Despite Facebook losing a lot of trust and users, Facebook Messenger is still one of the most downloaded instant messaging apps. Recently, some users experienced certain connectivity issues with the app, stating that Messenger won’t connect to Wi-Fi no matter what they do.
Table of contents:
- Check out your network
- Clear cache and data from the app
- Reinstall Messenger
- Install an older version of APK
Why is Messenger not connecting to the Internet?
If the reason isn’t something on a global scale (you can confirm that on DownDetector), your device is the one to blame. Also, make sure that your chat contacts are not restricted. To restrict friends in Messenger, open the conversation and tap on their profile photo at the top. You should see the Restrict option near the bottom.
In case you are not sure what to try when Messenger is not connecting to Wi-Fi, check the 4 steps we provided for you.
Solution 1 – Check out your network (make sure not to prevent Msg from data limitations)
The “Waiting for network” error points towards connectivity issues first. If you are positive that your wireless network works flawlessly, move to the second step.
But, if you are experiencing issues like prolonged loading of web pages, make sure to check these steps and fix connection issues with Facebook Messenger:
- Disconnect and connect again to your wireless network.
- Restart your phone/tablet and router or modem.
- Disable VPN or proxy temporarily.
- Navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps > Facebook Messenger and, under Restrict data usage, ensure that Wi-Fi and Mobile Data are enabled.
- Make sure that no other devices are straining the network.
- Disable Bluetooth or NFC temporarily.
- Reset Network settings to factory values.
- For even more solutions, check out our article about Wi-Fi issues on Android.
Solution 2 – Clear cache and data from the app
The next step you should try in case Messenger won’t connect to Wi-Fi is clearing all cache and data from the app. We might be looking at cache corruption, so the best way is to reset the app by clearing all locally-stored files.
Follow these steps to clear cache and data from Facebook Messenger:
- Open Settings.
- Choose Apps.
- Tap All apps (App manager or Manage apps).
- Open Messenger.
- Tap Storage.
- Clear cache first and then data.
- Reboot your device, log in to your Messenger account again, and look for improvements.
Solution 3 – Reinstall Messenger
If the previous steps failed to address the problem with the app, we suggest reinstalling Messenger on your device. This will not only clear all locally stored files but will also provide you with the latest version of the app. In case you forgot to update it for some reason.
Here’s how to reinstall Facebook Messenger on Android:
- Navigate again to Settings > Apps > All apps > Messenger.
- Uninstall the app and clear cache and data when prompted.
- Navigate to the Play Store and install the app.
- Reboot your device.
- Log in again.
Solution 4 – Install an older version of APK
Finally, we can only recommend downgrading the app to an older version by sideloading an APK. Chances are the current version of Facebook Messenger has a flaw that causes issues with Wi-Fi.
If you are unsure how to downgrade Facebook Messenger, follow these instructions:
- Uninstall Facebook Messenger.
- Navigate to APK Mirror or use any APK aggregator and look for Facebook Messenger.
- Download the APK. We recommend that the APK is not older than 2 months and that it’s not a Beta release.
- Run the APK and allow the installation of third-party apps on your device when prompted.
- Clear cache and data and then sign in with your credentials.
In the end, you can use Facebook Messenger Lite for the time being, until the problem is addressed by the developer.
Thank you for reading and make sure to tell us if these steps helped you or not in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in April 2021. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
