My Facebook is not working - 10 fixes [2023] 💥

June 1, 2023 | by: Martijn Assie | NL DE

Facebook has been the social network of choice for millions. It is the most used social network, with more than 3 billion users as of 2023. We are sure that many people use Facebook to communicate and connect with others. Unexpected bugs or issues are not uncommon. Here's a list of possible solutions for Facebook issues.

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1. Close and reopen app

Let's start with the local problems. Sometimes apps can become out of control. Reopening the website or app and closing it may fix the issue. Logging out of Facebook can help you log back in. This will resync all data and put the cogs back in place.

How to force close Facebook on Android

1. Start the "Settings" App.
2. Go into "Apps".
3. Tap on "to see all apps".
4. Tap "Facebook" to find it.
5. Hit "Stop".
6. If you wish to delete the app, you can also choose "Uninstall".

How to force close Facebook on iPhone

On iPhone the process of force closing an app is a bit more work then on Android. Read here how to do this.

2. Is Facebook down maybe?

Facebook may not be working for you. It could be a site-wide problem if the social network doesn't work for you. Try another browser or device to see if Facebook works elsewhere. You can also check Down Detector to see if Facebook is having problems. You can't do anything but wait until there's a problem.

3. Restarting your device

About 90% of tech issues can be fixed by restarting the device. If Facebook doesn't work, try restarting your device. This can often get things running again.

How to reboot an Android phone

1. The "Power" button and the "Volume up" buttons must be pressed simultaneously.
2. Select "To Restart".

How to reboot an iPhone X-11-12-13-14

1. Hold the volume button or the side button down until the power-off slider appears.
2. The slider can be dragged, and then your device will turn off after waiting 30 seconds. Force restart your device if your device is not responding or frozen.
3. To turn your device off, hold down the side button (on your iPhone's right side) until you see Apple's logo.

How to reboot an iPhone 6-7-8-SE

1. Hold the side button down until the power-off slider appears.
2. The slider can be dragged, and then your device will turn off after waiting 30 seconds. Force restart your device if your device is not responding or frozen.
3. To turn your device on again, hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears.

4. Check network permissions for the app

Check network permissions on Android

Open the "Settings" application and go to the "Menus & Notifications" menu. Next, tap the app you wish to view (if it isn't obvious, tap "See all"). To see all permissions, tap on it. A messaging app might, for example, have access to SMS. Tap on the permission to turn it off. You might need to tap on the confirmation box if the permission is very important for the app.

Check network permissions on iPhone

Tap "Privacy" in the "Setting app" to view all permissions that your phone has: access to photos and motion data, as well as your location. To view the permissions granted to any entry, or to disable them, tap on it.

5. Clear cache

A cache is often good. It allows you to access the data locally, rather than downloading it every time you need it. Data can also be corrupted, which can cause problems. It's a good idea to do this occasionally, especially if Facebook is down. Read here how to clear cache in all mayor browsers on a desktop or laptop.

Clear your Android cache

1. Start the "Settings" App.
2. Go into "Apps".
3. Locate the "Facebook" App under "View all apps".
4. Tap on "Storage and cache".
5. Hit "Clear Cache".
6. For a clean start, you can also choose "Clear Storage"

Clear your iPhone cache

This will not erase any data Facebook stored on websites visited through the in-app browser.

1. Open the Facebook app by tapping the three lines in the bottom-right corner.
2. Tap the "Settings & Privacy” button at the bottom of the page.
3. You will see a drop-down menu with new options. Click the "Settings" button.
4. Scroll down until you find "Browser", and tap it.

This will not allow you to clear the data from the in-app web browser.

5. Click the "Clear Browsing Data" button.

No need to save, confirm, or do anything else. Your in-app browser cache has been cleared.

6. Check your own internet

Your internet might also be a reason why Facebook doesn't work. Check out any other website or app to see if it works. It's possible that you are experiencing internet problems if it's not. Those who are connected via Wi-Fi/LAN can check the router to see if it is connected. It is worth restarting your router.

You might check if your cellular data is working if you are using it.

On Android

1. Start the "Settings" App.
2. Go into "Network & internet".
3. Click on "SIMs".
4. Toggle "Mobile data" on.
5. You can also switch "Roaming" on if you are outside your country and network coverage (this may result in additional charges).

On iPhone

Turn on cellular data by going to "Settings" and then tapping "Cellular" or "Mobile Data" and turn it on. You might see "Settings" >> "Cellular Data" if you are using an iPad.

7. Uploading videos problem

Similar problems can occur when uploading videos to Facebook fail. If you are unable to upload a video, ensure it is in a compatible format. Facebook prefers MOV and MP4 files. A video may be longer than the maximum length.

Maximum length is 240 minutes. File size should not exceed 4GB. You should make sure you are using the most recent version of the browser/app and that your internet connection works.

8. Uploading Photos problem

Facebook is about sharing important moments in your life. This is often done via images. You can fix the issue by following these steps:

You should first make sure that you are running the most current version of Facebook. Make sure to turn off any ad-blocking software or include Facebook as an exception. If that doesn't work, this could be due to an issue with the format or photo editing. If that doesn't work, upload the original image and check if it does. If it does, open your editing software again and export the image to a supported format.

These formats include JPEGs and TIFF files. Hiccups may also occur when large files are involved. Facebook photos should not exceed 15MB. Facebook blocks users temporarily from uploading photos if they submit abusive content. Check your Support Inbox to check if any alerts have gone unnoticed.

9. Facebook videos not playing

Facebook videos can have issues depending on the browser and device you are using. Windows Vista, XP and older versions of the OS might require that you switch to another browser. If you don't have Chrome or Firefox installed, try it. You can also restart your computer, or close and reopen the browser. You might also want to check your internet connection.

10. Facebook helpline

You might consider stepping up your efforts if Facebook has not responded to all of your attempts. For more help, you can visit Facebook's Help Center. You can also file a complaint. Go to your Facebook account, then click the "Profile icon" in the top-right corner. Next, go to "Help and support" >> "Report a Problem".