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Picture this: it’s an old friend’s birthday, and you want to send them a birthday greeting. You log onto Facebook Messenger and scroll down to their chat with a nice message in mind. You’re about to start typing when you see the error message: this person is unavailable on Messenger.
Even though you understand that that person isn’t available on Messenger, you might wonder why you cannot communicate with them.
In this guide, we’re going to explain what the statement “this person is unavailable on messenger” means, the reasons behind it, and how to fix the problem! We will also answer a few frequently asked questions at the end, so make sure you stay tuned for those.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the problem.
What Does “This Person is Unavailable on Messenger” Mean?
Before you worry about the problem coming from your side, it’s important to remember that when you see the statement that the other person isn’t available on Messenger, it usually means that he or she is the one in control of the Facebook account.
To put it simply, it means that whoever you want to message has not made themselves available on their Facebook Messenger account. However, the question still remains. Why does the error message keep popping up? Unfortunately, the answer to this question isn’t particularly pleasant, which means that you might want to brace yourself for a few awkward conversations with your friends or family members.
What Could be the possible reasons for the “This Person is Unavailable on Messenger” Error?
Here’s what “This Person is Unavailable on Messenger” means:
You have been blocked by the person you want to message.
As we mentioned earlier, the answers to your question aren’t as pleasant as we would like them to be. You cannot see someone else on Facebook Messenger because they have blocked you. Before you take it personally, your friend or family member may have blocked you and several other people on their friend list because they were sick of using Facebook. They might have also blocked you because they suspected that their account was hacked, and didn’t want the hacker to gain access to personal chats and interactions with friends. Additionally, there might be other reasons that you were blocked and that person probably might not want to tell you why.
You could have accidentally blocked them.
Another possibility is that you accidentally blocked the person you want to message! Don’t feel bad about doing this, because there’s a good chance that you did so by accident. If you blocked them, all you need to do is go to your settings and unblock them, and then they will no longer appear as unavailable on your Facebook Messenger chat.
Your friend or family member deleted their Facebook account.
There comes a time when using social networking sites like Facebook becomes too stressful, and some people need a little break. Therefore, the reason that they might not show up on your Messenger app as available is that they have deleted their Facebook account entirely! All you need to do in this situation is simply message them on another social media platform or give them a call.
They might have deactivated their account.
If you are not familiar with the process of deactivation, it is when a person temporarily shuts their Facebook account down without deleting it. Deactivating it means that when their account shuts down, their friends and family cannot contact them at all through Facebook. Once they decide to come back, all they need to do is simply log into the account as they normally would, and their account comes back to life.
This Person is Unavailable on Messenger Fixes
Fixing this error is simpler than you might think! You don’t have to do any coding or contact Facebook support for help. Instead, you could try out one of the fixes mentioned below:
Unblock Your Friend or Ask your Friend To Unblock You
If you’re in the unfortunate position of being blocked by a friend, the solution to the problem is easy. Have a conversation with them, and ask them to unblock you! You might have an unresolved issue with each other, so clearing the air can help you straighten things out. On the other hand, if you blocked your friend, all you need to do is unblock them.
Here’s a quick step-by-step process explaining how to unblock someone on a desktop browser:
- Go to the dropdown menu at the top right corner of your screen.
- Click on the option that says Settings.
- Click on the option that says Privacy.
- Under Privacy, you will see an option that says Blocking.
- Click on it, and a list of previously blocked people will appear.
- Unblock the friend you want to contact, and you’re all set.
Check If the person has deleted the Facebook ID or Messenger.
If blocking or being blocked by someone isn’t the problem, check and see if they’ve deleted their Facebook ID or the Messenger app from their phone. Your phone or computer might have glitched temporarily, which is why they appear unavailable on Messenger. Therefore, to check if someone has deleted their Facebook ID, search for their name in the website’s search bar, and if their name comes up, then it means they haven’t deleted their account. This means that they might have deleted Messenger from their phone. If they have, simply message them on another app, email them, or give them a call!
Check Facebook Memories.
Another way to solve this problem is to check your Facebook memories. All you need to do is the following:
- Go to the top right corner of your screen and click on the dropdown menu.
- Scroll down the menu until you see the option that reads Memories.
- Click on that option and check to see if there are any memories with the person you want to contact.
- If you can still see their name and access their Facebook profile, then there might be a temporary problem with Facebook Messenger. If you cannot see their name or access their profile, you might have been blocked. Feel free to reach out to them on other social media platforms and resolve the problem!
Try Facebook Lite.
If Facebook Messenger shows you that people are unavailable, it might be because Messenger is taking up too much space on your phone. Therefore, it would be best if you tried using Facebook Lite instead! Once you delete the regular version of Facebook and try Facebook Lite, you might be able to contact people more easily and they won’t show up in Messenger as unavailable.
Check Internet Connection and Facebook Server.
Check your internet connection! This step is one of the easiest fixes to a temporary problem, and it involves checking to see if your WiFi or mobile data is working correctly. If both are working fine, close and reopen the Messenger app, and you should be able to message whoever you want.
Update Facebook Messenger App.
Another simple solution is to update your Facebook Messenger app. To do this, go to the app store on your phone and search for Facebook Messenger. There will be a large button under the app’s icon that says Update. Click on it and allow the app to update. Once you’ve updated the app, you will be able to message the person or people of your choice.
Send a message request to the users.
If you want to message someone on Facebook Messenger, they might appear as unavailable because you aren’t Facebook friends. If you still don’t want to add them as a friend but want to get in touch with them, you could send them a message request. Once they accept your request, you can message them and they won’t show up as unavailable on your screen.
Why am I getting “this person is unavailable on Messenger’’ but not blocked?
This could mean that they’ve deactivated their Facebook account temporarily or they’ve been banned from using Facebook.
Why am I getting “this person is unavailable on Messenger’’ but Active?
This is because that person might have blocked you.
Why am I getting “this person is unavailable on Messenger’’ but Can Call?
This means that they’ve deactivated their account.
Summary
In this article, we walked you through the top reasons behind why someone appears to be unavailable on Facebook Messenger, and how to fix the problem. Even though it can be frustrating when you want to get in touch with someone, the problem is easier to solve than you might think! Before you worry, try out one of our fixes, and hopefully, it will help you.
Also Read – How To Find User Comments on Facebook
