What does “This Person is Unavailable on Messenger” Mean?

Many Messenger users often encounter the message “This person is unavailable on Messenger.” This warning pops up when you cannot send messages to someone on Messenger. It can have several meanings, like that person has blocked you or they’ve deleted their account. In this guide, we’ve explained all the reasons behind this issue and quick solutions to resolve it.

What does “This person is unavailable on Messenger” Mean?

The message “This person is unavailable on Messenger” literally means if the user deletes their Messenger account, he/she becomes unavailable.

There can be several other reasons you’re getting this message. Here’s the list of common reasons for which the message will appear and you’ll be unable to communicate:

this-person-unavailable-on-messenger
  • The user you’re trying to message has deactivated their Facebook and Messenger accounts and so you can’t send messages. “This person is unavailable on Messenger” will keep appearing until they reactivate the account.
  • The user blocks you.
  • The user deleted their Facebook or Messenger account.
  • Facebook has suspended or banned the user’s account.
  • You’ve blocked them by mistakes.
  • Their profile is private.
  • Messenger is not working properly.
  • The user doesn’t use the Messenger app.

Now, as you’re aware of the possible reasons behind this error message on Facebook Messenger, you can apply the following solutions to fix the problem.

Check Whether You’re Blocked

The first thing you can try is to check whether you’re blocked or not. If the other person has blocked you, the error “This person is unavailable on Messenger” will appear to you while messaging. So, check out these steps to confirm if you’re being blocked or not:

  1. Open your Facebook and search for the person’s profile whom you’re trying to send messages.
  2. If you can’t find the profile, try searching it using another or someone else’s Facebook account.
  3. If you can see the profile from another account, it indicates the person has removed you on Messenger and Facebook.

Check if the User’s Account is Deactivated

There could be another reason that the user has deactivated or deleted their Messenger and Facebook accounts. Though you can’t know whether the account is deactivated or permanently deleted. But you can check it using another account:

  1. Open Facebook and search for the account you’re trying to connect on Messenger.
  2. If you’re unable to find it, search for it using a friend’s account. If you still can’t find it by any means, it’s confirmed that the account has been deactivated or Facebook has suspended it.
  3. You can also search for the account from different Facebook IDs to confirm. For example, try checking from a friend’s account on their Friends list or Friends of Friends. It’s because sometimes profiles are hidden and can only be seen by friends or friends of friends.

Ensure You Didn’t Block the User

It’s possible that you have blocked the user on your own account by mistake. If that happens, the error message will show up on Messenger. To check if you’ve blocked someone, follow the steps below:

1. Open Messenger and go to the conversation where you see the “This person is unavailable on Messenger” error.

2. Now, press and hold on to the chat to get options. If there’s a Block option, that means you haven’t blocked the person.

3. But, if you get the Unblock option, it means you’ve blocked the person and need to unblock them before messaging.

unblock-option

4. Tap Unblock and you’ll be able to send messages again.

Make Sure the User Account is Not Suspended

Facebook can temporarily or permanently suspend an account for different reasons. That includes violating its Terms and Policies, suspicious login activities, using a fake name, and more.

In extreme cases, Facebook has the authority to ban an account permanently. How long the ban or suspension will hold depends on which Community Guideline the user has broken.

Update Messenger

Updating Messenger is the most effective solution to fix any issues. You may be getting this error message because you’re using an outdated version of the app. 

So, to update it, open the Google Play Store or App Store and update the app.

Additionally, you can uninstall and reinstall the app to remove any glitches as well as clear the cache to resolve the problem.

See Facebook Memories

If you browse memories, you can find likes and comments of other users who might have blocked you. 

To access your memories, tap the three lines on the top-right and select Memories. Scroll through it and find the user’s comment or any interaction on a memory.

Tap the username and if that redirects you to their profile, then you aren’t blocked.

But if that’s not the case, he/she has blocked you from Facebook and Messenger.

You can contact the person directly and sort things out or in case you’ve blocked the person on Facebook, then unblock them and send a friend request.

So, this is all about the “This person is unavailable on Messenger” error. Try your luck to fix it by following these aforesaid tricks. If you have any more issues regarding Messenger or Facebook, let us know in the comment box and we’ll get back to you shortly.