Facebook Messenger bug causing iPhone freezes when typing
Some people using Facebook Messenger on iOS devices are finding themselves unable to type more than a few words in a single line before the app freezes, according to reports.
There appears to be no stopgap solution for affected people, as closing and reopening the app makes no difference, and even deleting and reinstalling may do nothing, TechCrunch observed on Thursday. Users encountering the bug are therefore having to spread sentences across several lines or switch to another messaging platform.
Facebook is reportedly investigating the glitch, but has no other information to offer at the moment.
Any such bug is critical not just for Facebook but for the general public, since Messenger has over 1 billion users, many of whom are on iPhones or iPads and/or may depend on it for daily communication.
Facebook recently promised to pare down the the Messenger app. Over the years the app has become increasingly cluttered because of features such as bots, audio and video calls, and even the ability to play simple games.
There appears to be no stopgap solution for affected people, as closing and reopening the app makes no difference, and even deleting and reinstalling may do nothing, TechCrunch observed on Thursday. Users encountering the bug are therefore having to spread sentences across several lines or switch to another messaging platform.
Facebook is reportedly investigating the glitch, but has no other information to offer at the moment.
Any such bug is critical not just for Facebook but for the general public, since Messenger has over 1 billion users, many of whom are on iPhones or iPads and/or may depend on it for daily communication.
Facebook recently promised to pare down the the Messenger app. Over the years the app has become increasingly cluttered because of features such as bots, audio and video calls, and even the ability to play simple games.
Comments
There really is no "forums" component of long-form discussion threads as found here and elsewhere. There are no virtual rooms or sections to FB like on BBSes. The main UI is the infinitely scrolling feed.
A lot of people do try to get into discussions on FB, or even setup 'Groups' for that purpose. My comment was more directed at that, as FB absolutely sucks for that kind of communication.
Yeah, it sucks for that kind of communication, but everybody you know and/or care about is on there, and many of them don't know or care that there are better options. I'd stick to message boards and IRC, except that there are people I want to stay in contact with who aren't on any. So, I need to stick to Facebook until the next thing comes along to replace it.
Like you say, just by virtue that they are there, it's a way to connect even if it's not very good at it. It is also somewhat good for targeted marketing (compared to some other mass marketing methods) if you have the money to spend and do it right. That is its true purpose (i.e.: gather a ton of people, extract as much info as possible, and sell them to marketers).
I just know too many people (and even companies) who rely on it for their communication and interaction, etc. ... and I'm like... why would you pick the worst tool for it? The only redeeming quality seems to be that idea that 'everyone is there.' Kind of a low bar, but I suppose.
The problem with that is that Facebook also calls all the shots, so just about when you've got your 'community' running well, they might just pull the rug in some way. Everyone was on MySpace too, and Vine, and ...
Sounds like the very definition of hell!