When it comes to instant messaging experience online, Messenger emerges among the most popular and widely used platforms. The fact that Messenger was once an integrated system in Facebook makes it gained this positive reputation even after it was made to be a standalone application. But then again, there are no perfect apps as they say. And so just like its parent app, Messenger also succumbs to random flaws and downtimes. This is when you’d realize that something is wrong with Messenger because it just couldn’t get to work as intended or the app is randomly crashing.
If you’re reading this content, then you’re probably dealing with this problem already. And to give you some input, I have lined up a few potential solutions for you to refer to. Read on to learn what to do if can’t use Messenger app on your iPad Air 3.
Before we move on to our troubleshooting, if you are looking for a solution to a different issue, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed some of the most common problems reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar to yours and use the solutions we suggested. If you still need our help after that, then feel free to contact us by filling up our iPad issues questionnaire.
Troubleshooting iPad Air 3 with Messenger app that won’t work
Before you begin troubleshooting your iPad Air software, check your internet connection. If your device is experiencing minor issues like slow internet browsing or on and off connection, reboot your wireless router/modem to disconnect and reconnect from Wi-Fi. This helps refresh your Internet connection and eliminates random Internet errors from minor firmware crashes on the network equipment. If there’s no problem with the Internet and yet your Messenger app is still acting up, then you may proceed and begin to troubleshoot the app and iPad system. Don’t forget to test launch the app after performing each procedure to determine whether or not the problem is gone.
First solution: Force close Messenger and other background apps.
The first possible solution to app-related issues in iOS device is to force close the problematic application along with any other applications that are left running in the background. This is necessary to refresh the app whenever it crashes from a long period of suspension. You might have used Messenger before and was left suspended in the background for long until it crashes as stops working. So here’s what you should try first to fix this problem:
- Go to your Home screen and press the Home key twice to view recent applications.
- Swipe the Messenger app preview upward to close it.
- Do the same to close/quit all other background apps on your iPad Air.
- After closing Messenger and other background apps, tap the Home screen or press the Home key to go back to the Home screen.
After a few seconds, launch the Messenger app to test and see how it works now that it’s refreshed.
ALSO READ: How to fix iPad Air 3 Skype app that keeps crashing after signing in
Second solution: Reboot your iPad (soft reset).
Another simple yet very effective solution to problems concerning apps is a soft reset or device reboot. In iOS devices, performing a soft reset or restart not only refreshes the operating system but also clears out caches including corrupted temporary data from the internal memory. Any problems and symptoms that are attributed to junk files and temporary data corruption will therefore be addressed. If you haven’t already, then just follow these steps to soft reset/reboot your iPad Air:
- Press and hold down the Power/Top button for a few seconds until the Power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to power off your device.
- After a few seconds, press and hold the Power/Top button until the Apple logo appears.
Allow your device to finish its boot-up sequence and once it’s ready, load up the Messenger app again and see if the problem is gone.
ALSO READ: How to fix FaceTime that’s not working on your iPad Air 3
Third solution: Install pending updates for Messenger app, if available.
Apps also receive periodic updates that can be installed manually or automatically. These updates also embed some dedicated fix patches that are programmed to eliminate existing bugs in certain apps. If you opted for the latter, then all app updates are automatically implemented the moment they’re rolled out for your apps. But to get this done, you must have configured your device settings for your apps to auto-update. If you haven’t, then updates for third-party apps will still pending on the App Store unless you trigger them to install. To check for pending app updates on your iPad Air 3, just refer to these steps:
- From the Home screen, tap App Store. Doing so launches the Apple Store app.
- Scroll to the bottom of the App Store screen then tap on Updates. A list of apps with pending updates will appear.
- Search for Messenger and then tap the Update button next to it. This will trigger the Messenger update to start installing.
- If multiple app updates are available, tap the Update All button on the top-right corner of the screen.
After installing all app updates, reboot your iPad to save and implement the recent software changes.
ALSO READ: How to fix an iPad Air 3 that’s stuck on Apple logo [troubleshooting guide]
Fourth solution: Delete Messenger then reinstall it.
Frequent app crashes that could not be rectified by the initial procedures may already be an indication of a corrupted application. If this is what happened to your Messenger app, then you will need to delete and reinstall it on your device. Here’s how to delete and reinstall Messenger app on your iPad Air 3:
- Go to the Home screen to get started.
- Tap and hold on an app icon until the icons start wiggling.
- Tap the X on the upper left corner of the Messenger app icon.
- Tap Delete if prompted to confirm app deletion.
- Tap the Home screen or press the Home key to stop the apps from wiggling.
Another way to uninstall third-party apps from your iPad Air 3 is by accessing the apps directory through its storage menu. Here’s how it’s done:
- From the Home screen, tap Settings.
- Select General.
- Tap iPad Storage.
- Scroll through the list of apps then select Messenger.
- Tap the option to Delete App then confirm.
Reboot your iPad after deleting the application and then download and install the latest version of the Messenger app from the App Store. Simply refer to these steps to continue:
- Tap the App Store from the Home screen.
- Search for Messenger app or Messenger app for iOS.
- Then tap the cloud-like icon or GET button to download the app.
- Tap INSTALL to instigate Messenger app installation.
- If prompted, enter the correct Apple ID Password and tap OK to proceed.
- Wait until the download is complete then tap OPEN.
See if that fixes the problem then.
Fifth solution: Manage app restrictions on your iPad.
One of the iOS features that could limit, if not restrict an app like Messenger on your iPad Air is the so-called Restrictions. If this feature is enabled for Messenger app, then the app may not be able to load or work as it should unless the restrictions are lifted. To make sure this isn’t causing you trouble with Messenger app, manage or disable restrictions for Messenger app on your iPad Air with these steps:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Select Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Navigate to Allowed Apps and make sure that FaceTime is listed.
Or you can just turn off the switch next to Content & Privacy to lift restrictions for all your apps at the moment. While this isn’t a recommended setting when it comes to ensuring privacy and security, doing so will help you determine whether or not the problem with FaceTime is due to your iPad’s restrictions.
Sixth solution: Reset network settings on your iPad.
Performing a network settings reset can help resolve problems that are attributed to network settings errors. Messenger is one of the many apps that rely on a stable Internet connection in order to work as intended. Thus if your device is experiencing some network problems that caused intermittent connection to the Internet, then the app may not be able to work or crashes more often as it loses connection to the main server. To rule this out, performing a network settings reset on your iPad Air can help. Here’s how it’s done:
- Tap Settings from your Home screen.
- Select General.
- Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
- Select the option to Reset network settings. Saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, Bluetooth connections, APNs, and other relevant information will be deleted.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode to proceed.
- Then tap the option to confirm that you want to reset network settings on your iPad Air.
After the reset, your device will restart on its own and then loads up the default network values and options. You will also be disconnected from your Wi-Fi network so be sure to reconnect. Once your iPad is back online, try loading Messenger and see how it works. If the problem is gone, then that’s an indication that the Messenger app is fixed and working properly again.
Still couldn’t get Messenger to work on your iPad Air 3?
At this point, your next option would be to escalate the problem to the Facebook-Messenger support team so that they can make further assessments and determine whether or not the problem is on their end. Performing the above procedures is usually enough to get rid of any software-related issues on your iPad Air 3 that might have caused conflicts to the Messenger application. But since the problem wasn’t resolved after exhausting all prior methods, then it isn’t likely a problem on your end. Perhaps the main server is currently experiencing a temporary issue and there unavailable at the moment. In that case, there’s not much can be done on your end but to wait until the problem is resolved and the Messenger app is already able to load and work stable.
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