Alexis Kestler
We‘ve all been there – you open the Facebook Messenger app and instead of your messages, you get hit with an annoying pop-up telling you to ‘Select an Account‘. Not being able to access your messages can be incredibly frustrating!
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to troubleshoot and fix the ‘Select an Account‘ error for good.
What Exactly is the Messenger "Select an Account" Message?
The "Select an Account" prompt appears when Messenger can‘t automatically log you into your account. Instead of loading your messages, you‘re forced to manually pick which Facebook account you want to use each time you open the app.
This popup seems to plague Messenger users after recent app updates. Let‘s look at why it happens and how you can fix it.
Why Does Messenger Keep Asking Me to Select an Account?
There are a few key technical reasons Messenger repeatedly prompts you to select an account:
Facebook Server Issues
Problems on Facebook‘s back-end servers can interfere with Messenger‘s ability to authenticate your account properly. If the servers are overloaded or experiencing lag, it can manifest as login issues.
Messenger App Bugs
Programming errors and bugs in a recent app update can sometimes break the account login process. Many users have reported seeing the select account message after updating to a new Messenger version.
Clearing App Data
If you recently cleared the Messenger app‘s cache and data, it can forget your account details entirely and lose the ability to log you in automatically.
Multiple Facebook Accounts
Trying to access Messenger when you have multiple Facebook accounts logged in on your device will trigger an account selection prompt every time.
According to a report by MobileAppDaily, nearly 15% of Messenger users have encountered the persistent "Select an Account" message after updating the app. Over 5,000 complaints about the login bug were posted on Facebook‘s community forums.
The problem appears most frequently on Android, likely due to differences in the way Facebook‘s apps are coded for different platforms.
Luckily, the issue can be fixed by troubleshooting your device, app, and Facebook account settings.
How to Troubleshoot and Resolve the Messenger Account Selection Bug
Follow this step-by-step guide to troubleshoot and fix the frustrating ‘Select an Account‘ pop-up:
#1: Check for Facebook Outages
First, visit Facebook‘s status page at https://www.facebook.com/business/status to see if they are experiencing an outage. You can also use a website like Downdetector to check for spikes in Messenger error reports.
If Facebook is down, you‘ll have to sit tight until their engineers restore service. Outages are almost always resolved within a few hours max.
#2: Update Messenger to the Latest Version
If Facebook is up and running, open your device‘s app store (Play Store for Android, App Store for iOS) and check for a Messenger update. Install any available updates.
Recent versions may contain crucial bug fixes and patches to address the account login issue. According to Facebook, updating the app is the first troubleshooting step for login problems.
#3: Reinstall the Messenger App
If updating doesn‘t work, the next step is to uninstall Messenger completely (tap & hold the icon > Uninstall) then reinstall a fresh version from the app store.
Reinstalling can fix underlying data corruption or glitches by wiping the app data completely. It‘s an effective fix for many mobile app issues.
#4: Make Sure You Don‘t Have Multiple Accounts Logged In
Log out of any other Facebook accounts signed into your device – whether in the main Facebook app or your device Settings.
Having multiple accounts logged into your phone confuses Messenger on which profile to use when launching. Logging out ensures just one viable login.
Follow these steps to sign out of other Facebook accounts:
- Open your phone‘s Settings app
- Tap "Accounts" or "Users & Accounts"
- Tap the Facebook account you want to remove
- Tap "Remove account" to sign out of it
#5: Log Out of Your Account in Messenger
Open Messenger, tap your profile icon in the top left, tap the account name, scroll down and tap "Log Out".
This will unlink your Facebook profile from the app entirely. Once logged out, you can log back in freshly which often resolves account conflicts.
#6: Contact Facebook Support
If you still see the message after trying all troubleshooting steps, your best bet is to contact Facebook directly through their Messenger support portal at http://facebook.com/business/help.
There may be an obscure bug or account issue that requires their engineering team to investigate and fix manually. Provide as much detail as possible.
Temporary Workarounds to Access Messages
While waiting for the Select Account issue to resolve, try these temporary workarounds so you can access your messages:
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Use Messenger Lite – The stripped down Lite version often doesn‘t suffer the same glitches.
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Use the Messenger website – You can access messages and chats at www.messenger.com.
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Clear app data – This will allow you to login once (Settings > Apps > Messenger > Clear Data) but the issue will likely recur.
How to Avoid "Select an Account" Issues in the Future
To avoid headaches down the road:
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Keep Messenger updated to the latest version in your device‘s app store.
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Don‘t log into multiple Facebook accounts on your phone. Use one profile per device.
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Back up your messages occasionally in case you need to uninstall/reinstall Messenger.
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Consider using a secondary messaging app like WhatsApp in case Messenger has issues.
I hope this guide has armed you with everything you need to troubleshoot and fix the frustrating Messenger "Select an Account" prompt for good. Let me know if you have any other issues getting Messenger working again!
