Instant Messaging on Social Networks such as Facebook, Myspace etc. has come a long way in facilitating the easy spread of information globally, resulting in some positive impacts such as creating a more connected global village. Sadly, a downside to this is the fact that everyone expects everyone to receive and respond to messages almost immediately. This has led to diverse complaints including but not limited to the Facebook messages Sent but not Delivered issue addressed in this article.

A couple of years ago, this would probably not have been an issue worth tackling immediately, however in the fast-paced technological space we exist in today, customers expect perfectly functioning products that had all their bugs fixed yesterday. Sadly, the Facebook glitch describes that the expected white checked circle (signifying sent) is seen but never changes to the blue checked circle (signifying delivered) until it is read or seen by the recipient.

Why are Facebook Messages Sent but not Delivered?

Given the widespread nature of this Facebook messages sent but not delivered glitch or not working, we have identified various potential causes for this error but before we proceed to analyze these, it is necessary we lay a sturdy foundation.

facebook message status icon

Firstly, we noted that most users experiencing this Facebook messages sent but not delivered problem reported seeing their recipients online. Seeing a recipient’s online status debunks all myths or suggestions of probable blocking by the recipient or a lack of a Messenger Connection with this recipient. If the recipient was doing either of the above to the sender, their online status would be totally hidden from the recipient. Hence the probable causes for this problem are described below:

To better solve this problem, it is critically important to understand what each Facebook messenger icon stands for or represents. There exist four chronological phases in the Facebook message sending process, these are Sending, Sent, Delivered and Read.

You might be wondering, “what do these mean?”, here is your answer: The Sending icon is a blank blue edged circle highlighting that the message in question is on its way out of the sender's account. The Sent icon is a blue-edged circle with a blue check mark in-between connoting that the message has successfully left the senders account.

The third icon in this series is the Delivered icon which is a totally blue circle with a white check mark at its center, depicting that the message has gotten to the recipient’s inbox. The last icon in this series is the Read icon which is a circle containing the recipient’s profile picture, meaning the person has viewed the message from his/her account. Now, the most probable causes for this Facebook messages Sent but not Delivered problem are:

The recipient ignored or unread your message

A recipient unwilling to chat with you can choose to ignore or unread your messages, thereby ignoring you covertly. This allows the recipient to view and ignore your message while it still shows Sent. The only time it changes to Delivered is when the recipient chooses to reply you.

The recipient deleted the message without opening it

Users can view incoming Facebook messages from their status bar and in a bid to avoid conversing, they can opt to delete the message without opening it, which can be another potential cause for this Facebook messages Sent but not Delivered problem.

Your message was quickly labeled as spam

In extreme scenarios, it is possible that the recipient swiftly labeled your message as a spam, hence ensuring it never shows Delivered on your end.

Your recipients are currently logged out of Facebook or Messenger

This is a more probable cause because not all users use the messenger or are constantly available on their messenger application. As our tests have shown whenever users send messages to friends that are logged out of Facebook and/or Facebook messenger, the sent message would not be delivered to the recipient.

However, upon the recipients’ login to Facebook or messenger either on their PC or smartphone, the message automatically changes from Sent to Delivered.

Your Connection Request is yet to be approved

When you message people that are not on your friend's list, your messages get queued in their Connection Request lists. During this period, the message shows Sent but doesn’t show Delivered. Should this recipient accept your connection request, the message automatically switches to Delivered. If otherwise, it remains perpetually as sent.

How to Know if Someone has Blocked Me on FB Messenger?

Facebook messenger has gone beyond its humble start as it currently boasts a myriad of functionalities, offering users the ability to send or receive money, play games and even request for crucial services such as Uber or Lyft. However, the Facebook messages Sent but not Delivered issue often misleads people to think they have been blocked by their loved ones or friends. To confirm if this is true or not, follow the below procedures.

Note: Facebook blocking and Messenger blocking are different entities.

1. Open your Messenger and Launch the Search Engine
2. Type the person’s name and open their account
3. Type a brief message to them and click send
4. Notice the send status. If it fails to send and returns “This person is not available right now”, its either that account has been deactivated or you have been blocked
5. Try to access the person’s profile, if unable to do so, then you have been blocked. If otherwise, the account might be deactivated

someone has blocked you on fb messenger

Bonus Tip: Fix Facebook Messages not Working on iPhone

The above Facebook messages Sent but not Delivered problem can also be caused by an unresolved bug or system glitches in your iOS, which would require some fixing. If a quick iPhone restart and uninstalling - reinstalling the Messenger app doesn’t fix it, your last solution is to use a dedicated iOS repair tool like iMyFone iOS System Recovery (iOS 17/16/15 supported). With its secure and easy-to-use interface, your iPhone not working problem should be fixed in a few minutes and Facebook messages would be sent effortlessly.

As a general rule of thumb, it is necessary to understand the basics of every app used on your iPhone, to frequent forums and communities like this that share vital fixes for frequently encountered problems and to be conversant in executing basic DIY fixes and in using third-party debugging tools to resolve issues like this Facebook messages Sent but not Delivered problem.

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