Video calling has become an essential way for people to stay connected during the pandemic. Platforms like Facebook Messenger offer fun video call effects to make calls more engaging. However, sometimes these effects stop working properly. Don’t worry – in most cases, it’s easy to get Messenger video call effects working again.
Why Aren’t My Messenger Video Call Effects Working?
There are a few common reasons why Messenger video call effects may not be working:
- Your internet connection is slow or unreliable
- The Messenger app needs to be updated
- Your device’s camera or microphone permissions are disabled
- Messenger is having temporary technical issues
- The effects are not available in your region
Video call effects require a strong internet connection and access to your device’s camera and microphone. If something interrupts this access, it can prevent the effects from loading properly. Let’s look at some steps to troubleshoot and fix non-working video call effects.
Steps to Fix Messenger Video Call Effects
1. Check your internet connection
A slow, unstable internet connection is one of the most common reasons why video call effects fail to work properly. Effects require additional bandwidth to download and render in real-time during calls.
Try the following tips to improve your connection:
- Move closer to your WiFi router
- Disconnect other devices using your network
- If on mobile data, move near a window or outdoors
- Reset your router and modem
- Run a speed test to confirm your actual speeds
Ensuring you have at least 2-4 Mbps speeds will provide the best experience for effects. Contact your ISP if speed issues persist.
2. Update the Messenger app
Facebook frequently releases updates to the Messenger app that contain bug fixes and performance improvements. An outdated version of Messenger can cause problems with video call effects.
On both iOS and Android devices, open the App Store or Google Play Store. Search for the Messenger app and see if any updates are available. Install the latest version of Messenger.
You can also try fully uninstalling and reinstalling Messenger to start fresh. Just be sure to back up your conversations first.
3. Check app permissions
In order for effects to work, Messenger requires access to your device’s camera and microphone. If you have disabled or restricted these permissions, it will prevent effects from loading.
On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Camera > Messenger and ensure access is enabled. Do the same for Microphone access.
On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Messenger > Permissions and enable Camera and Microphone access.
Restart Messenger after adjusting permissions to apply the changes.
4. Try logging out and back in
If other troubleshooting steps don’t work, try logging completely out of your Facebook and Messenger accounts and then logging back in. This forces the app to reload your profile and resets any temporary glitches.
To log out on mobile:
- Open Messenger and tap your profile picture
- Scroll down and tap Log Out
- Open the Facebook app, tap the three-line Menu > Settings & Privacy > Log Out
Log back into Facebook first, then Messenger. Attempt effects again after logging in.
5. Contact Messenger support
If you still cannot get video call effects to work after trying these steps, there may be an ongoing technical issue with the Messenger app itself.
You can contact Messenger support for additional troubleshooting:
- In the Messenger app, tap your profile picture and go to Help & Support
- On Facebook.com, visit the Messenger Help Center
- Tweet @Facebook to report Messenger issues
Describe the issue you are experiencing along with details of the troubleshooting you have already tried. The support team can investigate further and provide personalized fixes.
Preventing Messenger Video Effects From Stopping
Once you fix your non-working Messenger video call effects, follow these tips to help prevent issues recurring in the future:
- Update Messenger whenever new versions are available
- Grant Messenger continual access to camera and microphone
- Use Messenger on newer smartphone models when possible
- Avoid switching apps during video calls
- Clear cached data and restart your device regularly
Staying updated, minimizing app switching, and doing occasional resets will help optimize Messenger’s performance. Newer phones also tend to offer the smoothest experience.
You can also minimize video calls dropping entirely by checking your WiFi signal strength or switching to mobile data when needed.
Conclusion
Messenger video call effects add a fun way to interact during calls. But when they suddenly stop working, it can disrupt your experience.
In most cases, you can get effects working again by updating Messenger, granting permissions, improving your internet connection, and logging in/out. Contact Messenger support if issues persist after troubleshooting.
With some preventive care like app updates and occasional restarts, you can avoid Messenger video call effects failing in the future. Stay in touch with family and friends using Messenger’s AR masks, filters, and other creative effects.