For some time now, Facebook Messenger has stood alone from the Facebook app, making it a more powerful messenger service, capable of competing with its brother, WhatsApp. Its independence also makes it hungry for battery and memory, however, and it now comes with its own set of concerns. Here are the most common Facebook Messenger problems and their solutions.
Facebook Messenger is killing my phone
Facebook Messenger has been found to consume more than its fair share of memory and power. This is because Facebook has set the app to obsessively check for updates and notifications. Even when your phone is asleep or without signal, the app continues its relentless search for a reason to do something. The app also takes up a lot of storage space. Before I uninstalled it, Messenger occupied 100 MB of space on my phone, but some users report even higher figures.
If Facebook Messenger is not friends with your phone, uninstall the app. Next, add a shortcut to the mobile site to your home screen and allow the site to send you push notifications if you want to continue receiving them, or install Metal or Tinfoil, a pair of apps that are little more than skins for the mobile site. Any of these options will save on internal storage space, RAM consumption and battery life.
I can't send or receive messages
If you're trying to send a sticker to your friend and Facebook Messenger is not delivering your vital correspondence, do not despair. Although the situation may seem desperate beyond all comprehension, the solution could well be simple.
Ensure, firstly, that the app is up to date. Head into the Google Play Store, hit the menu button and press on My apps & games. From here, see if Messenger is among the apps awaiting an update. If it is, simply press on it and hit the Update button.
Alternatively, if Facebook Messenger is not connecting, try the mobile site.
You can also take a look here to see if Facebook Messenger is down in your area or other users are experiencing problems. Whether or not Facebook is using you to conduct psychological tests, you might just have to wait until the service returns.
All (or some) of my messages have disappeared
If you've accidentally deleted your messages, which is not easily done, then you're out of luck; they're gone. But maybe you just archived them, in which case you are in luck.
Head to the mobile or desktop site, click on the messages button then See all > More > Archived (for desktop users) or go to your messages, press See all messages, scroll to the bottom and press View Archived Messages (on the mobile site) and see if you can find the message you long for there.
Facebook Messenger is not working
If Messenger is pulling out its big malfunctioning guns and giving you a blank screen, or you're getting a lot of Unfortunately Facebook Messenger has stopped messages, then there are a few things to try.
First, check your Android OS is up to date by going to Settings > About device > Software update > Update now. Make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi and you have more than 50 percent battery before you do this, though. If your phone needed an update, installing it might be enough to fix the problem, otherwise, read on.
Next, try going to Settings > Applications > Application manager > All > Messenger and hit Clear data and Clear cache.
Make sure the app is up to date, as well, by opening the Google Play Store, hitting the menu button and pressing on My apps & games. From here, see if Messenger is among the apps awaiting an update and press on it and hit the Update button if it is.
Finally, try uninstalling the app and reinstalling it. Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager > All > Messenger and press Uninstall. Then head into the Play Store and download it again.
Let us know in the comments if there are any problems you're struggling with, and we'll do our best to address them.