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How to Fix Messenger Not Opening

Is Facebook Messenger not opening or won’t open?

Messenger is an app where you can start voice calls, group video calls, and text messaging.

You can communicate with your Instagram followers on Messenger and search for them by their usernames or names.

Change your privacy settings to determine who can message you or where your messages are sent to.

There is a wide range of emojis that you can use to customize your reactions.

Choose from several chat themes like “Tie-Dye” or “Love” to personalize the app.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix Facebook Messenger not opening on Android (e.g., Xiaomi, Oppo, Samsung) or iPhone.

Why won’t Facebook Messenger open?

Facebook Messenger won’t open because of a bug or a glitch on the app.

The bug/glitch is most likely caused by the latest Messenger update.

Otherwise, the server is down and you have to wait for it to be functional again.

You can check if Messenger is down by going to Down Detector.

Alternatively, you can search for “Messenger down” on Twitter and check the top and latest tweets.

If there are many people tweeting about it, the app is most likely down for everyone.

How to fix Messenger not opening

To fix Messenger not opening, you can try downloading Messenger APK (older version).

Alternatively, you can try to use Messenger on your desktop or update the app when an update is released.

This is because the latest Messenger update might have bugs or glitches.

To download a Messenger APK, you need to visit a third-party website like Uptodown.

Fix 1: Download an older version of Messenger

  1. Delete the Messenger app from your device.
  2. Visit https://facebook-messenger.en.uptodown.com/android/versions.
  3. Select an older version of Messenger.
  4. Select “Download”.
  5. Open the Messenger APK.
  6. Log in to your Facebook account.

Fix 2: Use Messenger on your desktop

If Messenger is not opening, you can try to use it on your desktop instead of your mobile device.

Here are 3 ways to use Messenger on your desktop:

Fix 3: Update Messenger when a follow-up update is released

  1. Go to the Google Play Store or the App Store.
  2. Search for “Messenger”.
  3. Select “Update” (if there’s an update available).

If there isn’t an update available, you need to wait until it’s released—this can take multiple days.

An update that has bug fixes and improvements will include this line, “Fixes for crashes within messaging experiences”.

Fix 4: Other troubleshooting methods

  1. For Android devices, clear Messenger’s cache by navigating to Settings >  Apps > See All Apps > Messenger > Storage & cache > Clear cache > Force stop).
  2. For iOS devices, uninstall and reinstall Messenger to clear its cache and data.
  3. Force exit the Messenger app (swipe up from the bottom of your screen and swipe up on Messenger) and reopen it.
  4. Try connecting to a VPN (if you’re already connected to one, try disconnecting it).

Further reading

How to Fix Messenger Isn’t Responding

How to Fix Can’t Send Photos on Messenger

How to Make a Website Like Facebook

About the author

Lim How Wei

Lim How Wei is the founder of followchain.org, with 8+ years of experience in Social Media Marketing and 4+ years of experience as an active investor in stocks and cryptocurrencies. He has researched, tested, and written thousands of articles ranging from social media platforms to messaging apps.

Lim has been quoted and referenced by major publications and media companies like WikiHow, Fast Company, HuffPost, Vice, New York Post, The Conversation, and many others. One of his articles about the gig economy was quoted by Joe Rogan who hosts The Joe Rogan Experience (arguably the most popular podcast in the world), in the This Past Weekend podcast by Theo Von.

In his free time, Lim plays multiple games like Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Hearthstone, RuneScape, and many others. He creates guides, walkthroughs, solutions, and more on games that he plays to help other players with their progression.