Compilation of 19 Hidden Facebook Features Only Advanced Users Know

Despite Facebook's efforts to diversify its platforms including mobile versions and other related apps, the classic Facebook website remains a favorite destination for many users. Facebook.com stands out as one of the most advanced public-facing web services today.

Compilation of Hidden Features on Facebook

1. Pending messages

If you've been on Facebook for a while, chances are you have plenty of unread messages, and you might not even know about them. These messages reside in Message Requests, formerly known as Other.

With the Message Requests filter tool, only messages from your friends and acquaintances will be displayed in your inbox. Messages from strangers, those who are not your friends, will be placed in the Message Requests section.

To review these messages, simply click on the Message icon at the top right corner of the Facebook main interface (the Messenger icon in the middle). By default, you'll see the Recent tab in your inbox. Locate and click on the Message Requests tab next to the Recent tab. You'll then see a link 'See filtered requests.' Click on that link, and you'll be able to view all messages from strangers.

In 2012, Facebook experimented with allowing members to pay to access messages from strangers. Initially, the fee was $1, then increased to $100, but the implementation of this option seems to have been limited.

2. Who's Illegally Accessing Your Facebook Account?

If you're suspicious and want to know if someone has illegitimately accessed your Facebook account, here's what you do: First, go to Settings, then find and click on Security and Login, and you'll see a link labeled Where You're Logged In.

Here, you'll find all your Facebook login activities on both computers and mobile devices.

Typically, Facebook provides you with data about location, browser, and device. If anything seems suspicious, you can end activity on one or all devices.

This also comes in handy in case you log into your Facebook account on a friend's computer or a public computer but forget to log out.

3. Unlocking Hidden Emojis

Facebook displays a wide array of emoticons—joyful, sad, funny, and more—to enrich user experience. However, Facebook has created and added numerous emoticons, so there may be many emojis you haven't discovered or used yet.

(y) = like icon

(^^^) = symbol of a white shark

:|] = robot icon

:poop: = pile of poop icon (silly symbol)

<(') ==''>'' bird='' wings=''>{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}

You can use these emoticons to update your status with various moods such as happy, sad, or funny, to comment, or to chat on Facebook, etc.

4. Sending Files via Facebook Messenger

Open a Facebook Messenger chat window, and you'll see a small paperclip icon at the bottom of the window. Click on that icon to allow you to upload and send a file directly from your computer. The recipient just needs to click on the attached link and download it. And of course, never download anything from strangers as it could be a virus.

5. Speaking Pirate Language?

Remember 10 years ago when pirates were all the rage? At one point, Facebook engineers got swept up in this frenzy and programmed a 'resurrection egg' that allowed users to 'translate' Facebook into Pirate or Upside Down language.

To start, go to Settings => Language and change the setting to Pirate (English - Pirate) or Upside Down (English - Upside Down). Pretty cool, huh!

6. Writing Notes on Facebook

Sometimes you want to share something more valuable than just a few status lines or images. If you don't have your own blog, you can take advantage of writing Notes on Facebook. Similar to writing a blog, Facebook's Note feature provides you with tools to write a long diary entry, including inserting text, images, ... (no HTML knowledge required).

Simply access facebook.com/notes, and you'll find notes from the people you follow. If you want to create your own note, just click on the '+ Write a Note' link at the top right corner.

Compose your note, and if you can't finish it right away, you can save it and publish it later.

7. Viewing Your Facebook Profile

If you want to see detailed information about yourself and family members, visit www.facebook.com/us, and you'll see information about yourself, relationship status, and family members.

8. Save and Review Links

Have you ever found yourself wanting to read a link shared by your friends on Facebook but didn't have the time? You promised yourself that you'd read it later when you had the time, only to forget about it, and the link got buried under a pile of new posts on your news feed. That's why we should get familiar with the Save for Later feature.

If you want to save anything to read later, simply click on the small arrow icon at the top right corner of any post. Then select Save link from the menu. This action will send the link to the Saved folder.

You might wonder where the Saved folder is. In fact, you won't see this folder unless you save something, and you'll see the 'saved' ribbon in the Favorites section on the left-hand side. Click on it, and all your saved content will appear there, including videos, links, ...

Facebook has announced the expansion of the 'Save for Later' feature on the website, so you can save anything to Facebook even when you're not accessing Facebook.com. Facebook's first two partners are Overstock and Product Hunt, but any website can add this feature.