Fix Messenger 'Waiting for Network' & Stuck Messages

Updated: 11/29/2025

You hit send on a message, but the empty circle just sits there. At the top of the screen, you see the banner: 'Waiting for Network'. Your WiFi works fine for everything else, but Messenger refuses to connect. This is usually a background data restriction issue where your phone is 'sleeping' the app to save battery, cutting off its connection to the Meta servers.

Method 1: Allow Background Data Usage

If your phone restricts Messenger from using data while the screen is off or the app is minimized, the connection drops.

Android:

Go to Settings > Apps > Messenger > Mobile Data & WiFi. Toggle 'Allow background data usage' ON. Also toggle 'Allow app while Data Saver is on'.

iOS:

Go to Settings > Messenger. Ensure 'Background App Refresh' is toggled ON.

Method 2: Clear App Cache

Messenger stores a massive local database of your chats. If this corrupts, sync fails.

Step 1: Storage Settings

Go to Settings > Apps > Messenger > Storage.

Step 2: Clear Cache

Tap Clear Cache. Do not tap 'Clear Data' unless you want to re-download all your photos/videos (which consumes data).

Method 3: The 'Lite' Version Test

If the main app is permanently broken due to an OS update conflict, download Messenger Lite. It uses a different connection protocol (MQTT) that is much more stable on slow or congested networks.