What does “This message is unavailable on this app” for the Messenger phone app mean, and how to fix it?

Messenger is a popular app, but it’s not prone to issues and bugs. Fortunately, you can fix many of them yourself. So let's figure out what to do if you face the "This message is unavailable on this app" error while chatting with your Facebook friends.

Such an alert means that the user to whom you sent a text or voice message cannot read it or listen to it. Let’s explore the most popular reasons why this error occurs and solutions to them.

Reason 1. The user blocked you

Unfortunately, sometimes people do not want to communicate with us and simply close the opportunity to text them via the Messenger app. There is nothing you can do about it. Only the owner of the profile can remove the block. Therefore, the only way to help yourself if you really need to contact a person but see the "This message is unavailable on this app" error is to call or write to them in other applications – for example, in WhatsApp, Telegram, Zoom, etc.

Reason 2. The user deleted their account or was blocked by Facebook

Another reason you may encounter a message unavailable on this app messenger problem is that the account has been deleted. If you were chatting with a person, and over time the account has been deleted at the person's request or blocked by Facebook administrators, you won't be able to continue chatting. Perhaps the user was tired of chatting in Messenger and deleted the app or posted something that violated Facebook rules.

Reason 3. Closed profile

If the user closed their profile, i.e., restricted access in the settings, and you are not listed as their friend, you will also see the alert "This message is unavailable on this app". Fortunately, you can quickly deal with this. Just add this user as a friend. Once this person confirms your request, you can start exchanging messages with them.

As you can see, there are many reasons why you may face the “This message is not available on this app” error in Messenger. But the reason is not always the failure of the application. So if you encounter this, try contacting the user in another way. If you see a lot of such messages, try to clean the cache in your app's settings and contact UNKNOWN TAG — ins.

Reason 4. Internal Facebook server failures

Yes, sometimes the reason you get this message is not available on this app messenger can be due to internal Facebook failures. Usually they are temporary and the problem is resolved as soon as Facebook staff fixes the problem. Sometimes these breakdowns can be accompanied by other glitches and bugs. You can contact support so that they can help you fix internal problems.

Reason 5. You may have blocked user

Yes, this can also cause a message not available on this app. You may have accidentally clicked in the wrong place, resulting in blocking the user. To check this, go to the profile. If you can't scroll through the feed, view the user's photo, and instead see a message saying that the profile is locked, then that's definitely the reason for the "message unavailable" difficulty. You need to unlock the user to access the message.

Get Rid of the "This person Is unavailable on messenger" message

Don't be upset if you receive a notification this message is not available on this app in chat. This problem can easily be solved and the message can be accessed again. Here are three ways to try it out that really work. Try each of them so that you don't face the message unavailable on messenger problem again.

Update the app to latest version

One way to get rid of the message is not available on this app is to update the app to the latest version. This will help get rid of any glitches in the current version. Here are short instructions to help you:

1. First, go to the App Store or Google Play. Make sure you are logged into your account or Apple ID.
2. Now go to the menu and find the "My apps" tab. Among the available apps from the list you should find Facebook. To make things easier, you can use the search function.
3. Open the Facebook app page and check if the Refresh button next to it is active. If so, tap it to start the update process.
4. When the update is complete, remember to re-login to your account and check if the messenger this message is not available is resolved.

Try using the web version

Sometimes the problem this message is not available in this app may only affect the app. Therefore, in order to solve it, you need to go to the web version of the platform. To do this, use a PC or laptop, and a browser that is convenient for you. Just type Facebook in the search bar, go to the official website of the platform, log in to your account and go to the tab Messages. Check if your message is displayed and if the message unavailable messenger problem is resolved.

But if you don't have a laptop or PC handy, you can open Facebook in the web version even from your smartphone or tablet. To do this, you need to:

1. Open Safari or Google Chrome on your device and write Facebook in the search bar.
2. Then go to the official website. Don't worry, it will adjust to your device type. You will be prompted to go to the app, but you need to refuse.
3. Now in the Web version, log in and go to messages. Check if you see the messenger message unavailable or if the problem has been resolved.

Connect to another Wi-Fi or phone network

Very often the error message unavailable on this app and other problems on Facebook are due to instability or breakdown of your network. For example, your Wi-Fi connection is constantly interrupted or not available at all due to a broken line. It can also be caused by network congestion, usually it happens at coffee shops, co-working spaces, and other public places. In this case, the application can't retrieve your message, so you see the message unavailable in messenger. Also, when this happens, you can't scroll through the feed, view photos, or send a message. In this case, it is recommended to change your network to another one. Or you can switch to a mobile network and, if necessary, create a hotspot. This way you can solve the messenger this message is not available on this app and continue chatting.