How to Turn On Messages on a Facebook Business Page

Want to let customers, clients, and fans chat with you directly on your Facebook Page? Giving them a direct line to your business through Messenger is one of the quickest ways to build trust and answer questions that lead to sales. This guide will show you exactly how to turn on messaging for your Facebook Business Page. We’ll cover the step-by-step process for both desktop and mobile, then share some powerful, yet simple, strategies to manage those DMs without feeling overwhelmed.

Why Turning On Messages Is a No-Brainer

Before we jump into the "how," let’s quickly cover the "why." Enabling Messenger on your Business Page isn't just another notification to manage, it's a direct channel for growth and community building. Think about it - when you open up that line of communication, you're doing a few powerful things at once:

• You provide immediate customer support. People have questions. They might want to know about your hours, your return policy, or if an item is in stock. Answering these privately and quickly is a fantastic way to offer great service.
• You generate high-quality leads. A person sliding into your DMs is already showing strong interest. They have a specific question about your service or product. This is a warm lead actively seeking information, making it one of the easiest "sales" conversations you can have.
• You build genuine relationships. Public comments are great, but one-on-one conversations are where real loyalty is built. Messenger allows you to have a personal interaction that helps humanize your brand and makes people feel heard.
• You get unfiltered feedback. Direct messages are a goldmine of insights. Customers will tell you what they love, what's confusing, and what they wish you offered. This is free market research you can use to improve your business.

In short, turning on messages signals that you're open, accessible, and ready to help. That’s a powerful message for any brand to send.

How to Turn On Messages on Your Facebook Page: The Desktop Method

Facebook occasionally shuffles its settings around, but this current pathway should get you right where you need to be. Follow these steps while you're on a desktop computer.

Step 1: Navigate to Your Facebook Business Page

First things first, log into Facebook and go to the Business Page you want to manage. Make sure you’re viewing it as the admin. In the top right corner, click on your profile picture and select "See all profiles," then choose the Page you want to switch to.

Step 2: Access Your Page’s Settings

Once you're managing your Page, look at the left-hand navigation menu. Near the bottom, you'll see a "Settings" option. Click that.

Step 3: Open Privacy Settings

Inside the main Settings menu, you’ll see another left-hand menu with more options. Click on "Privacy."

Step 4: Click on Page and Tagging Settings

Under the "Privacy" section, you’ll find another option called "Page and tagging." Click it. This is where a lot of the interaction permissions are now located.

Step 5: Find the Messaging Option and Turn It On

Now you're at the screen that controls who can contact your Page. Look for the section titled "Who can post on your page" and right below it, you should see a heading called "Allow others to view and leave reviews on your Page". The messaging options should be nearby and should state something like, "Allow people and Pages to message your Page?" Or it may be under a subsection for "Messaging".

Facebook updates this layout often. The key is to look for a sentence that says something similar to "Allow people to message your Page." Next to this text, there will be a toggle. If it's greyed out, messaging is off. Click the toggle to turn it on - it should turn blue.

That's it! People visiting your Page will now see a "Message" button, inviting them to start a conversation.

Activating Messages on the Go: The Mobile Guide

If you’re running your business from your phone, you can get this done just as easily using the Meta Business Suite app, which is Facebook’s official tool for managing your business presence across its platforms.

Step 1: Open the Meta Business Suite App

Download and open the Meta Business Suite app on your iOS or Android device. Log in and select the Business Page you want to configure.

Step 2: Go to Your Inbox

Tap the "Inbox" icon on the bottom navigation bar. This is your command center for all conversations.

Step 3: Access Automation Settings

Once in your Inbox, look for an icon or menu for settings or automations. Often, this is represented by a three-line menu or a small settings icon in the top right. Here, you'll see a section called "Automations." Tap it.

The messaging on/off switch itself is sometimes hard to find on mobile because it's assumed to be on. However, by setting your 'availability,' you can confirm it's working. The availability status and away messages only work if people can message you in the first place.

Step 4: Check Messenger Availability

In the Automations screen, find a setting for "Away message" or "Messenger availability." If you can configure these settings, it's a very strong indicator that your messaging is already turned on. You can set your business hours here, which also affects when an away message is automatically sent. Setting this up is a good practice anyway, so it’s a smart step to take while you’re here.

On mobile, the focus is less on the simple "on/off" switch and more on managing the incoming flow. If for some reason new visitors report they cannot message you, revisiting the desktop steps is the most reliable way to find and flip that primary switch.

Messages Are On! Here's How to Manage Them Like a Pro

Turning on messages is just the first step. The real magic happens in how you manage the conversations. You don’t need to be glued to your screen 24/7. Use Facebook’s built-in tools to manage expectations and reply efficiently.

Set Up Your Welcome Mat: The Instant Reply

An Instant Reply is an automatic message sent the first time someone messages your Page. It’s the perfect way to acknowledge their message immediately and set expectations. You can find this setting under Inbox > Automations > Instant reply.

A good Instant Reply confirms you got the message and tells the person when they can expect a real response.

Example:

"Hey there! Thanks for reaching out. We've received your message and will get back to you within 24 hours. Our team is available M-F from 9 am to 5 pm EST."

This simple message prevents senders from feeling ignored and stops them from sending anxious follow-up messages.

Handle Off-Hours with an Away Message

An Away Message is for when your business is closed. It’s different from an Instant Reply because it only sends during specific hours you set. This is perfect for nights and weekends.

Go to Inbox > Automations > Away message to set your hours. When a message comes in during your "away" time, this auto-reply will handle it.

Example:

"Thanks for your message! Our team is currently offline for the weekend but will see your message first thing Monday morning. Talk to you soon!"

Speed Up Your Responses with Saved Replies

Do you get the same questions over and over? About pricing, location, features, etc? Don't type the same answer a dozen times a day. Use Saved Replies (also known as canned responses).

In your messaging window on desktop, look for the small icon that looks like a speech bubble with three dots. This lets you create and insert pre-written replies. You can save your answers to FAQs and insert them into conversations with a single click. It's a massive time-saver that ensures your answers are consistent and thorough.

The Golden Rule: Respond Quickly

Facebook awards a "Very responsive to messages" badge to Pages that reply quickly and consistently. This badge is a powerful sign of trust for potential customers - it tells them you’re an active and attentive brand.

To earn it, you generally need to achieve two things over the last 7 days:

• A response rate of 90% or higher.
• A response time of 15 minutes or less.

This might seem intense, but using automations helps a lot. The Instant Reply counts as a first response, which buys you time to craft a personal follow-up. Aiming for this badge is a great way to build a habit of excellent customer service.

Final Thoughts

Enabling direct messages on your Facebook Business Page opens a vital channel for direct connection with your audience. As we've seen, flipping the switch is straightforward, and with a few simple automations like Instant Replies and Away Messages, you can professionally manage conversations and build a reputation for great customer care.

Of course, managing Facebook DMs is just one piece of the engagement puzzle. When you start adding Instagram comments, TikTok questions, and LinkedIn messages to the mix, it can quickly become chaotic. That's why we designed the Engagement Inbox in Postbase. We put all your conversations from every platform into one unified inbox, so you can stop jumping between apps and never miss an important customer message again.