Thanks to Facebook Messenger (among other platforms), we now have a constant global connection with our friends and family.
On top of that, we can easily share messages, photos, videos, and even more with our loved ones with the simple click of a button.
But have you tried reaching someone on Messenger, only to receive a notification that says “Not Reachable”?
What does “Not Reachable” mean on Messenger, anyway?
Simply put, “Not Reachable” on Messenger means that the person you’re trying to contact isn’t currently active on the app, or that Facebook cannot reach them for some reason.
This can happen due to a variety of reasons.
It can include situations where:
- Someone’s phone is turned off
- They aren’t connected to the internet, or
- They’re experiencing other technical issues.
When any of these factors are present, there’s a chance you might see a “Not Reachable” notification.
While some causes might only need a quick-fix, such as restarting your phone or resetting your Wi-Fi or mobile data, others might require expert intervention.
No need to worry though; our article has these covered, so you’ll know exactly what to do!
Let’s dive in and help you reconnect with your family and friends ASAP!
What Does It Mean When You Call Someone And It Says “Not Reachable”?
Their Phone is Turned Off
When the person you’re trying to contact has switched off their mobile phone for some reason, you won’t be able to reach them on Messenger.
In other words, they aren’t currently active on the app!
Unfortunately, the only way to get around this is to reach out through someone else, or wait until they’re back online.
No (Or Slow) Internet Connection
Perhaps the most common reason for someone being “Not Reachable” is due to a poor internet connection.
If a person doesn’t have an internet connection via Wi-Fi or cellular data, they’re considered to be offline- and thus unreachable on Messenger as well.
Additionally, a slow, insufficient internet connection could also be the reason why someone isn’t currently reachable on Messenger.
There’s a chance that you might even see that the person’s active on Messenger- but still be unable to reach them on a call due to a poor internet connection.
To clarify, the connection can still support the messaging/chat function, but isn’t sufficient enough for voice or video calls.
Note that a slow connection is a two-way street; it could either be your or the recipients’ poor connection that is causing issues.
Technical Problems
Facebook is a tech giant with notable innovations such as Facebook Messenger and the upcoming, much-touted Metaverse.
However, this doesn’t mean that it’s immune to technical issues!
There are tons of ways Messenger might stop working, from beeping instead of ringing to not being able to make calls properly or experiencing zooming errors with its camera function.
Luckily there are also various ways to fix Facebook Messenger’s issues, which we’ll now tackle in the next section!
Is There Any Way to Fix A “Not Reachable” Status?
Now that you’re aware of what it means when it says “Not Reachable” when you try to call someone on Messenger, you probably want to know whether there’s a way we can fix it.
Fortunately we can fix some of the issues, especially if the problem is on our side. Otherwise, you may have to ask the other person to take a look at it from their end as well!
Let’s dive right in to some of the issues:
Restart Your Phone
You’re probably already aware of this all-time quick fix that has the ability to fix many smartphone problems.
Rebooting your device resets its system and memory, thereby fixing issues that might be present- even those you didn’t know you had.
So, how do you restart your phone?
It’s simple! Long press the power button for about 8 seconds.
Alternatively, long pressing the button until the power menu pops up, selecting Restart, and waiting for your device to reset is also another way to reboot your device.
Restart The Wi-Fi Connection
If someone’s calling you on Messenger and it says “Not Reachable” despite you being online, it could be due to an issue with your internet connection.
You can fix many network connection problems by manually disconnecting and then reconnecting to the Wi-Fi or data on your phone.
If the above doesn’t work, try to reboot your internet connection by switching the router off and back on from its power source!
Force Stop The Messenger App
Sometimes, the problem might not be with your device but with the Messenger app itself!
In such situations, forcing your Messenger app to stop might do the trick.
Here’s how you can simply and safely force stop the Facebook Messenger app if you are an Android user:
- Go to Settings on your phone and Click on ‘Apps’
- Select or search for “Messenger” on the list of apps
- Click on ‘Force Stop’ and confirm by clicking OK
Here’s a short video for you to watch if you need more help force stopping Messenger or any other app on Android devices.
An Apple purist, you say?
Here’s how you can force quit Facebook Messenger on your iPhone if it’s unresponsive or misbehaving:
Update The Facebook Messenger App
You may also improve your Facebook Messenger function by updating the app.
An update will help you fix some bugs that might interfere with your calls. This will also give you access to the latest available features and boost the app’s security.
What’s great is that it’s pretty straightforward.
Simply visit your phone’s designated app store, find Messenger and click on updates if there are any.
Easy, right?
Visit Your Phone’s Service Center
Have you tried all of the possible fixes you can think of, and still nothing seems to work?
Sometimes, our problems need us to take the longer- and at times- more costly route.
In this case, the best course of action may be to visit your nearest technical support center.
There, an expert should be able to determine what has rendered Facebook Messenger calls “Not Reachable” and fix it (or at the very least, advise on the next steps!).
Related Questions
How do I make myself unavailable on Messenger?
Sometimes, you just want to catch up with what everyone else is up to on Facebook without having to chat with anyone.
So, what can you do?
You can either deactivate Messenger completely, or hide your availability with a few clicks.
However, do note that by doing so you also won’t be able to see whether your friends are online at that moment.
To do this, simply follow these steps:
- Click on your profile’s avatar on the navigation bar at the top.
- Select the ‘Active Status’ option to access your status options.
- Disable ‘Active Status’ by moving the slider to the left.
Follow the same steps and move the slider to Active when you want to appear online again.
If you’re using Messenger on your desktop, here are the steps to follow:
- Click on the three dots on the top right of the chat section.
- Tap on ‘Turn Off Active Status’ to hide your chat availability from all your connections.
There are other options available if you want to be visible to only a specific group of users.
Adjust your preferences on a per person basis by typing the names of those you want (or don’t want) to see you active on the dialogue box.
Click on ‘Ok’ to save your preference, and you should be good to go!
How do I know if someone has blocked me on Messenger?
The easiest way to find out is by sending the person a message on Messenger.
If the message goes through as normal, the user hasn’t blocked you!
However, if the message remains undelivered, it could mean that the contact has blocked you on Messenger or Facebook, or that they’ve deactivated their account.
If you’re not blocked, you will still be able to tell whether the person is active on Facebook and just not responding to your messages.
If you can see them active on the app posting or commenting on other users’ posts, they’re probably ignoring you.
This could also be an indication that the person has blocked you on Messenger but not on the main Facebook platform.
You won’t be able to view their profile at all if they’ve also blocked you on Facebook or have deactivated their account!
In Conclusion
Whether to share some good news, emergency information, or just from some good ol’ chitchat, we never want anything getting in the way of our phone calls.
It’s perfectly normal then to be irked every time we want to make a Messenger call, only to find that our contact isn’t reachable!
However, as we embrace technological advancement and its benefits, we do also need to be prepared for inevitable glitches from time to time.
Thankfully, you can quickly fix most of Facebook Messenger call’s issues in less than four steps, as we’ve highlighted above.
We hope our article helped you understand what “Not Reachable” means on Messenger and given you useful insights on fixing the issue!