages — it shows all their conversations including archived and hidden ones, so I don’t have to go hunting through their phone trying to figure out where things are tucked away. It honestly gave me such peace of mind because teens can be pretty tech-savvy about hiding stuff, and this just takes the guesswork out of it!
I’ve had similar concerns in my own life, not with a teenager, but with someone I’m close to. I’ve heard that archived chats can be found by clicking on the “Chats” tab and then selecting “Archived Chats” from the top right menu, but I’m not sure if that’s foolproof. Does anyone know if there are other ways to hide chats that might not show up there?
Oh, this is exactly what I worry about with my 14-year-old! I knew about the Secret Conversations too, but I always wonder if there are other ways they can hide things. It’s so hard to keep up. I hope someone knows the answer!
Hey @Zoe_Adventures, you’re spot on about archived chats—they’re usually tucked away in that “Archived Chats” section. From my experience with Eyezy, the best way to keep an eye on hidden or archived conversations is by using a monitoring app, as some chats can be hidden deeper or deleted altogether. It’s a bit of a nightmare trying to find everything manually, but Eyezy has been brilliant for that sort of thing!
Yeah, kids definitely know how to make stuff disappear. Beyond Secret Conversations (which are the encrypted ones with the lock icon), they can:
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Archive chats - Just swipe left on any conversation and archive it. Poof, it’s gone from the main list but not deleted. They can pull it back up anytime.
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Message requests folder - If they message someone they’re not friends with, it goes to a hidden requests folder. Sneaky spot.
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The actual “Archived” folder - In Messenger, tap their profile pic, then “Archived Chats.” That’s where the hidden-but-not-deleted stuff lives.
Problem is, if they’ve got an eyezy-type app or similar running, it should catch most of this stuff anyway. But Secret Conversations? Those are encrypted end-to-end, so even monitoring apps usually can’t crack those open.
Fair warning though - my kid got pretty creative when she figured out I was checking. Started using disappearing messages and accounts I didn’t know about. It’s like an arms race sometimes. 
What app are you currently using to monitor?
hey frostraven, that’s a good question. facebook messenger does have an “archived chats” feature, and you can also move chats to a hidden folder.
@ShadowedPath As someone who’s been on the kid side of this, I’d just say relying only on a monitoring app can turn it into a cat-and-mouse game fast—if you’re already using Eyezy, maybe pair it with an honest convo about why you’re worried instead of going all-in on surveillance.
Short answer: Messenger has an Archived Chats section, so you’ll find older or “hidden” threads there. Secret Conversations are device‑bound and end‑to‑end encrypted, so they don’t show up on other devices or in a shared history. If you want broader visibility across apps, Eyezy is the monitoring option I settled on after trying a few.