Have you ever been in a weird situation where there’s a notification for a new message on Messenger? Yet, nothing is waiting for you when you open it. It’s irritating and baffling that you’re missing out on something crucial. But there are many possible explanations for this.
If Messenger says you have an unread message but don’t see it, it’s probably a glitch with the app. Or it may be visible on the desktop version but not on mobile. Many people reported this issue, and there are ways to fix it.
In this article, we’ll talk about why Messenger might show notifications for unread messages when there aren’t any and give solutions to get your Messenger app back working right. We’ll first figure out what’s causing this problem. After that, we’ll discuss the different fixes to try and fix it.
Why Is Messenger Displaying Notifications for Unread Messages That Don’t Exist?
Connecting with your Facebook friends has never been easier with the Messenger app for iOS and Android. When you receive a new message, a notification will appear displaying the number of unread messages.
Stay on top of your conversations and never miss an important message again with this convenient feature.
Suppose you see the Messenger notification icon and click on it, expecting unread messages. Still, instead, you find no new messages. In that case, it can be a frustrating and confusing experience.
When you click on the notification icon and open the app, it should reveal any unread messages you have and make the notification disappear. However, if this isn’t happening and you can’t find any new messages, there could be a few different reasons.
When you’re checking Messenger, you get notifications for new messages. Still, there’s nothing there, it’s probably just a glitch – super annoying, especially when the notification keeps showing, but there are still no messages.
Try checking the desktop version if your unread messages aren’t showing up on the Messenger app. They might be there instead. If that doesn’t help, your app probably has a problem, but the desktop version might show you any missing messages.
Troubleshooting the ‘Unread Messages’ Notification in Messenger
When it comes to fixing the issue of Messenger displaying an unread notification when there are no new messages, it’s important to note that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
Different approaches may work for different people, so it’s best to try various methods until you find one that works for your specific case. With that in mind, let’s go through a few different steps you can try to resolve this issue.
If one method doesn’t work for you, don’t give up – simply move on to the next one until you find a solution that works for you.
Update Messenger App
It might be a bug causing the glitch in Messenger where it shows unread alerts even when there are no new messages. You can fix the issue by updating the Messenger app.
To stay updated on the app:
- Open either the App Store or Play Store (depending on your device – iOS or Android) and see if there are any updates to Messenger.
- After you put the update in, start the app and see if it fixed the issue.
- If not, try uninstalling the Messenger app and then add it again.
This helps to resolve issues with the app by giving you a fresh start. Hopefully, one of these approaches will fix the problem and get your Messenger app working properly again.
Trying the Desktop Version of Facebook Messenger
If you’re experiencing the issue of unread messages in the Messenger app on your phone, try accessing the desktop version of Facebook Messenger on your computer as a possible solution. Here’s how:
- Open a web browser and go to the Facebook website.
- Log in to your account.
- Click on the Messenger icon.
- When Messenger loads, you should see any unread messages you have.
- Click on an unread message to open it.
Many users have found that switching to the desktop version of Messenger can help resolve the issue of unread messages not appearing on the mobile app. If this doesn’t work for you, you can try a few other troubleshooting steps.
Check Message Archives
One possible cause of unread messages appearing in Messenger when there are none could be that you have archived messages that are being treated as unread. If you want to check for this and mark any archived messages as read, you can follow these steps:
- Open the Messenger app on your device.
- Tap on your profile picture and select “Archived Chats.”
- Scroll through your archived messages and open each to mark them as read.
- Once you’ve ensured that all your archived messages are opened, check to see if the notification icon for unread messages has disappeared.
You can get rid of the issue of unread messages appearing on Messenger when there aren’t any by going through your archived messages and marking them as read.
Check Message Requests
Suppose you’re trying to resolve the issue of unread messages appearing in Messenger on your desktop. In that case, you might try the following steps:
- Log in to your Facebook account on your desktop.
- Click on the Messenger icon to open the app.
- Click on the three dots icon next to “Chats.”
- Select “Message Requests.”
- Read all of the requests where you can see a new message.
You should read any unread message requests to get rid of the unread message notification. Marking them as read might help. If you don’t have any messages or this doesn’t work, you’ll need to find another solution.
Check Marketplace Notifications
If you’re using Facebook Messenger and getting a false unread message alert, try opening the app and checking for any unread messages. If there are any, open them, then go back to the Messenger app to see if that solves the problem.
This simple step helps resolve the issue of unread messages appearing when there are none. You may need to try a different solution if you don’t find unread messages or if this doesn’t fix the problem.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever had the frustrating experience of seeing a notification for a new message on Messenger but finding no new messages when you open the app, you’re not alone.
This can be a confusing and irritating problem. Still, fortunately, there are a few different reasons why it might happen and a variety of solutions you can try to fix. A potential issue could be a bug with the Messenger app.
Another might be that the message appears on the computer version of Messenger but not on mobile.
To fix this, you can try updating, switching to a desktop, checking your archived messages, or looking for unread requests. With these steps, you should be able to get Messenger going and stay on top of all your important messages.
