Are you trying to message someone on Facebook, and see a message similar to the following?
- “This person isn’t receiving messages right now.”
- “This person is unavailable on messenger.”
- “This person isn’t receiving messages at this time.”
- “You can’t message this account.”
…And you’re wondering why?
Although this can seem confusing, there’s actually a simple reason behind why you’re seeing this message.
In this article, I’ll cover the 6 reasons why this happens, so you can figure out which applies to you!
1. The Person Has Blocked You On Facebook Messenger
Although we don’t like to think about it, it happens.
If you’ve recently gotten into an argument with someone or you believe they have any reason to block you, than it’s possible that they actually have.
When you are blocked, you will no longer be able to send them any messages.
But did you know that you can be blocked on Messenger, while still being Facebook friends with someone?
If you are still seeing the person’s name and profile picture, it’s possible that you’ve only been blocked on Messenger, or they’ve simply removed you as a friend on Facebook without blocking you.
Some people’s privacy settings only allow them to receive messages from friends, so this could be the reason why.
2. The Person Has Blocked You On Facebook Entirely
If you weren’t blocked on Messenger, that person may have blocked your Facebook account entirely.
This is a bit more serious than just blocking you on Messenger, because it affects all of Facebook’s features.
When you’ve been blocked on Facebook, you will no longer be able to see anything relating to their Facebook page.
Their photo will be removed, and their name will update to simply ‘Facebook User.’
Additionally, they will no longer be your Facebook friend, and you won’t be able to reach their profile while signed into your account, even if you have the direct URL.
And of course, you will not be able to contact them either, with Facebook letting you know that they aren’t receiving messages right now.
That being said, just because someone is appearing as ‘Facebook User’ does not necessarily mean that you’ve been blocked – there’s another explanation, which I’ll cover in just a moment!
3. The Person Deactivated Their Account
In addition to being blocked, one of the most popular reasons Facebook won’t let you message someone is because they’ve deactivated their account.
If their account has been deactivated, you’ll see a message saying that you can’t message the account, or that they’re unavailable on Messenger.
People deactivate their Facebook accounts for a variety of reasons. And let’s be honest, it’s a good idea to take a break from social media these days, even if it’s just for a short period.
When somebody has deactivated their Facebook account, they will no longer be able to receive messages.
However, you will be able to message them again if they decide to reactivate their Facebook account later.
Note that many deactivations are temporary – it does not mean that their account has been permanently closed.
So, check back periodically to see if you are able to message them again!
Note: This is different then them simply being offline. If a person is just offline, you can always send them a message as normal – it will be delivered as soon as they come back online.
4. The Person Is Currently Suspended, And Is Unable To Receive Messages
It is possible that the other person is in ‘Facebook Jail’, meaning that their account is currently suspended for breaking Facebook’s rules.
Sometimes, this is restricted to only specific features (such as leaving comments, or posting new status updates.) However, in some cases, they may be unable to communicate with others entirely.
During this time, they will be unavailable for messaging.
Because only they will know how long they’ve been suspended for, it would be best to contact them through alternate means in order to find out.
Suspensions are usually temporarily, and once the time period is over, you should be able to message them normally once again.
5. You’ve Blocked The Other Person
It’s also possible that you’re the one that blocked the other person!
Perhaps you blocked them a long time ago and simply forgot, or perhaps you ended up blocking them by mistake.
Regardless of the reason, the result will be the same. Just like you can’t message someone that’s blocked you, you can’t message someone that you’ve blocked either.
So, how do you know whether or not you’ve blocked someone?
The easiest way is to check your blocked list, which you can view by following these instructions:
- Open the Messenger app.
- On your list of chats, tap on your profile picture in the top-left corner.
- Tap on ‘Privacy & safety.’
- Tap on ‘Blocked accounts.’
This will pull up a list of everyone that you’ve blocked on Messenger, allowing you to unblock them if you wish to do so.
6. You’re Experiencing A Technical Glitch
Finally, it’s also possible that you’re experiencing some sort of technical glitch.
Admittedly, this is rare, and messages saying that the other person isn’t receiving messages right now is usually caused by one of the other possibilities mentioned above.
However, it is still a good idea to try some common troubleshooting fixes, as it’s possible it may allow you to message them again as normal.
These fixes include:
- Fully reloading Messenger, by pulling up your list of apps and swiping it away.
- Checking for updates to the Messenger or Facebook apps in your device’s app store.
- Disconnecting, and reconnecting to the internet.
- Signing out and back in.
- Deleting, and reinstalling the Messenger app.
- Checking for outages using Downdetector.
- Waiting 15 minutes, and trying again.
Again, usually the ‘this person isn’t receiving messages right now’ message is caused by something else. However, these fixes are still worth trying if you really don’t believe that the others apply in your situation.
Conclusion
Most of the time, the inability to message someone on Facebook or Facebook Messenger is because you’ve been blocked, or they’ve deactivated their account.
However, it’s also possible that they’re temporarily not allowed to send messages, or you’re experiencing a technical glitch.
I hope that this article has answered your questions, and you have a better understanding why Facebook may be saying that a specific person isn’t receiving messages right now.
If you have any other questions about Facebook or Facebook Messenger, ask them below and I’ll be happy to help.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister