If you’ve ever seen the error message “This person is unavailable on Messenger,” it can be a very confusing and disheartening experience. After all, many people rely on Facebook Messenger as their primary means of communication.
Fortunately, there are a few quick and easy solutions to this problem that don’t require any technical know-how. In this article, we will discuss what “This person is unavailable on Messenger” means, explore nine ways to fix it without needing technical knowledge or expertise and learn how to prevent it from occurring in the future.
What Does This Message Mean?
When you try to communicate with somebody on the Facebook Messenger app, the message saying “This person is unavailable on Messenger” may appear in your chat window. This means that for some reason, this person is not able to receive messages on Messenger.
The most common reason for this “unavailability” is when the recipient has blocked or deactivated their Facebook account and/or Facebook Messenger account. If it’s just a temporary issue, they may be logged out of their account and will become available again once they log in.
In some cases, the user might have their account disabled by Facebook due to violations of their community standards or other issues.
You can try a few things to figure out why you can’t communicate with someone on Messenger:
- Check if the person has blocked you;
- Check if there’s an issue with your internet connection;
- Try sending a message on another platform;
- Try sending them a friend request through another platform;
- Try disabling and re-enabling your chat window;
- Ask someone mutual friend if they know what’s going on;
- Send them an email instead;
- Ask them why they’re unavailable instead;
- Use other messaging services such as WhatsApp or Line instead.
If none of these options work and you don’t hear from them at all, then it’s likely that either your intended recipient has blocked or deactivated their account — in which case there isn’t much you can do about it — or that something else has gone wrong with either your account or theirs and could use troubleshooting from Messenger Support.
9 Quick Ways to Fix “This Person Is Unavailable on Messenger”
Did you get the message, “This person is unavailable on Messenger” when you tried to send them a message? This usually means that the person has blocked you, has their chat settings set to ‘off’, or the person is temporarily unavailable.
If you’re getting this message and you have no idea why, here are 9 quick ways to fix it.
1. Check Your Internet Connection
One of the most common solutions when running into any kind of connectivity issues with the Facebook Messenger app is to check your network connection.
This means that you need to ensure that your phone is connected to a stable network, either by WiFi or by cellular data and then attempt to access the app again.
If the issue persists, you may want to turn off Cellular Data, and switch between WiFi networks if you have multiple options available.
If this doesn’t help, try turning on airplane mode for a few seconds before turning it back off — this can often jumpstart your connection if it has been stuck in limbo for too long.
Finally, if all else fails, try reinstalling Facebook Messenger from either the App Store or Google Play Store. Don’t forget to log in again with your credentials after reinstallation — many people think they’re already logged in because they were pre-logged into their device.
2. Check If the Person Is Blocked
Sometimes when you come across a message that says “This person is unavailable on Messenger” it could mean that the person you are trying to contact has blocked your account or deactivated it. This could be the reason why your messages to them are not being delivered.
The first thing you can do to determine if this is the case is to check if your contact lists still include their profile name or number. Also check if you can search for them in conversations with others and in other groups.
If their name is still there, then they have more likely just blocked you temporarily rather than deleted their profile.
Another way to tell if they have blocked you is if they have previously been active on Messenger but now appear offline all the time, even when they log back in again afterward. If this appears to be the case, then it’s highly likely that they have just blocked your account temporarily.
In such a situation, one of the best things that you can do is just wait for some time before contacting them again and apologize for anything wrong (if applicable) as this could help unblock your account sooner rather than later.
3. Check If You Have Been Blocked
The first thing you should do is check if you’ve been blocked by your contact. To do this, search for their profile on Facebook and see if their page displays a “Message” button or if it reads “Blocked.”
If it displays the latter, then your contact has blocked you and that is why you can no longer send them messages through Messenger. In this case, there is unfortunately nothing you can do to resolve the issue unless they choose to unblock you themselves.
If accessing their profile does not indicate that they have blocked you however, then your issue might be more complicated than a simple block and further action will be necessary. Questions applicable to this kind of situation include: Is their account deactivated?
Is the message being sent correctly? Does the recipient have access to their messages? Are their settings blocking incoming messages? The next section covers potential solutions for all of these predicaments.
4. Check If the Person Has Deactivated Their Account
If the person you want to chat with has deactivated their Facebook account, there is no way for them to appear as an available contact in Messenger. If this is the case, you will see a blank space in place of their profile picture or initials on your messages list. It may appear as “This Person Is Unavailable on Messenger.”
Before concluding the issue is due to the recipient’s Facebook account being deactivated, first check if they have blocked you instead. To do this, open a conversation they had with someone else and see if their name and picture display beside it. If it does, it means they have not deactivated their account after all; they have just blocked you from chatting with them.
If this is not the case, then it is likely that the person has permanently removed or deactivated his/her Facebook account and there is nothing more you can do about it. You can always try sending them a message but it may never reach its intended recipient if their account no longer exists.
5. Check If You Have Been Unfriended
If the error occurs in the context of a two-person conversation, your contact might have removed you from their list of friends. An easy way to check if this is the case is to open up the profile page of your contact and see if they appear in your friends’ list.
If they do not show up there, then it could mean that they have either blocked you from viewing their profile or removed you from their list of friends altogether.
In any case, reach out to them using some other means outside Messenger and confirm with them about what may have happened.
6. Check If You Have Been Unfollowed
It is also possible that the person that you wish to message has unfollowed or blocked you. This will mean their account will show as unavailable on Messenger, even though their status may appear as active.
You can check if someone has blocked or unfollowed you by going to the top of your Facebook page, clicking ‘Friends’ and entering the name of the person who appears to be unavailable on Messenger into the search bar.
If they have blocked or unfollowed you, a message will appear saying “You’re Not Friends” or a message stating “The Following People Are Blocked From Seeing What You Post”, with the name of the person in question appearing in this list.
7. Check If the Person Has Been Reported
If somebody has been reported for unwanted behavior, there’s a chance that their account has been restricted or blocked by Facebook. To check whether this is the case, try searching for the person in Facebook’s “People” search.
If you see their profile listed there, but they appear as ‘unavailable’ when you try to contact them on Messenger, then it’s likely their account is restricted.
In some cases, the person might have voluntarily given up their account by deactivating it. You can check by sending them a message and seeing if they respond or wait a few days to see if they log back in.
If you are still unable to contact them after a few days, then it’s likely their account has been deactivated.
If neither of these scenarios applies, then it may be that your friend’s device is not set up correctly and the issue could be fixed with steps provided in our next section.
8. Check If the Person Has Blocked You
It’s possible that the person has blocked your account. This can have a few different causes, such as privacy concerns or a conflict between you both. Here are some tips for checking if the user has blocked your account:
- Check the person’s profile picture. If the profile picture does not appear or appears generic, then it is possible that they have blocked you.
- Confirm if other users cannot view their profile either. If this is happening to more than just yourself, then it’s likely that they have blocked everyone who is trying to see their profile.
- Try sending them a new message on Messenger; they may unblock you once they receive it and respond.
9. Check If the Person Has Muted You
If the person has muted you, then even if you can see their profile picture and compose messages to them, they will never receive notifications for your messages.
To verify if someone has blocked or muted you on Messenger, look at the conversation between you and the person to see if it’s marked as Muted or if the user is too busy.
But it’s important to understand that sometimes a user may have blocked or muted themselves and this will also cause problems — they won’t be able to receive messages from anyone else either.
The best way to find out what is going on is by checking with the user directly. You can do this in a number of ways; through phone call or text message, or direct messaging on another platform such as Instagram, Twitter etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still send messages to someone who is unavailable on Messenger?
No, if someone is unavailable on Messenger, you will not be able to send them messages on the platform. However, you may be able to contact them through other means, such as email or another social media platform.
How long does it take for someone to become available on Messenger again?
The availability of a person on Messenger depends on the reason for their unavailability. If they simply have not been using Messenger recently, they may become available again once they log back in.
If they have deactivated their account, they will not be available until they reactivate it. If they have blocked you, you will not be able to message them on Messenger unless they unblock you.
Is there a way to prevent someone from becoming unavailable on Messenger?
No, you cannot control the availability of other users on Messenger. However, you can try to maintain open lines of communication with the people you message frequently to ensure that you are both available and reachable on the platform.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has helped to clarify the issue of “This person is unavailable on Messenger”. There are many possible solutions available when you encounter this message, and the best way to fix it will depend on the individual situation.
Whether you need to refresh the app, contact your carrier or file a report with Facebook support, there’s a fix available.
It’s important to remember that you can use Facebook messaging without an active connection with other users, or as an instant messenger.
If you experience any issues with messaging another user directly, we recommend checking your settings before delving into more technical solutions.
In general, if something isn’t working it can often help to restart your device or reinstall the messenger app. However, if problems persist then it’s worth reporting your issues to Facebook Support who may be able to help further.
Ultimately messages from unavailable contacts will remain in their outbox until delivered or deleted by yourself or punished in accordance with applicable laws and regulations by Facebook who process your data for messaging features.
