Message Notification Icon

Private messages extension has its own unread message system where you can add {new_messages} tag to a nav menu item which will then show the number of unread messages in the nav menu.

Go to wp-admin> Appearance> Menus

  1. Select a menu to edit or you can create a new menu.

  2. Select the Custom Links from the Add Menu Items.

  3. Copy the URL of the private messages tab in the user's profile page and remove the part of the URL where the username is. Then, paste it into the Custom Links URL. Click the Add to Menu button.

  4. In the navigation label, change the menu item to Messages {new_messages}. You can also customize who can see the menu
  5. Click on the Save Menu button to update your menu.