Facebook Messenger problems and solutions
![Facebook Messenger problems and solutions shutterstock 2082773545](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7715851/image/shutterstock_2082773545-w810h462.jpg)
![Rubens Eishima](https://fs.npstatic.com/user/34/40/853440-w155h167.png)
For some time now, Facebook Messenger has been a standalone app, separate from the Facebook application. This has made it a more powerful messaging service capable of competing with its cousin, WhatsApp. Its independence also makes it hungry for battery and memory, however, and it now comes with its own set of concerns. Here's what to do when Facebook Messenger is not working on your Android phone.
Jump to
- Is Facebook Messenger down?
- Fix Facebook Messenger errors on Android
- Cannot send or receive messages
- Retrieve deleted messages
Is Facebook Messenger down?
![Facebook Messenget screens Facebook Messenget screens](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7701787/image/Facebook_Messenger-w782.jpg)
Before you start pulling your hair because Facebook Messenger isn't working, it would be a good idea to check if the issue is being caused due to an outage. It is not uncommon for Facebook services to go offline at times, and there have been several instances of this happening in the past.
One of the ways you can check for outages is to visit the Platform Status page for Facebook. This page usually lists ongoing outages. There are third-party services like IsItDown and Downhunter that can help you check the status of Facebook Messenger. If the issue is on Facebook's end, the only option is to wait or use an alternative messaging service.
Check the status of Facebook Messenger using a web browser
Before you start troubleshooting Facebook Messenger issues on your smartphone, it would be a good idea to check if you can access the service using a web browser.
Access Facebook Messenger via your browser:
- Simply open your web browser and go to https://www.messenger.com/.
- Log in with your username and password.
- You should be able to access your messages within the Facebook website, old-school style.
Try Facebook Messenger Lite
Another way to go about this is to install a pared-down, less resource-intensive version of Facebook Messenger called Messenger Lite for Android devices. Some people actually prefer using Messenger Lite over its bloated cousin because it uses fewer resources (especially RAM and storage) and was generally thought to be less buggy.
- Get Messenger Lite from the Google Play Store.
- Download, open, and log in with your credentials.
- Enjoy messaging as usual, with a streamlined appearance and just the essential features.
Fix Facebook Messenger errors on Android
Let us now take a look at some of the more common errors that you may encounter with the Facebook Messenger app for Android smartphones.
Facebook Messenger: 'Please check your internet connection and try again' error
This is among the most common errors that you may come across while using Facebook Messenger on your Android phone. Many people have complained about an error message that says, "Please check your internet connection and try again" when trying to use Facebook Messenger. Please follow these steps to try and fix the issue.
- Open the Settings menu on your Android phone.
- Go to System and then tap on Date & time (the menu options may change depending on the Android skin your phone has).
- In the Date and time menu, ensure that the options Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically are selected.
- Once this is done, go back to the Settings menu.
- Open the Apps menu.
- Select All apps.
- Look for Messenger in the list of apps and tap the option that says Force stop.
- Once this is done, go back to the home screen and try opening Facebook Messenger again, and the issue should be fixed.
![Android time settings Android time settings](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7715851/image/Set-time-automatically-w782.jpg)
The steps for iPhone users are a bit simpler:
- Open the Settings app.
- Choose General.
- Tap Date & Time.
- Activate the Set Automatically option.
![Time synchronization settings Time synchronization settings](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7715851/image/Set-time-automatically-iOS-w782.jpg)
Fix the 'Unfortunately, Facebook Messenger has stopped' error
This is another (relatively) common issue that many people face with Facebook Messenger on Android. A possible fix for this issue can be achieved by taking the following steps:
- Open Settings.
- Select the Apps or Apps & notifications option.
- Tap See all Apps.
- In the app list, select Messenger.
- Select Storage & cache.
- Tap Clear cache.
- On older Android versions, the Clear cache option will be shown on the previous screen.
![Clear Facebook Messenger cache Clear Facebook Messenger cache](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7715851/image/Messenger-Clear-Cache-w782.jpg)
If this doesn't solve your issue, it might be a good idea to uninstall and reinstall Facebook Messenger. But before you do that, open the Google Play Store on your phone and check if there is an update available for Facebook Messenger. If yes, install the update and check if the issue is resolved.
In fact, the same solution can be used for issues like the one described below. Although, we have suggested a slightly different method.
I can't send or receive messages on Facebook Messenger
If you're trying to send a sticker to your friend and Facebook Messenger is not delivering your vital correspondence, do not despair. Although the situation may seem desperate beyond all comprehension, the solution could well be simple. Ensure, firstly, that the app is up-to-date:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap on your profile picture.
- Select the Manage apps & device option.
- Tap Update all to update every installed application or See details to choose which ones to update.
![App update from the Play Store App update from the Play Store](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7715851/image/Google-Play-Store-Update-apps-w782.jpg)
For iPhone users, open the App Store app, tap your profile icon at the top of the screen, and then tap on the Update button next to the Messenger app.
Alternatively, you can update the Messenger app directly via the app stores pages:
- Update the Android Messenger app on the Google Play Store
- Update the iPhone Messenger app on the Apple App Store
- Update the Messenger Lite app on the Google Play Store
All (or some) of my messages have disappeared
If you've accidentally deleted your messages, which is not easily done, then you're out of luck; they're gone. But maybe you just archived them, in which case you are in luck. Open the Messenger app and follow these steps:
- Tap on your profile picture at the top of the screen.
- Choose Archived chats.
![Facebook Messenger archived chats Facebook Messenger archived chats](https://fs.npstatic.com/userfiles/7715851/image/Facebook-Messenger-Archived-chats-w782.jpg)
On the desktop site, click on the "..." button at the top of the contact list and then select the Archived chats option.
Let us know in the comments if there are any Facebook Messenger problems you're struggling with, and we'll do our best to address them.
Google told me to clear cache and data, but I lost my Facebook messenger. Can I get the same messenger back
I done everything it say to do I even removed messenger and reload messenger and still doesn't work please help
I have the same problem on my android phone. I've called Verizon & Samsung. I've read all the help screens. Uninstalled & Reinstalled twice. Still can't get on messenger.
There is no checkmarks in my messenger. Im using an iphone
I run a group and we use the @everyone tag for a while which was really helpful, now it is not working for some reason. Been trying to find out why but no answer to it. We are an Australian based group. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Is this already fixed? Im having the same trouble
Only on my iPad I cannot go directly to the person I am try to message on fb. It takes me to messenger but then I have to type in the persons name.
Did you ever find a solution? I just got a new iPhone and this is happening to me
Just installed messenger on my Windows 11 laptop why can’t I see any messages that I receive
For too long now : MESSENGER is logging me out. 'ERROR VALIDATING ACCESS TOKEN....'
Has Anyone Seen This? But it hasn't logged me out. I can't do a thing and that thing just keeps spinning n spinning!!
H E L P ! ! ! ! 🙏
Sometimes the messages that newly comes are not bold black colour when I logging in messenger. Can be it read before me? Or it is the generally messenger false? If the first one assumption is correct, how can I solve it?
Messenger will not let me send anything other than a basic message. The second I click on the sticker button the app disconnects and I can no longer send even a message and the screen reads connecting. Nothing will load. I then have to clear cashe or clear all data and start from scratch.
You can try a clean install of the app, if that does not work either try downloading the Light version of messenger. I hope this helps.
I have un installed and re installed the app to many times to count unfortunately and still have the same issue. I have switched to messenger light for now but it just is not the same. I appreciate your response though. Thank you.
I tried this, but I'm only got a new messenger site. I want the messenger that Google made me delete
I have a Facebook page in english but when i go to settings its in German
That sounds weird. Are your browser settings maybe in German?
My facebook messenger is only searching Instagram accounts when i search nothing else will come up help please
This article was last updated in December 2021. Older comments have been retained. Enjoy it!
Messenger JOIN is always green in our Family chat room and if we click it,it does not work.
But it is always green and we can't get rid of it or use it !! HELP
If I do video chat I can't use video effects it my video became black
Messenger won't proceed to the next screen, but stuck on the screen with the "Continue as..." button.
Have done all the updates and reinstall numerous times...
Thanks.
Same happened for me. I ended up choosing the option, "this is not me". .Then I got a log in screen and logged in from there and it opened it back up again.
Thanks. I had the same problem and solved it with your advice
Great! Glad I could help someone. It was super frustrating.
My messenger app's message is not loading in Poco X3. Always showing "Please check your internet connection & try again".
I did everything!!
1. 100 times cleared data & cache, re-installed & rebooted.
2. Installed older versions to check but result same.
3. Updated latest MIUI 12, Backed up & factory reset completed with everytime clearing cache & re-installing but nothing works.
Please help!
same problem..have u found the solution ??
Having this error message, please check your internet connection and try again appears on the start, suddenly my net was fast, but my main is responding with errors like that and the others like send failed, parameter error, and so on.
I send out a message to Facebook friends. For periods of time messenger works, then suddenly stops working. I click on my message and it doesn´t go out. Then suddenly Messenger starts working, again for a period of time. Then, it stops.
Messages keep rolling back up to the top instead of showing most recent messages.
im trying to log on to messenger, but it keeps going back to welcome page, i have had it on for years and now i cant get it back.
I have error on loading media, how to solve it?
Probably the extension of the media is not supported.
My notification previews aren't showing up on my chat heads. I've done everything this article said to do, and still nothing. What do I do?
A very useful application
Facebook messenger is outdated and full of bugs. Uninstalled it already from my phone.
I have a new Android 9 tablet. Not this one! Messenger app does not bring up the bar of emojis to react to a message in conversation. The sound is there for it but all it does is turns screen from horizontal to vertical! Tried everything I can but nothing changes
Do you have a keyboard app ? Try Swiftkey. Anyway messenger is full of problems and a resource hog. Messenger Lite is much better and all the functionality is there.
my messenger won't let me share links from google chrome anymore..i don't know how to fix it. if i unistall messenger i have no idea how to reinstall and don't want to lose all my old messages!
I have been finding it difficult to open the messenger app on my brothers 📱 now he have no access to his messages, any quick response apart from these long procedures?
i have a new mobile honor 8x my problem is messanger voice massage will not play in mobile data why?
Message on my Samson grand prime phone says messenger not responding .mostly when on vid call.my wifi is fine no problems with other sites?
FB Messenger disappeared a few days from my tablet. Have cleared all cache uninstalled some apps have tried several times to install messenger from FB app and Google play store. Both say that it cannot install. HELP I MISS MY MESSENGER. I did install Messenger Lite but I cannot open up half of my messages nor can I use gifts or play Words with Friends through messenger like I could before. Hopefully you can fix soon. Thank you
I can't get on my messenger please turn my messenger on thank you
cant get on messenger at all it comes on then starts to flash across the screen which i can not watch as im epelespy
Cannot access any games to play with friends especially 8 ball pool, messenger appears to be working. Tried to troubleshoot which didn't work. Any suggestions??
Haven't been able to play any of the instant games. I have done all the trouble shooting and still not working, The instant games do work on my desk top, but not on S9.
I have not been able to play Words with friends for a few days now. It told me my version didnt support games anymore and to update. I didnt have the choice to update yet so I uninstalled messenger...5 times... and no games worked. I finally got an update toggle and updated my messenger and behold, it still doesnt work. In fact, I can't find any games in discover anymore.
I don’t have fb just messenger and it’s all working except my games icon has disappeared. Have uninstalled and reinstalled but no joy. Cleared cache, turned phone on and off. Sad
I'm having the same problem.
I try to log in into my messenger on my new cell phone but I couldn't log in. Plus I try to change my password and I realize that somebody else have the same number that I have and it log me in into there page but not mine so I deleted the messenger and clear everything but still it won't let me log in with my number and I try to create a new messenger and it says #100 error so I don't know what to do
Facebook messenger uninstalled it self from the mobile and when i downloaded it .. i doesn't install .. so i can't install it anymore .. is there any solution
I'm trying to send a video which is round 2 minutes long and it only shows one second. Why is that? Other times it plays OK...
Awesome post
messenger keeps stopping and ask me to send feed back. what is that?
No FBook, no troubles.
I'm not a virtual exhibitionist, its that simple... :-)
My messenger app is not working any of my devices. I have tried clearing the cache, uninstalling and reinstalling, resetting my phone, checking for updates and nothing seems to work. On my current phone it shows a blank screen with no messages. On my old phone the messages are still there but I cannot send or receive anything.
I have an LGV20 and FB messenger just stopped working yesterday evening. I keep getting the "unfortunately messenger...blah blah blah". I have tried literally EVERYTHING short of a factory reset and I'm not doing that. Is this an android issue or a FB issue?
I have the LG G7 thing. My messenger was working fine all day until this evening. I keep getting "unfortunately messenger has stopped working". I have tried everything!!!! I haven't downloaded any new apps recently, but did accept a few friends requests. I deleted those people as soon as I stated having problems. Any suggestions are welcome! TIA
Mine is dioing the same thing!
Thanks
Very recently, I have been getting trouble with my messenger account. First, it seemed the app had gone completely, and I have no memory of uninstalling it. When I put it back on the phone, it refused to recognise my login or any passwords that I might have used. I selected 'forgot password' and received a number code which would supposedly allow me to update it. However, when I entered it, I got an error message: "Error validating access token: The session has been invalidated because the user has changed their password or facebook has changed the session for security reasons (452)". I have no idea what this means, and a similar thing happened with my old instagram account only days before. What the hell is going on??
Have anyone else experienced this.
I am connected to someone on my messenger. She is not my Facebook friend and don't have her number in my phone contacts. Please any explanation. She also appears on my recent search. Please any help
This has been going on nearly 2 years now we've blocked each other in the past but not what's wrong now,it's saying something about the platform,my phone's a Moto E4
Oh ya my phone's a Moto E4
No, this didn't work. Can't even get Facebook to pull up on Google Chrome. :-(
Adding messenger games to my android home screen has stopped working.
I am a blind user and it seems that, for some time, my Samsung Galaxy Note8's Android accessibility app for text-to-speech is not working. On both Messenger and in the Facebook app itself, I get a "No text found at that location." This has been true on both my originaly Note8 and a recent replacement. The OS is updated. The apps are updated. The apps have been reinstalled several times. Both apps once played nicely with the Android text-to-speech engine... Not now. Any ideas?
Can you help me pls? My messenger has the latest update but my account couldn't get the new features of it, like the new UI and etc. When my friend tried to logged in in my mobile phone he's got the new features of messenger in his account. I already tried clearig the cache and data, and also uninstalling and reinstalling the app, but it's still the same.
I have same problem If anyone knows how to fix please let me know
Have the same problem and did also the same thing as you did.
I have reported this problem to messenger and after a few days they fixed it.
Can you please give me the link where I can report it to messenger and what message did you send? Please help me...
I uninstalled my messenger and install it in the playstore, but it directly goes to installing and did not even download any data. Btw, I still dont get the updated looks of messenger.
When I try to share messenger pics by clicking the share button my addressees do not load. I just get 'Loading...' and nothing happens. Is there a solution?
I am an admin for a business account. Our business hours are correct on the "about" section of the page, however when a customer initiates a messenger message, the "about" section show hours 2 hours off the correct time. How do I fix this?
I am experiencing a similar issue. Did you manage to fix this?
When I have a link received in the Android Fcbk's messenger I have the following error:
I/X509Util: Failed to validate the certificate chain, error: java.security.cert.CertPathValidatorException: Trust anchor for certification path not found
How to fix it and open the link?
customer care support service number +1 833 272 0777....call them
Head to the mobile or desktop site, click on the messages button then See all > More > Archived (for desktop users) or go to your messages, press See all messages, scroll to the bottom and press View Archived Messages (on the mobile site) and see if you can find the message you long for there.
The Facebook messenger app is not saving the pictures automatically anybody can help me
So i recently got a new phone upon getting this new phone my messenger never showed all the old pics of convos i had with people nor showing the facebook bubble pics?? What can i do to fix this?
My messenger is showing "something went wrong. please try again" in the middle of the screen and i tried everything i could but nothing is working. what should i do now?
I can't get the filters to work on video calls using messenger
Hi there!
I did all the actions required but Messenger still not working!
Could you help me please!
Thx!
Messenger doesn't notify me when I get a instant message
Hi! What can I do if after I updated my sotfware of my Samsung Galaxy J5 2016, and the Messenger app doesn't work well? What does it cover? The profile pictures, the "My Day" pictures and the picture I send to people in private cannot be loaded. I've turned off my mobile and restarted as well, plus I deleted the application and then downloaded again but everything remained the same.
Live location doesn't work. When I use another account it works fine.
On my and my daughters and husbands messenger I click on it and it comes up for a few seconds and then disappears do they have a fix for it
Did you get this issue resolved? I Just started with the same problem.
I am able to text, but can not use video call. Everytime I press the video call icon, it tries to connect then stops by itself. I try again and again I have the same problems. I also tried to uninstall and install the Messenger app, but the problem still there.
Every time i type a message to a fb friend, it appears like this.
Facebook Messenger is not working good, it`s true.
Yes is true! It does not work at all for me!
I find on my Galaxy S8+ the chat bubbles sometimes disappear. All I do to fix this is transfer the app back to internal storage, and the back to my SD card again. Works every time. Just in case anyone else out there reading this has the same issue. Will it 100% work for you? Who knows. But its worth a shot :)
Interesting, but I always had mine on internal storage
Recently I have been contacted via Facebook Messenger by 2 people with whom I am NOT Facebook friends. I do not like this and consider it an invasion of privacy. Who should I contact?
This suggustion did not work i will be taking my samsung tablet to a samsung retailer
I want to know if my ex has still my number in his contact list or not ?
I opened the fb messenger a few days back and it was written under his name that "xxx used your contact number to reach you"
I don't get it . I can't see any of his dp or status on whatsapp which means either he has deleted my number or he has deleted his dp.
But messenger says he used my number. Does it mean he still has my number ?
If your getting that type of message, he most likely still has your number, and deleted his dp.
Facebook & Messenger both are unnecessarily huge in size better to use it on browser & bookmark them. Tricks are fine but at the end of the day it's your phone's storage and RAM which are bullied by these apps.
thanks for the help it Saklas I do often : D
thanks for sharing this info
on nexus 5 and galaxy s6 fb messenger will crash every time....these tricks dont work on these phones
Helpful! Loved the first tip!
I have the option of putting both the facebook and messenger apps on my memory card, but when I have, neither of them will work correctly at all. This really annoys me because at least if I could store them there, instead of on my phone, I would have more available space on the phone. I'm curious as to whether anyone knows why this is the case, and if there's anything I can do about it. Thanks.
I'm having the same issue, but I still can't pinpoint what's causing it. I'll keep trying though
Sometimes apps just don't work correctly on the SD card. Especially after you restart the phone, the boot level will fail to complete. And it won't be able to access your account stored in the account manager on your phone. If you can just keep them on your internal drive. Only apps I really nice to the SD card are games. Hope this helped :)
These are helpful tips. I hope that after this, it will not crash again.
These are helpful tips. I hope that after this, it will not crash again.
I use web version fb.Its really good than messenger