Messenger provides a way to chat with friends, family, and coworkers through your phone. But sometimes, when you try to send someone a message, you'll see an alert that says, “This user is unavailable on messenger.” Don't panic. You can do a few things to fix the problem. Read on to find out.
You've been chatting with your friends on Facebook Messenger when suddenly, one of them appears to have gone offline. But instead of just saying “offline,” their name now says “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert pop-up. It's frustrating, especially if you're trying to communicate with someone important. There are ten different ways to fix this issue outlined in this article.
The Meaning Of “This Person Is Unavailable On Messenger”
The “this person is unavailable on messenger” error means that the person you're trying to contact is not currently active to chat. It could be for several reasons -they could be offline, or they could have blocked you.
Why You're Getting ‘This Person Is Unavailable on Messenger' Error
If you're seeing the “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert when you try to message someone on Facebook, it may be for one of the following reasons:
- The person may have blocked you on messenger.
- The person you're trying to message has deactivated their Facebook account.
- The person you're trying to message has their chat turned off in Facebook settings.
- The person may have deleted the app from their phone.
- Facebook has suspended the user’s account.
- You’ve mistakenly blocked the person.
- The messenger app has crashed.
- It can be that Facebook is experiencing some technical difficulties.
If you're sure the person you're trying to message isn't blocking you and their account is active, then the best thing to do is wait a little while and try again later. In most cases, the issue is temporary and will resolve itself soon.
There are several ways to fix the alert. Some of them are as follows:
1. Find Out If the Account Is Deactivated
If you are receiving the “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert, it may be because the person you are trying to contact has deactivated their account. To check if this is the case, search for the person's name on Facebook. If their name does not appear in the search results, then their account is deactivated, and you will not be able to message them.
2. Check If You're Blocked
If you're getting the “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert, there are a few things you can check to see if you're blocked:
Step 1: Check your mutual friend list. You've likely been blocked if you can't see any of your mutual friends on their profile.
Step 2: Try sending them a message. You've likely been blocked if you get the “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert when you try to send a message.
Step 3: Check their profile picture. If the user's profile picture has disappeared, they may have blocked you.
If you think you've been blocked, the best thing is to wait until you’re unblocked.
3. Update the Messenger App
If you're getting the “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert, it's likely because you're using an outdated app. To fix this, update messenger to the latest version. Here's how:
Step 1: Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
Step 2: Tap the Manage Apps and Device
Step 3: Tap on the Updates If an update is available for messenger, it will show up here. Tap Update next to messenger to install the update.
Step 4: Once the update has been installed, launch messenger and see if the problem persists.
If that doesn't work, try deleting and reinstalling the app. If neither of those works, try restarting your phone.
4. Check the Account Status
You can check the account status of the person you're trying to message. If their account is active, the problem may be on your end. Try restarting the app or refreshing your browser. If that doesn't work, try logging out and back in again.
If the person's account is inactive, they may have altogether deactivated their messenger or Facebook accounts. You can try reaching out to them through a mutual friend to see if they are still active.
5. Use the Web App
Try using the web app. The web app may have more features than the mobile app and may be able to connect to the person you are trying to reach. If that doesn't work, try restarting your phone. Sometimes the problem is simply that your phone needs a reboot to refresh the messenger app.
6. Check If the User Account is Suspended
There are a few reasons why someone's Facebook account might be suspended. The most common cause is that the user has violated one of Facebook's terms of service. It could include spamming other users, posting offensive content, or creating fake accounts.
You'll have to wait until the person's account is unsuspended by Facebook. In the meantime, you can try contacting the person through another method, like email or phone.
7. Check the Internet Connection
The alert could be due to a slow or poor internet connection. Try checking your internet speed to see if it's the culprit. The problem may be with the other person's connection if your speed is good. In that case, you can try sending them a message later when their connection improves.
8. Check Facebook Memories
You can try to check your Facebook Memories to see if the person still appears in your messages there. Here’s how to check memories:
Step 1: Launch the Facebook app
Step 2: Search for Memories on the search bar.
Step 3: Tap on the memories.
If they are, then they may have just deactivated their account temporarily. The user may have deleted their account if they're not appearing in your memories.
9. Contact Facebook Support
Try contacting Facebook support. They may be able to help you troubleshoot the issue. You can try deleting and reinstalling the messenger app if that doesn't work. Sometimes this can fix the problem. You can try a few other things if you're still having trouble. You can find more tips and tricks on the Facebook help center.
10. Check If You Have Mistakenly Blocked the User
You may have mistakenly blocked the person. You can check this by:
Step 1: Launch the Facebook Messenger app on your web.
Step 2: Tap the Settings and privacy tab in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Tap Blocking in the menu that appears.
Step 4: Search for the name of the person you think you may have blocked in the Block Users section.
Step 5: If their name appears in the list, tap their word to unblock them.
Conclusion
Suppose you're seeing the “This person is unavailable on messenger” alert when you try to message someone on Facebook. In that case, it's likely that the person has either blocked you or deactivated your account. If you suspect the user has blocked you, you can try sending a message to another person's friend to see if they can still message them. If not, you'll need to wait until they are available. Finally, if you're still having trouble, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the messenger app.