More than a few of us check Instagram or Facebook every day, maybe even every hour, for regular updates on family, friends, and news. So when Facebook’s apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram) suddenly aren’t working, it can be a real problem if you are trying to contact someone.
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Over the years, there have been a plethora of users who report an issue where they receive the message Facebook: error signing in. With this error, they are completely unable to sign into Facebook on their various Apple devices, including iPads, iPhones, and even iPod Touch.
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Check Facebook’s Server Status
Before you start going through a bunch of different steps in an effort to get the Facebook app working again, the problem might not be on your end. Everything that you do through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger relies on a series of servers. And there are times when there might be issues with the servers themselves, rendering the services inoperable until whatever problem is remedied.
Unfortunately, there’s no specific landing page to go to if you see the “error signing in” message. Instead, you’ll need to rely on third-party websites such as DownDetector and see if there are similar reports by other users. If other users report problems, then your issue is most likely an internet service or switch-related issue that needs Facebook (or other companies that support the infrastructure) to fix.
Try Signing In With Safari
One of the more obvious ways to try and troubleshoot the problems that you are experiencing with Facebook is to try and log into the service from Safari. By doing so, you’ll be able to determine whether there’s a problem with the app itself, or if there are bigger problems going on.
- Close the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Open Safari and navigate to the Facebook website.
- Sign into your account.
As a note, this method obviously won’t work with the likes of Messenger or WhatsApp. In that case, we recommend trying to log on from your computer in order to try and see if the problems are related to your account or if it’s a widespread outage.
Restart Your iPhone or iPad
If the problem persists and you still can’t back up your iPhone or iPad, then you might want to start fresh and restart any of your devices that are suffering from the problem. There might be a random bug that is causing you to see the error message when signing into Facebook, and a restart could get things back in working order without jumping through a bunch of hoops.
Delete and Reinstall the Facebook App
If you’ve made it this far and are still unable to sign into the Facebook app, then you might just want to delete it and reinstall it. This goes for any of the different Facebook app’s that you have installed that aren’t working properly.
- Unlock your iPhone or iPad.
- Locate the Facebook app.
- Long-press on the Facebook icon until your device goes into “Jiggle” mode.
- Tap the X in the top right corner of the app.
- Confirm that you want to delete the app.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Once restarted, open the App Store.
- Search for the Facebook app.
- Tap the Cloud icon to install it onto your device.
- Open the app and try to sign in.
Following these steps not only should fix the issue but will also install the latest version of the app that is available in the App Store.
Reset Network Settings
Troubleshooting network problems can be one of the biggest frustrations out there. And while the iPhone and iPad are pretty good about keeping things on track, something can easily get messed up from time to time. By resetting the Network Settings, all of your saved Wi-Fi networks and VPN connections will be completely removed.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone (iPad).
- Tap the Reset button at the bottom of the page.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
While it might seem like an annoyance, resetting your Network Settings can go a long way in solving any problems that you’re experiencing with Facebook or other apps.
Toggle Tracking Permissions
Whenever a new app is installed or is updated and it attempts to track your activity, a prompt will appear. When the prompt appears, you’ll be able to grant permission or deny it by tapping the Ask App Not to Track button in the prompt. However, this has been identified as one of the potential fixes for those who are seeing an error when trying to log into one of Facebook’s apps.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Tracking.
- Scroll through the list of installed apps until you find Facebook.
- Tap the toggle to turn Tracking on or off.
- Open the Facebook app and try to log in.
- If you are able to log in, go back to the Settings app and tap the Tracking toggle.
This could end up being a rather tedious process, especially if you’re like us and have multiple apps from Facebook installed on your devices. But it’s definitely worth it in the end, as those applications will no longer be able to track your device’s activity.
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
Don says
I would like to add that Safari works fine, if that helps.
It was working Thursday night, now, on Monday, I get “cannot connect to the server”, followed all the instructions and still cannot access server. Any suggestions?
I can not open Facebook on my iPhone, but not on iPad. This just happened. I have always been able to open it on my iPad. Help!!
Telling me FaceBook cannot connect to the server… What does that mean?????
HI Donnie,
That message either indicates a problem on FaceBook’s end, usually that one or more of their servers are temporarily down. You can check on FB’s server status at a site like DownDetector or similar
Another possibility is that your internet access is currently restricted and not allowing FaceBook–like if you use the internet at the office–mainly companies restrict their employees and visitors from browsing social media sites (and other sites.)
I get the same error message on iOS 10. I can connect on the Facebook app but I can’t use Facebook to login to other apps. I guess they don’t support this iOS version anymore 🙁
I have done everything I can find. I can log into the website and into the app but in settings I still get the error.
I’m having the same issue did you find a fix?
The app works for me when I try that but on my iphone home sittings still keeps saying that same error. It won’t let me log into app games. Help :-/