Messenger Not Working On iPhone? Here’s The Fix!

Messenger won’t load on your iPhone and you don’t know why. Over a billion people use Facebook’s messaging app every month, so when something goes wrong, it’s a major inconvenience. In this article, I’ll explain why Messenger is not working on your iPhone and show you how to fix the problem for good.

Restart Your iPhone

When Messenger is not working on your iPhone, the first and simplest troubleshooting step is to turn your iPhone off and back on. This will occasionally fix minor software bugs and glitches that could be causing the Messenger app to malfunction.

To turn your iPhone off, press and hold the Sleep / Wake button (the power button) until “slide to power off” appears on your iPhone’s display. Using a finger, swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone.

If you have an iPhone or newer, press and hold the side button and either volume button until “slide to power off” appears on the screen. Swipe the power icon from left to right to shut down your iPhone.

turn off your iphone

To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the power button (iPhone 8 and older) or the side button (iPhone X and newer) until the Apple logo appears in the center of your iPhone’s display.

Close Out Of The Messenger App

Similar to restarting your iPhone, closing and reopening Messenger can give the app a fresh start if the app crashed or experience a software issue.

To close out of Messenger on iPhones with a Home button, double-press the Home button to open up app switcher on your iPhone. Then, swipe Messenger up and off the screen. You’ll know the app is closed when it no longer appears in the app switcher.

If you have an iPhone without a Home button, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen to the center of the screen. Hold your finger in the center of the screen until the app switcher opens. Swipe any apps up and off the top of the screen to close them.

close app store on iphone

Check For A Messenger App Update

Periodically, developers will release updates to their to patch up any software glitches and bugs. If Messenger is not working on your iPhone, you may be using an outdated version of the app.

Open the App Store and tap on Account Icon located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Then, scroll down to the Updates section.

You can either update apps individually by tapping Update next to an app, or update them all at once by tapping Update All.

check for updates to apps

Delete And Reinstall Messenger

Sometimes, app files become corrupted which may cause them to malfunction. Individual files can be difficult to track down, so we’ll just delete the app entirely, then reinstall it like new. When you delete Messenger, your account will not be deleted, but you may need to reenter your login information.

To delete Messenger, press and hold on the app icon until the menu appears. Then, tap Remove -> Delete App -> Delete.

delete messenger on iphone

To reinstall Messenger, open the App Store and tap the Search tab in the lower right hand corner. Type in “Messenger”, then tap the cloud icon with an arrow point down to reinstall the app.

Check To See If Messenger Is Down

Occasionally, apps like Messenger will undergo routine server maintenance in order to keep up with a growing user base. When this happens, you’re usually unable to use the app for a short period of time.

Check Messenger’s server status and see if many other users are reporting an issue. If an abnormally high number of people have reported a problem, Messenger is probably down for everyone.

Unfortunately, the only thing you can do in this case is wait it out. Messenger won’t be down for too long!

Do You Use Messenger When Connected To Wi-Fi?

Many iPhone owners use the Messenger app when connected to a Wi-Fi network. If Messenger is not working on your iPhone while connected to Wi-Fi, follow the two steps below to troubleshoot your Wi-Fi connection.

Turn Wi-Fi Off And Back On

Turning Wi-Fi off and back on gives your iPhone a second chance to make a clean connection your Wi-Fi network. If your iPhone didn’t connect to Wi-Fi correctly, you may not be able to use apps like Messenger via Wi-Fi.

To turn Wi-Fi off, open up the Settings app, then tap Wi-Fi. Tap the switch next to Wi-Fi to turn Wi-Fi off. You’ll know it’s off when the switch is grayish white and positioned to the left. To turn Wi-Fi back on, simply tap the switch again! You’ll know Wi-Fi is on when the switch is green and positioned to the right.

make sure wifi is on

Try Cellular Data Instead

Your iPhone can also connect to the internet using Cellular Data. Open Settings and tap Cellular. Make sure the switch next to Cellular Data is on. Then, open Messenger and see if it starts working.

turn on iphone cellular data

Forget Your Wi-Fi Network

If Wi-Fi isn’t working on your iPhone, there may be an issue with how your iPhone connects to your Wi-Fi router. When your iPhone connects to a Wi-Fi network for the first time, it saves data on how to connect to that Wi-Fi network. If that process changes in any way, your iPhone may not be able to connect to the Wi-Fi network.

To forget the Wi-Fi network, open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi. Then, tap the information button (look for the blue i) next to the Wi-Fi network you want to forget. Tap Forget This Network to forget the network.

forget wifi network on your iphone

Contact Facebook Support

If the problem with Messenger persists, it’s time to get in touch with Facebook support. Messenger may be experiencing an issue only a high-level customer support representative can resolve. You can get in touch with customer support online, or you can report a problem directly within the app.

Start Messaging!

You’ve fixed Facebook’s messaging app on your iPhone and you can start getting back in touch with your friends and family. Make sure to message this article to your friends on social media so they know what to do when Messenger is not working on their iPhones!

About Author

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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Monica
1 year ago

None of the above worked and my iphone SE was bought in December 2021 so it’s not even old. I still cannot log into messenger as the message keeps on saying ‘check your internet connection’ which I have and it’s working.

Perla
1 year ago

I am unable to see any stories on (People, Stories tab) in Messenger nor does the blue circle appear on any profile picture in Messenger.

Claire
2 years ago

Hi I have an iPhone XR and has been working really good. About 2 days ago I noticed in messenger I had a message and when I try to open it no message the but it say something like. No messages right now . But there are messages. This is also happening to my iPad but my husbands iPad is fine. I have tuned off my phone and back on also deleted the app and reinstalled and still no working. Can anyone help

Tina DeCunzo
2 years ago

Hi! was wondering if u can tell me what this means? Every time I open my messenger This pops up and I’m afraid to click on restart because I’m not sure if it will delete all my messages. Thank u!

5FA99E4A-3147-46EC-A3DE-EC78F00572FB.jpeg
iphonesucks
2 years ago

I can’t use messenger in my iPhone X, I reinstalled messenger, restarted my phone, reset all settings, I already done everything said in here, but it’s still not working. I’m using my old android phone and the messenger works well, why apple?

Meows
2 years ago
Reply to  iphonesucks

Same here, I think it’s not about the app?
The problem I believe is the unit itself!

Monique Glasman
1 year ago
Reply to  iphonesucks

Same here, it’s crazy that I have to turn the wifi off to use messenger. Makes no sense to me. I tried all of the fixes and none of them work either.