In this digital era, communication services like Messenger have become popular worldwide. The service allows users to connect with friends and family with just a few taps. While the developers actively moderate the app, sometimes you might have issues with it. Recently, many people started complaining that they are getting the “This Person Is Unavailable On Messenger” error.
This can be frustrating, especially if you need to contact that person urgently. If you get the same error message, you have landed on the correct page. This article will tell you everything about the “this person is unavailable on Messenger” issue. Not only this, but we have also provided some fixes that can help you get in touch with the person.
Why Does It Say This Person Is Unavailable On Messenger But Not Blocked?
There are various reasons why this particular error may occur, and you will have to act accordingly. Remember that Facebook does not have customer support but a Help Center where you can find answers to basic questions related to their services. Not every error or issue is listed there, so you must perform the tasks yourself to resolve the issues. Here are a few possible causes of this error:
- Either you or the person has blocked the other.
- They have been deactivated, or Facebook has suspended their account.
- The profile status has been changed to private.
- The person might have deleted their account.
- The Messenger app is not installed on their device.
What Happens When It Says This Person Is Unavailable On Messenger?
Facebook separated the Messenger app from the official app in 2015, and you won’t be able to connect with a person without using it on your mobile devices. The web version of Facebook does have the messages feature, but mobile users have no choice but to solve issues like this to stay connected with their friends.
As we’ve said above, this error restricts the ability of your account to connect with the person on whose profile you are getting this message. Finding out the issue before you can begin following its fixes is important. If you are clueless, you can try the fixes individually; eventually, something will work out.
How To Fix This Person Is Unavailable On Messenger Issue?
Now you know why it says this person is unavailable on Messenger, and you might be ready to begin fixing it. There are numerous methods available to fix this problem but only a few will work, and below we have shared some of the work this person is unavailable on messenger fixes that anyone can follow.
1. Check If The Account Exists Or Not:
There is a possibility that the profile of the person you’re trying to contact is not available. It can be because they have either deactivated their Messenger account or their account has been terminated by Facebook. If this is the case, you won’t be able to communicate with them, and the Messenger app will display this error message.
Before trying any fixes, you must confirm that the person’s account is still active, as you can lock the Facebook account easily. Take the help of one of your mutual Facebook friends and ask them to check the person’s account. You can also create a new Facebook profile and search for their account. This will help you to understand the real cause of the issue.
However, if your mutual friend or secondary account confirms that the person’s account is still active, you should check if they have blocked you. If you cannot see the person’s account, then there are possibilities that they have either deactivated it or had it suspended by Facebook.
If it is the first, then use your new account or mutual friend’s account to ask them to reactivate their account, and if it is the second, then they will have to create a new account.
2. Ask The Person To Unblock You Or Vice-Versa:
When an account is not able to connect with another, there are possibilities that one of them might have blocked the other. You must look for signs related to your accounts to determine if this is true. Check if you can invite that particular contact to a group.
Their profile picture, posts, and profile are visible when you search for them by name? and if the person still appearing in your friends list?
If the answer to all of these questions is “NO,” then it’s likely that the person has blocked you on Facebook. However, if you can see their profile and posts on Facebook but cannot message them, you will likely be blocked only on Messenger.
You can contact the person by phone or email and ask them to unblock you.
Well, sometimes things can go against you too. There is a high chance that you might have blocked the contact accidentally, and now you have to unblock your friend.
This can be done using mobile applications and the Facebook desktop website. You can follow the steps below to see the people you’ve blocked on Facebook.
1. Using Desktop:
- Open the official Facebook website – https://www.facebook.com/
- Click on the Profile Picture (menu button) on the top-right.
- Now, click on Settings & Privacy -> Settings.
- A new page will open; click on Privacy on the left sidebar.
- Click on the Blocking option and then the EDIT option under the Block Users option.
- Tap on See Your Blocked List.
A list of Facebook contacts that you’ve blocked will appear. Just click on the Unblock button in front of the account you want to unblock. Now try contacting the person you’ve unblocked, and you won’t get any errors.
2. Using Mobile App:
- Open the Facebook app and click on the 3 Lines (menu option).
- Now click on the Small Gear icon.
- A new page will open. Click on Profile Settings under the Profile option.
- Under the Privacy section, you must click on the Blocking option.
- Now a list of blocked contacts will appear. Unblock the contact you want to send the message to.
3. The Account May Be Temporarily Or Permanently Restricted:
The platform restricts or bans the account whenever a Facebook account violates terms and conditions or community guidelines. There are chances that your friend’s account was temporarily suspended for breaking one of these rules, and it might get back very soon. In more severe cases, Facebook may permanently ban the account too.
The duration of the Facebook account suspension depends on the severity of the violation committed by the user. Your friend might have done it and might be in the cooldown period. Whenever you delete a Facebook account, it gives you a 14-day cooling period to reverse your decision. Once it ends, the account will be deleted permanently.
4. Issues With The Facebook Or Messenger App:
As mentioned above, Facebook app developers keep releasing new updates with patches and bug fixes. You must consider using the latest version, and if you haven’t updated your app in a while, it can cause Facebook this person is unavailable on Messenger error. You can visit your respective app store, update your Facebook and Messenger applications, and try sending the message again.
If you are getting this person is unavailable on Messenger but can see the profile picture, then it is sure that you are not blocked. Sometimes, internet services face downtime, and it is not just you but a lot of people around the world who might be facing the same problem. You can check Facebook’s official Twitter account or websites like DownDetector to see if Messenger service is facing an outage.
5. Try Using The Desktop Version:
If you’re using the Messenger app on your phone and have already updated it, you might be experiencing errors due to minor bugs in the app. You can try accessing Messenger from a web browser on your PC to see if the problem persists. If you don’t experience issues using the web version, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the Messenger app on your phone.
If you see this person is unavailable on Messenger but shows active, then there might be issues with your network connection. The Messenger app and many other installed applications may not function properly in such cases. To avoid this issue, try to connect to a stronger network with higher internet speed whenever possible.
6. Reach Out To Facebook Support Team:
Suppose you cannot solve the issue and still get the “this person is unavailable on messenger” notification. In that case, you can also contact the Facebook support team for assistance. No Live Chat or Ticket method is available to contact support, but you can email them for help.
To contact Facebook support, email their main email address: support@fb.com. Don’t forget to explain your problem in detail; hopefully, they will get back to you with possible solutions. Another possible solution is watching the tutorials on YouTube, as many people have posted fixes related to this problem.
Frequently Asked Questions:
As the error indicates, it will display this message on the contact’s chat when you can’t connect with a person on Facebook Messenger. There are multiple reasons behind this problem, blocking, account suspension, deactivation, or simply it can be because the person you are trying to connect with has not installed the Messenger app.
The Messenger person unavailable issue is not always permanent. If the reason behind this message is that the person has deactivated their account, they may reactivate it, making their Messenger account available again. Similarly, if the person has a private profile, they may change their privacy settings to allow messages from people they don’t know.
If you get this error while connecting with someone, you can’t do anything but follow the methods mentioned on this page. However, if someone else is getting this error while connecting with you, then there is a high chance that you might have blocked the person. You can review the Blocked Contacts list or see if there are restrictions on your account.
“you can’t message this account” and “This person is unavailable on Messenger” are almost the same, but their cause is different. If you get the first error, the profile has been permanently deleted or blocked. In contrast, the second error indicates that the issue is temporary and can be resolved.
If someone has blocked you, your account will be restricted from communicating on Messenger with that person. You won’t be able to send messages to the individual, and their profile will be hidden. Search their Facebook and Messenger profiles to confirm if you have been blocked. If their profile is not visible, then it is highly likely that they have blocked you.
Final Words
It ain’t tough to solve issues like “This person is unavailable on Messenger.” You can follow the methods we mentioned on this page, and we are sure you can eliminate the problem. Remember that there’s always a fix available, and you must try messaging the same person again after following every fix.
While Facebook has millions of daily active users worldwide, its support system is outdated. You must wait weeks and sometimes months to get a satisfactory answer. Instead, you must try solving the issues by following the methods mentioned here on New Vision Theatres. And if you want assistance with something listed above, do connect with us via the comments below.
Hi, I am Anshul Mathur. A Cisco Certified Network Associate and Blogger from Sikar, Rajasthan. I love digging deep into the technology world, therefore I write about it on this blog.
