Fix Slack 'Something’s Not Right' & Connection Errors

Updated: 11/29/2025

You are typing a message to your boss, you hit enter, and it turns gray with the text 'Slack is having trouble connecting'. Or maybe you see a banner saying 'Something’s not right. We’re having trouble loading this.'. In a remote work environment, this is a critical failure. It usually happens when Slack's local WebSocket connection gets clogged with old cache data.

Table of Contents

Method 1: The Internal Cache Clear

Slack has a built-in troubleshooting tool hidden in the menu.

Step 1: Open Menu

Click the three lines (hamburger menu) in the top left > Help > Troubleshooting.

Step 2: Clear Cache

Click 'Clear Cache and Restart'. This purges the temporary image and message storage without logging you out. It fixes 90% of loading glitches.

Method 2: The Hard Reset (App Data)

If the internal tool fails, you need to wipe the app's brain.

Step 1: Reset App Data

With Slack open, press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac). This refreshes the client hard.

Step 2: Deep Clean (If that fails)

Go to Help > Troubleshooting > Reset App Data. This will log you out and remove all offline workspaces. You will need to sign in again, but it solves persistent connection loops.

Method 3: Check Firewall/Antivirus

Slack uses WebSockets (wss://) to maintain a live connection. Some aggressive corporate firewalls or antiviruses (like McAfee) block long-held open connections.

Test: Try opening Slack in a web browser (slack.com). If it works in Chrome but not the App, your Firewall is blocking the App specifically. Add slack.exe to your allowed list.