This Person Is Unavailable on Messenger: Meaning and Fix

July 13, 2024

You might see "This person is unavailable on Messenger" if you can't Facebook message someone.
If your friend has deactivated their Facebook account, you won't be able to send messages to them.
If you've been blocked by someone, Facebook messages won't go through to them.

Despite its popularity, Facebook can be very vague when it comes to explaining why its apps aren't working correctly. You can't contact Facebook directly, which means you have to rely on the platform's Support Center to get help.

But not every error message is listed in the Support Center. For example: What does it mean when the Messenger app tells you "This person is unavailable on Messenger?"

Here's a full guide to what the error message means, why you may be getting it, and how to fix it if you think something's wrong.

What does 'This person is unavailable on Messenger' mean?

If you're seeing this message in your conversation with someone on Messenger, it means that you can't chat with them — obviously. But what causes it?

There are a few reasons why you may be seeing this message when trying to chat with a Facebook friend. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

1. Your friend's account doesn't exist anymore

If the person you're trying to reach has deactivated their Facebook or Messenger account, or Facebook has suspended their account, you won't be able to message them.

To see if this is the case, connect with a mutual friend and see if they're able to access the account of the person you're trying to reach. If they're unable to find the Facebook page of the friend you're trying to contact, this is likely the issue.

If they find your friend's Facebook account and have no issues messaging them, there's a chance your friend may have blocked you.

2. Your friend has blocked you

It's not what anyone wants to hear, but if you've been blocked by another user on Messenger your messages won't be sent to them.

To see if you've been blocked, use the search bar on Facebook to look up your friend. If their page doesn't come up in your search results, but your mutual friends are able to look up their page without issue, there's a good chance you've been blocked.

Once unblocked, you'll be able to message your Facebook friend again. Abigail Abesamis Demarest/Insider

3. The Facebook website or app is having technical issues

If you've confirmed that your friend's account still exists and that you haven't been blocked, your Messenger issue may be the result of a site or app error.

Pop over to Facebook's Twitter account to see if they've reported any issues, log out and back in to your account, refresh your browser, or reinstall your app.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at wantonelli@insider.com. Read more Read less

Abigail Abesamis Demarest

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