Did Not Answer Messenger? Here's What It Means - Techzillo (2023)

As a Facebook Messenger user, you may have come across situations where you call someone and you get a message saying Did Not Answer. This could happen immediately after you place the call or after it has rung for a while. Each scenario can mean different things and we will explore all of those shortly.

However, here are a few basic things to know about Messenger when you place a call across:

• When you place a call and the call connects successfully, it shows Ringing
• When you place a call and the call is yet to connect, it shows Calling or Contacting

The Did Not Answer message could occur after any of the situations above and we are going to find out all the possible causes in this article.

What Does Did Not Answer Mean on Messenger

1. They Didn’t See Your Call

If you place a call on Facebook Messenger and it shows ringing, the call was successful and is very likely ringing on the other person’s device.

If, after it shows ringing for a while it then shows Did Not Answer, it means exactly that: the user did not answer. And the first thing to consider is that they actually did not see the call.

The user may not have their phone with them, or they may have been distracted at the time, or the call did not ring out on their device for some reason.

There are occasions where it shows ringing on your device but the call is actually yet to get to the destination. And when it eventually does, it just shows up as a missed call on their device without having rung in the first place.

On other occasions, Messenger servers may struggle to connect with platforms outside Messenger like Oculus and Instagram. When this happens, a glitch could erroneously show that the call was successful whereas it never got to the destination.

So, when you place a call on Messenger and it shows Ringing, and then shows Did Not Answer, it is likely that the person you are calling did not actually see the call.

2. They Were Too Busy to Answer

The second possibility when the call does go through and shows Ringing, and then later shows Did Not Answer is that the person was too busy to answer. That is, they may have seen or heard the call but could not take the call at the time.

They may be busy with work or family or chores or whatever else. In some cases, the user may even end the call if they are unable to take it at the time.

That’s why when it rings and there is no response, it is better to give it time and try again or just leave them a message to see if they get back to you.

3. They Have No Internet Connection

When you place a call on Messenger and it shows Calling instead of Ringing, it means that the call is yet to connect successfully to the other person’s device. And a major reason for this is that the user has no internet connection.

• The user’s internet subscription may have expired or got exhausted
• They may have just turned off the internet to avoid distraction or save battery
• They may have put their device on airplane mode

Any of these could cause your call to them on Messenger to be unsuccessful and return the Did Not Answer response. Note that this could only be the case if Messenger did not show Ringing. If it did show ringing, then having no internet connection could hardly be the reason for not picking up.

4. They Ignored Your Call

Another possible reason why you get Did Not Answer after Messenger had shown Ringing is that the user simply ignored your call. This could hurt depending on your relationship with the person, but it may not always be done for malicious reasons.

Some people may be in a state where they are simply unable to have conversations at the time. Some may even be in a place where they are unable to talk, perhaps due to noise or for courtesy reasons.

In any case, when the call rings and they do not pick up, simply leave a message or give a call back at a later time.

5. Their Notifications Are Turned Off

Another scenario that could cause the Did Not Answer response on Facebook is if the person turned off notifications on their device.

• This may be intentional when the person does not want to be disturbed
• It could also happen when the person did not give the necessary permissions for Messenger to send notifications on their device
• Also, if the device is placed on DND, the call will be successful but they will not see it until they check

Having notifications turned off is a very common reason these days because more and more people are learning to take time off their smartphones. This is because there is increased awareness about the physical, mental, psychological, and emotional dangers of spending too much time on smart devices.

Therefore, if your call is not picked on Messenger, it may just be that notifications (at least for Messenger if not all notification) are turned off.

Facebook Messenger Call Ends Immediately

Moving on from the Did Not Answer response on Messenger, there may be times when the call connects and is indeed picked by the recipient only for it to end immediately. Or, it may not be picked up but ends immediately you place the call across.

Some users worry that this may mean they were blocked similar to mobile phone calls where calls to a contact who has blocked you may ring only to drop immediately.

But this is not the case on Messenger. If a user picks your call and it drops immediately, or if the call ends immediately after you place it, it could be as a result of any of the reasons described below.

1. They Ended the Call

The first possibility is that they may have ended the call. This could either be intentional or accidental.

As you may have experienced yourself, placing the phone on your cheek could accidentally press the End button and disconnect the call. Or, they may be trying to perform some other task on the phone and accidentally end your call.

It may also be intentional. Maybe something came up in their immediate environment that made them unable to continue with the call or pick up the call in the first place. Or, they may have received a phone call that they needed to take and so ended yours.

The best thing to do when your Messenger call is picked and then drops immediately or is dropped immediately after it starts ringing is to wait two minutes and then call back. This is to give room for the possibility that taking your call was not convenient at the time.

2. You Ended the Call

Just as with the person you are calling, it may also be that you accidentally ended the call. Unlike older phones that used buttons, smartphones are operated by tapping or swiping on the screen. So, it’s very easy to accidentally perform an action on the phone without even being aware of it.

3. Someone Lost Internet Connection

Another possibility when the call ends immediately after it rings or is picked is that either you or the person you are calling lost internet connection. You may already know that Messenger uses an internet connection as opposed to calling credit. And, the connection has to be strong in order to place a successful call on Messenger.

So, if the call ends immediately, quickly check your WIFI or mobile data connection status to see if you lost your internet connection. Even if it shows connected, the signal may not be strong. So, open a web page anyway and see what the browsing experience is.

If your connection is okay, then call the person back. If the person lost internet connection, it is likely to show Calling when you ring back as opposed to Ringing.

4. They Cancelled the Call While Ringing

If you place a call on Messenger and it shows Ringing and then ends almost immediately, the person may have canceled your call.

• It may be that they unintentionally pressed the End button when trying to pick
• It may be that they are unable to take your call at the time
• It may be that they do not want to speak to you in the first place

Again, the best thing to do in a case like this is to wait a bit and then try again. Or, just leave a message and wait for them to get back to you.

When your call is ended while ringing, it is not courteous to call back immediately because it may come across as intrusive.

5. Someone’s Messenger Crashed or is Running Slowly

Facebook messenger is actually well known to crash from time to time. This happens more often if you have allowed Messenger to create text messages and make mobile calls on your phone. The app seems to struggle with that kind of integration sometimes.

Crashing, freezing, or running slowly are common reasons why calls on Messenger end immediately they are placed or picked. This could be from your end or from the device of the person you are calling.

If Messenger is crashing or freezing on your end, please follow the steps below to permanently resolve it:

Check Storage

You need to make sure that you have enough storage on your phone for Messenger (and other apps) to run properly. If you have less than 2GB of storage left on your phone, this is not ideal for its proper functioning. It would cause your Messenger app to crash when you try to perform heavy functions like placing audio and video calls.

To check your storage on Android:

1. Open Settings

2. Select About Phone

3. Select Storage

To check storage on iOS:

1. Open Settings

2. Select General

3. Select iPhone Storage

If storage left is less than 2 GB, then consider getting external storage. If you cannot do this, then delete unnecessary files and unused apps.

Update Messenger

Another reason why your Messenger may crash is that it is not up to date. Updating your Messenger app will fix bugs that may be causing it to crash. To update Messenger:

1. Open your Play Store or App Store

2. Search for Messenger and select it from the results

3. At the top right of the screen, tap Update

If you are using the Windows Messenger app:

1. Open the Messenger App for Windows.

2. Click in the top left.

3. Hover over Messenger and then select Check for Updates.

Grant Messenger Permissions

For you to be able to make calls on Messenger, you need to grant Messenger the necessary permissions to make calls, use your phone microphone, and so on. If you do not grant these permissions, you may receive a prompt to do so when you try to place a call. However, you may not receive the prompt and Messenger may just simply close the connection.

To grant permissions on Android:

1. Press and hold the Messenger app on your phone

2. Select App Info

3. Select App Permission

4. Allow every permission except maybe your Location if you do not want that

To grant permission on iPhone:

1. Open Settings on your phone

2. Scroll down and select Messenger

3. Toggle to turn on all permissions

If these permissions were not already granted, they are the likely cause of the call ending or the app crashing when you try to place a call on Messenger; if not on your device, then on the device of the person you are calling.

Clear the Cache on Messenger app:

Another major cause of Messenger crashing and ending calls is when the cache files are corrupt or run into some kind of malfunction.

Normally, cache memory stores temporary files from your apps so that the app loads faster when you launch it. For an app like Messenger, also stores your login information so that you don’t have to sign in every time you open Messenger.

But a corrupt cache memory can cause the issue of Messenger crashing and ending calls when you place them. To fix this, you need to clear the cache memory.

To clear the cache on Android:

1. Long-press the Messenger app

2. Select App Info

3. Select Clear Data

4. Select Clear Cache

5. Confirm to clear Cache

On iOS

1. Navigate to Settings on your device

2. Select General

3. Select iPhone Storage

4. Select Messenger

5. Select Offload app

6. Confirm the action

7. Select Reinstall app

For good measure, restart the app after clearing the cache. You can do this by exiting the app, swiping it away from recent or background items, and opening it again.

Exit Messenger Beta

If you signed up for the Beta program, you may have done so to get ahead with updates and new features on Messenger. But, Beta also means that the changes are still in the test phase and are not yet Stable Release. So, the Beta app may crash from time to time and cause issues like call ending when you try to place a call on Messenger.

We recommend that you exit the Beta program and use the stable release Messenger. To do this:

1. Open Play Store

2. Search for Messenger and select it from results

3. Tap the Messenger icon to open the Messenger app

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to where you see You’re a Beta Tester

5. Select Leave

6. On the popup, select Leave again

7. Then, uninstall Messenger and reinstall it

8. Restart your phone and try making calls again

Reinstall Messenger

If you are not a Beta tester and you are still experiencing the issue of Messenger crashing and ending your calls, then you may try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. This is because your current Messenger app may have acquired a bug that even an update cannot fix.

To uninstall Messenger,

• Open your Play Store or App Store
• Search for Messenger and select it from the results
• Tap on the Messenger icon (do not tap on Open)
• On the page that opens, select Uninstall
• Confirm Uninstall
• Then select Install to install the app again.

After reinstalling Messenger, you may try making your calls again to see if the issue has cleared.

Try Messenger Lite

Messenger Lite is a lighter version of the Messenger app. Whereas Messenger offers extra features like stories, extensions, and so on, Messenger Lite is just about instant messaging and calls. As a result, Messenger Lite has fewer moving parts that need to work properly when you want to use the app.

Messenger Lite is known to crash less as it is optimized for just texts and calls. So, if your Messenger app keeps crashing, you may want to head over to your Play Store or App Store and download Messenger Lite. You very likely already have the Facebook app so Messenger Lite is an adequate complement to have rather than the full Messenger app.

Messenger Contacting But Not Ringing

Another issue users face, and which we highlighted earlier is that Messenger may show Contacting or Calling but not Ringing.

• This could appear immediately after you place the call and then change to ringing – It means that the call is successful
• This could remain as Contacting or Calling but never change to Ringing – It means that the call is not successful.

In any case, here are some of the reasons why you see Contacting or Calling but not Ringing when you place a call on Messenger:

1. The Call is Trying to Connect

When you place a call on Messenger, there is usually a moment where it shows Contacting or Calling before it shows ringing. This simply means that Facebook is trying to reach the person you are calling. When the connection is successful, it changes to Ringing.

This period of Contacting or Calling may last a split second. It could also last a while before it changes to Ringing. The bottom line is that you need to give it a bit of time as Facebook servers try to contact the ISP of the person you are calling and then deliver the call to them.

2. They’re Out of Reach

If the Contacting or Calling lingers and does not change to Ringing, it is likely that they are out of reach. They may not have signal or internet access. Or, their WIFI or mobile data may be turned off. Or, their phone may even be turned off.

In any case, persistent Contacting or Calling but not Ringing often means that the person simply cannot be reached at the time.

3. Someone’s Internet Speeds Are Slow

Another key reason for an unsuccessful call on Messenger is that internet connection on your end or on the end of the person you are calling may be poor. When internet speeds are slow, there will not be enough bandwidth to successfully connect both ends and establish a call session.

When you notice that the Messenger call is lingering on Contacting or Calling, open a browser or app and try to stream a video to test your connection.

Messenger Call Goes Straight to Did Not Answer

When you place a call on Messenger and it goes straight to Did Not Answer, you can be sure it has nothing to do with network, internet, settings, or app crashing. It is mainly either of the two things below:

1. Not Logged In

It is possible that the person you are trying to call is not logged in. Normally, if you want to call someone on Messenger, you should see their online status. However, some users choose to hide their active status for personal reasons.

In any case, if your call goes straight to Did Not Answer, especially if you cannot see that they are online, it is possible that they are simply not logged in to Messenger. You could reach out to them via phone call or text and confirm.

2. You Got Blocked

Or, it may just be what you feared: you got blocked. This is the other major reason why your Messenger call to the user goes straight to Did Not Answer.

It can be tricky to figure this out because you may still be able to access their profiles on Facebook. This is because when you block someone on Messenger, you have the option to only block them there or on Facebook entirely.

So, if someone does not want you to reach them without your knowing that they blocked you, they could opt to block you only on Messenger and leave you connected on Facebook. Again, you would need to reach out using an alternative means to be sure.

Does Not Answer on Messenger Mean They Blocked You?

No, Did Not Answer on Messenger does not mean that you were blocked. As you can see from this article, there are a plethora of reasons why you can get Did Not Answer.

The reasons range from the person simply not picking or seeing your call, to internet issues and notifications not being turned on.

The strongest indication that you are blocked is if the call always goes immediately to Did Not Answer.

Accidentally Called Someone on Facebook Messenger

If you accidentally called someone on Messenger, the action you should take depends on your relationship with the person or the circumstance at the time.

1. Send Them A Message Saying It Was an Accident

If it’s someone you’re comfortable with, or someone you know may call back, or someone you feel calling might be awkward, you could simply send them a message saying it was an accident.

2. Don’t Say Anything, They Probably Won’t Care

Alternatively, you don’t need to say anything to the person. If you have no meaningful relationship with this person, and if you don’t care what they think about your calling them, then simply ignore and get on with your life.

A lot of people don’t pay attention to these things anyway. They probably won’t care to see a missed call from you.

3. Will Blocking Them Fix it?

Blocking is a rather extreme measure and should only apply in a case where you do not wish to hear from the person again. Otherwise, you could simply send a message or just ignore.