Facebook Messenger not Working on iPhone? Here’s How to Fix It

The issues of Facebook Messenger not working on your iOS device makes you want to pull your hair out? Here’s a guide on how you can get the instant messaging app up and running on your iPhone in no time. 

The largest social media network website Facebook, was founded as a means for people to connect with their dear ones, no matter how far they may be. For years, Facebook catered to its users by including the Messaging feature right  into the platform itself, but it all changed with the release of Facebook Messenger in the year 2011. 

Set out to compete with the instant messaging giants such as WhatsApp and Telegram, Facebook Messenger has now become the go-to social media app for communication. Since the Facebook IM app has billions of users all across the world, a fair amount of people depend on it every day to communicate and share content, which is why the problem of Facebook Messenger not working is a troublesome one. 

How to Fix Facebook Messenger not Working on iPhone 

Being one of the most used instant messaging app all across the United States and garnering 1.3 Billion users each month, Facebook Messenger is a necessity for most. However, in recent years, mobile users, especially iPhone users have reported issues while using the Facebook Messenger app. 

From being unable to send out text messages to delay in receiving message notifications, there is no shortage of problems that users have been facing with the Messenger app on iOS devices. If you’re among those who have been pestered by issues with the Facebook Messenger app, here’s how you can work through them. 

Solution #1 – Restart the Messenger App 

Regardless of which app is giving you grief on your iPhone, the first step to take is restarting the app itself. More often than not, this simple process will your app up and running, and it only takes a couple of seconds to do this. Whether it is the Messenger app itself that is malfunctioning, or another app in the background that could be causing the issue, restarting the app can resolve all the issues. 

1.  Exit the Facebook Messenger App on your iPhone.
2. Press and hold the Home button until you see the “Cards” of all background apps appear on the screen. 
3. On the iPhone X and higher, swipe up and hold to view the “Cards” of all background apps on the screen. 
4. Press and hold each background app window until you see a”Red Cross” appear at the corner of it. 
5. Tap on the red cross of the app windows to close them. 

You can then head back to the Home screen and open the Facebook Messenger app to see if the problem has been fixed. 

Solution #2 – Restart the iPhone 

The most cliche solution to fixing any tech related issues with your computer, gadget, or mobile phone, has to be this one. Turning the device off and then on again is an age-old tried and tested problem solver, and the same can be said when it comes to the iPhone. Since your iPhone is nothing short of a mini computer, giving it a quick rest and rebooting it can help you eliminate issues with the device in no time. 

1. Press and hold the Power button on your iPhone.
2. Keep holding the button down until you see “Swipe to Power Off” appear. 
3. Slide over the button and wait while the device turns off. 
4. Now go ahead and press down on the Power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. 

Once the iPhone boots up, head over to the Facebook Messenger app icon, tap on it and check to see if the issue has been resolved. 

Solution #3 – Update the App

Being a widely used social media messaging app, Facebook Messenger is used on billions of devices each day, and is constantly updated and re-tweaked for better performance and new features. If you have automatic updates turned off in the App Store, you could’ve missed out on a recent app update, which could be the direct reason behind the Facebook Messenger not working on your iPhone. To find out if the problem behind the faulty Messenger app, you can check to see if there is indeed a pending update that you have not installed already. 

1. From the Home screen of your iPhone, head over to the App Store.
2. At the bottom of the App Store, tap on the Updates tab, where you should be able to see all of the apps with pending updates. 
3. Here you can choose to select individual apps to update, or press the Update All button. 

If you do have a pending update for the Messenger app, chances are that the issues you’ve been facing with the app should be resolved after installing the update. 

Solution #4 – Delete and Reinstall the App

If the issue continues to persist on your iPhone, removing the app entirely, and then performing a fresh install might be one way to fix it. If there are certain temporary files of the Messenger app that have been corrupted by an unexpected error, removing the app and then reinstalling it can help you get rid of them, along with the usability problems. 

1. On the Home screen of your iPhone navigate to where the Messenger app icon is, and then tap and hold on it. 
2. You will be able to view a pop-up menu with the option to Delete the Messenger app from your device. 
3. Once the app have been removed from your iPhone, head over to the App Store.
4. Using the search bar, look for the Facebook Messenger app. 
5. Press the Install button (cloud icon) on the Messenger app to begin the installation process.  

Once the Messenger app is installed once again on your iPhone, you can open it and sign in using your login credentials to see if the problem has been fixed for good. 

Solution #5 – Check Network Connectivity 

One aspect that you may be completely overlooking while looking for a solution for Facebook Messenger not working on your iPhone, is network connectivity. More often than not, it is the issues of your Wi-Fi connection or mobile network that cause the app to malfunction. Since the Messenger app entirely relies on access to the internet to work, you need to monitor if the app is able to connect to the World Wide Web in the first place. 

1. Head over to the Settings app and turn off, and then on the Wi-Fi to see if that helps.
2. You can even open the Wi-Fi connection tab, choose to “Forget This Network” and then connect to the Wi-Fi again to see if the issue has been resolved.  
3. You can also check to see if the Mobile Data is enabled on your iPhone with the correct settings saved. 

Solution #6 – Update the iPhone 

You may have the latest version of Facebook Messenger up and running on your iPhone, but is the iOS version up to date as well? Whether you’re trying to hold off a gigantic update due to lack of a reliable Wi-Fi connection, or simply haven’t bothered to update your iPhone in a while, it could be the culprit behind the Facebook Messenger not working on your device. 

1. Head over to the Settings app on your iOS device. 
2. Go to the General menu and then scroll down to find the Software Update tab.
3. If you are able to see an available software update, go ahead and install it to your iPhone. 

During the installation process, your iPhone will shut down and reboot, at the end of which you can check to see if the problem with the Facebook Messenger app are now a thing of the past or not. 

Solution #7 – Check the Facebook Messenger Server Status

There can certainly be times when you’re frantically looking for a way to get your favorite social media messaging app back online and start chatting, but no solution listed above seems to help. It may bring you some peace of mind to take a step back and see if the issue lies with the Facebook Messenger server, and not your iPhone. 

Since Facebook servers undergo maintenance and update on a daily basis, you might have just caught the app off guard. To find out if the Facebook Messenger app is down or not, you can check the server status and see if there have been issues with the server reported by other users as well. In such cases, your best bet is to wait it out and see when Facebook resolves the problem, which usually takes less than a few hours at most. 

Solution #8 – Reset the Network Settings 

As a final measure, you can reset the Network Settings of your iPhone to remove all of the saved Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Mobile Data settings that are stored on your device. 

1. Head to Settings app on your iPhone from the Home screen. 
2. Navigate your way to the General tab and then scroll down to find the Reset option. 
3. Here you will find the Reset Network Settings to reset the Wi-Fi, Mobile Data, and Bluetooth connection settings to factory default. 
4. Tap on the button and then confirm your action by pressing “Reset All Settings” button.

If you choose to reset the network settings, it is important to remember that all of your saved Wi-Fi connections will be reset. This method is effective in resolving most of the connectivity issues that users face on their iOS devices. 

Final Words

The sheer size of the Facebook Messenger user base is an ode to how popular the service has become in recent years all across the world. Capturing billions of users through it simplified and feature-rich multimedia instant messaging platform has helped the largest social media network form a strong  mobile presence on Android and iOS as well.

If you have been facing issues with Facebook Messenger not working on your iPhone or iPad, the steps mentioned above should help you get going. Be sure to mention down below in the comments, which of these solutions worked best for you, and reach out to us in the comments section right down below.