Facebook not working? How to fix common Facebook issues

Facebook has become the world’s social network of choice. It’s, by far, the most popular, with over three billion active users as of February 2024. We’re sure many of you are using Facebook to communicate with just about everyone. This is why running across unexpected bugs and issues may be more than annoying. We’ve compiled a list of solutions for Facebook not working. Let’s get your Facebook up and running ASAP!

Editor’s note: All instructions were generated using a Google Pixel 7 running Android 14, an Apple iPhone 12 Mini running iOS 17.3, a custom PC running Windows 11, and the Chrome browser running version 121.0.6167.161. Some of the steps below might be a bit different on your end, depending on your device.

Check if Facebook is down

You might not be the only one having problems with Facebook! If the social network isn’t working for you, maybe it’s a site-wide issue. You could try to use Facebook using another browser or device, and see if it’s working elsewhere. Otherwise, you can check on a website like Down Detector, which will let you know if there’s a problem with Facebook. If there is, you can do nothing but wait it out.

Close and reopen the app

Is Facebook not working only for you? Then, you have to start looking at possible local issues. Sometimes, apps can go out of whack, and something as simple as closing the app or website, and reopening it, might fix the problem. It may also help to log out of Facebook and log back in. This should resync everything and move the cogs back into place.

How to Force close the Facebook app on Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Apps.
3. Tap on See all apps.
4. Find Facebook and tap on it.
5. Hit Force stop.

How to Force close the Facebook app on iPhone:

1. Slide your finger up from the bottom of the screen and hold for a bit.
2. You’ll enter the app switcher.
3. Find Facebook and slide it all the way up.

Check for app updates

Sometimes, having an older version of an application may cause issues. If problems persist, you want to ensure you’re running the latest app version. Head to the Google Play Store and check for any available updates. Get the latest version and check if Facebook is working.

How to update the Facebook app on Android:

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Tap on your profile image in the top-right corner.
3. Select Manage apps & device.
4. Tap on Updates available.
5. Find Facebook. If there’s an available update, you should see an Update button next to it. Tap on it.
6. Alternatively, you can select Update all.

How to update the Facebook app on iPhone:

1. Launch the Apple App Store.
2. Tap on your profile icon.
3. Scroll down until you see your available updates. Check if Facebook has one, and hit Update next to it.
4. You can also tap on Update All to take care of all updates in one sweep.

Restart the device

Oh, the good ol’ restart solution. Doing this fixes about 90% of all my tech problems. Try restarting the device when Facebook isn’t working. This often gets things back up and running.

How to restart an Android phone:

1. Press the side and volume up buttons simultaneously.
2. Select Restart.

How to restart an iPhone:

1. Press and hold onto the power and volume up or volume down buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
2. Use the slide to power off slider.
3. When the device is turned off, press and hold the side button for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

Apple doesn’t allow taking screenshots of the power menu, so we can’t give you a visualization of the process.

Check your internet connection

Another reason for Facebook not working might be that your internet is down. Go into any other app or website and see if it’s working. If it isn’t, chances are you’re having internet issues. Those operating over Wi-Fi or LAN can check the router and see if it’s connected to the internet.

You should probably try restarting the router, too. Some routers have reset buttons, and others can be restarted using an official app. If you can’t count on these options, simply unplugging the router, waiting about a minute, and plugging it back in will do the trick.

You might want to see if your data connection is on if you’re using cellular data.

How to turn on mobile data on Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Network & internet.
3. Tap on SIMs.
4. Select your SIM.
5. Toggle Mobile data on.
6. If you’re outside your country or network coverage, also toggle Roaming on (this may incur extra charges).

How to turn on mobile data on iPhone:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into Cellular.
3. Make sure Cellular Data is toggled on.
4. If you want to turn on roaming, Go into your main SIM under SIMs, then toggle on Data Roaming.

Check the app’s network permissions

If you have a strong internet connection and everything else seems OK, Facebook not working might be due to permission issues. Ensure you’re allowing the social network to access all it needs from your phone to function correctly.

How to allow permissions on the Facebook Android app:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Apps.
3. Tap on See all apps.
4. Find and select Facebook.
5. Hit Permissions.
6. Under Not allowed, go through each option and allow permission.

How to allow permissions on the Facebook iOS app:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Find Facebook and tap on it.
3. Under Allow Facebook To Access, make sure everything is enabled.

Cache is usually good. This data stays available locally for quicker access, instead of downloading it each time you see it. It’s also true data can be corrupted and create issues. It doesn’t hurt to clear it occasionally, especially when Facebook is down. We’ve added instructions for doing this both on Android and Chrome.

Clear Chrome cache:

1. Open your Chrome browser.
2. Click on the three-dot menu button in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Go into Privacy and security.
5. Hit Clear browsing data.
6. You can delete only the cache, but we advise you also to clear the cookies and history.
7. Select All time and hit Clear data.

Clear cache on Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go into Apps.
3. Find the Facebook app under See all apps.
4. Tap on Storage & cache.
5. Hit Clear Cache.
6. You can also select Clear storage for a clean start.

There is really no way to clear cache on iOS apps. The only effective way to accomplish this is by deleting and reinstalling the app.

How to uninstall Facebook on iPhone:

1. Find the Facebook app. Tap and hold onto it for a couple or few seconds.
2. Tap on Remove App.
3. Hit Delete App.
4. Go back to the Apple App Store and re-download Facebook.

Can’t play Facebook videos?

Facebook videos are known for having issues, depending on your device or browser. For example, Windows 7, Vista, XP, and earlier versions of the OS may require you to switch to another browser. Try using something like Chrome or Firefox, if you haven’t yet.

Other common solutions include restarting the computer or closing and reopening the browser. Also, try checking your internet connection.

How to restart Windows:

1. Click on the Windows button.
2. Select the Power button.
3. Pick Restart.

Not able to upload photos

Facebook is all about sharing essential moments in life; we know this is often done through images. If you have image uploads on Facebook not working, you can do a few things to remedy the problem.

The first fix is to ensure you have the latest version of the Facebook app or browser in use. Also, turn any ad-blocking software off or make sure Facebook is included as an exception. If this doesn’t work, it may be a format issue caused by photo editing. Try uploading the original photo and see if that works. If it does, go back to your editing software and export the image in a supported format. These include JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, and TIFF files. Large image files can also cause hiccups. Always try to keep Facebook photos under 15MB.

Another common issue is that Facebook often temporarily blocks people from uploading photos if they upload anything considered abusive content. Check your Support Inbox and see if you may have missed any alerts. We have a guide on how to recover your Facebook account, just in case you need it.

Can’t upload videos

It’s a very similar case with uploading videos on Facebook not working. When you can’t upload a clip, first make sure it’s in a supported format. Facebook has a preference for MP4 and MOV files. You may also have a video that’s longer than the allowed length. The maximum length is 240 minutes, and the file size should be no bigger than 10GB.

Of course, don’t forget to check you’re using the latest version of the app/browser, and make sure your internet connection is working.

If you’ve tried all these methods and Facebook is down, you might want to take things up a notch. You can check out Facebook’s Help Center for more aid. Alternatively, you can file a report. Access your Facebook account and click on the Profile icon button. Then go to Help & support > Report a problem.