Some users have been complaining that Facebook Messenger stopped working on their iPhone after iOS 17 update. They say that the app is crashing or not opening. When users try to open it, it just disappears, even though it appears to be running when the App Switcher is opened. They have further said that the Messenger app was working before updating to iOS 17.
When affected users open the App Switcher (which can be opened by swiping up or double-pressing the Home button) to see the recently used apps, Facebook Messenger shows up there with a blank white screen and a Meta logo in the middle
Facebook Messenger, now known as just Messenger, is a popular messaging app used by many iPhone users. If Messenger is not working after iOS 17 update, try the following troubleshooting steps to fix the issue:
How to fix Messenger not working after iOS 17 update
Close and reopen Messenger app
Messenger may have stopped working after iOS 17 update due to a minor software glitch. Closing and reopening the app might fix the problem. Here’s how:
- Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the app switcher.
- Find Messenger and slide it all the way up.
- Navigate to the home screen and reopen the Messenger app. Does it work now? If not move on to the next step.
Update Messenger app
The messenger app may not be optimized to work with the latest version of iOS 17. To fix this, ensure you’re running the latest app version. Here’s how:
- Open App Store.
- Tap on your profile icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- Scroll down until you see your available updates. Check if Messenger has one, and hit Update next to it.
- You can also tap on Update All to take care of all updates in one sweep.
Update your iPhone
Make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 17. You can update your iPhone wirelessly by following the steps below:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
Check your Internet connection
For Facebook Messenger to work properly, you need the Internet connection. Make sure that your iPhone has a Wi-Fi connection or a cellular data connection. Likewise, a VPN connection may also cause this problem. Please try these troubleshooting steps to see if they help you:
- If you are using a VPN service, turn off VPN by going to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management > VPN. Does Messenger work when VPN is disabled?
- Restart your Wi-Fi modem/router. Unplug the power cord from your modem/router. Wait about one minute. Then replug the cord.
- Turn on Airplane Mode on your iPhone by going to Settings > Airplane Mode. Wait a minute, then turn off Airplane Mode.
- If you’re trying to use Facebook Messenger over cellular, ensure that Use Cellular Data is on for Messenger. Go to Settings > Cellular Data to check this.
Restart your iPhone
Oh, the good ol’ restart solution. Doing this fixes about 90% of all my tech problems. Try restarting the device when Messenger stopped working after iOS 17 update. This often gets things back up and running. Here is how:
- iPhone XR or newer: Press and hold the volume up (or volume down) and the side button until you see the power off slider and then drag the slider from left to right. This will turn off your iPhone. Then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
- IPhone SE (2nd generation) or newer: Press and hold the side button until you see the red slider. Then drag the slider from left to right. To turn on your iPhone, again press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
Change the text size
This is what fixed my iOS 17 Messenger problem. These steps will slightly change the font size on your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go into Display & Brightness.
- Tap Text Size.
- You will see a slider. Drag the slider slightly to the left to make the fonts a little smaller.
- Exit Settings and now try to load Messenger.
