Facebook Messenger app crashes? Here's how to fix

It's easy -- just go back to the App Store and download a just-released version.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews

When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.

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Sean Hollister

June 15, 2018 1:04 p.m. PT

facebook-f8-2016-facebook-messenger-0507 — James Martin/CNET

If you rely on Facebook Messenger to chat with friends (I do) and you're on an iPhone or iPad (not me), you might have noticed the app is crashing a lot today.

According to The Verge, that's because you downloaded Messenger version 170.0, which was just released yesterday. It seems to have a bug which makes the app crash as soon as you open it, according to many user reports.

The fix is just as simple: Download Messenger version 170.1 right now. It's brand-new, released today, presumably just to counter that bug. Facebook confirmed to CNET that the new update should solve the issue.

Sure, you could maybe just wait for it to update automatically, but perhaps you're away from Wi-Fi right now. Depends on your settings, I suppose.

Disclosure: Sean's wife works for Facebook as an internal video producer.

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