Are you unable to select an account on Facebook Messenger?
Does Messenger keep asking you to select an account?
Many Android users are experiencing this problem after updating the app.
Here’s a comment by Ranjit, “Every time I open the app, it asks me to select an account”.
In this guide, you’ll learn why you can’t switch accounts in Messenger and how to fix the select an account problem.
Why can’t I switch accounts in Messenger?
You can’t switch accounts in Messenger probably because the Facebook servers are down.
It can also be due to a bug in the app that is caused by the latest update.
It seems like Android users are experiencing the switching accounts problem more than iOS users.
Hence, it might be an Android-specific bug.
Some Messenger updates introduce bugs to the app.
If so, Facebook will usually release a follow-up update to fix them.
How to fix Messenger select an account problem
To fix the Messenger select an account problem, you need to check if Messenger is down.
If Messenger is down, you need to wait for the servers to be back up.
If Messenger is not down, you need to update the app or uninstall and reinstall it.
Some updates contain bug fixes that can fix the select an account problem.
1. Check if Messenger is down
Before you attempt to fix the problem, you need to check if Facebook Messenger is down.
If it’s down, you need to wait for a few hours for the servers to be back up.
There are a couple of methods to do this.
The first method is to go to downdetector.com and search for “Messenger”.
Check if there’s a spike in the graph.
A spike in the graph means that a lot of users are experiencing issues with the app.
Hence, the app is most likely down for everyone.
The second method is to go to Twitter and search for “Messenger down”.
After you’ve searched for “Messenger down”, check the latest tweets.
If there are a lot of recent tweets about it, it means that Messenger is most likely down.
You can also search for the problem that you’re experiencing (e.g. select an account problem on Messenger).
2. Update Messenger
- Go to the App Store/Google Play Store.
- Search for “Messenger”.
- Tap on “Update”.
According to Facebook Messenger, if you don’t see the option to switch accounts, you need to update the app.
Similarly, if you’re facing the “Select an account” problem, you need to update the app.
If you already have the latest version of Messenger, you need to wait for a new update.
Some updates contain bugs that need to be fixed in another update.
If there’s a bug in the latest update, you need to wait for Facebook to release a follow-up update to fix it.
3. Uninstall and reinstall Messenger
Uninstalling and reinstalling Messenger is a standard troubleshooting method.
To do so, tap and hold the Messenger app and tap on “Remove App”.
After you’ve removed the app, go to the App Store/Google Play Store and reinstall it.
Uninstalling and reinstalling Messenger does a couple of things.
Firstly, the app will be automatically updated to the latest version.
Secondly, the app’s cache will be cleared.
Clearing the app’s cache can fix issues with logging in or switching accounts.
Conclusion
The “Select an account” problem on Messenger is not a persistent problem.
It usually happens if the Facebook servers are down or after an update.
In most cases, the error is caused by Facebook’s end and not yours.
Hence, you need to wait until they fix the issue on their end.
Further reading
How to Recover Deleted Messages on Messenger
