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Why is Reddit chat not working? Quick Fix

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  • 5 min read

Reddit, otherwise known as the front page of the internet, is one of the most popular online communities ever to exist, with hundreds of subreddits and hundreds of thousands of members all across the globe. 

However, as easy to use and well-polished as the platform is, it isn’t perfect and sometimes runs into bugs and glitches. This article discusses why your Reddit chat isn’t working and what you can do to fix the error.


Why is your Reddit Chat not working?

There are a couple of reasons why you might run into issues with your Reddit chat, including:

  • You’ve hit the daily chat limit. 
  • Connectivity issues. 
  • Server issues from Reddit’s end.

Also read: How to quote Reddit comment?


How to fix this?

Here are nine fixes you can try out. 

Check your internet

When you see an error like this, you should check if you’re connected to the internet. If you’re on WiFi, ensure a stable signal and an active internet connection. If you’re on mobile data, check to see if it’s enabled and if you have good network coverage.

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Try another device

A quick check to see if something’s wrong with your device or Reddit account is to log into your account from another device. If you can send messages there, chances are you need to reinstall or update the app on your own device.


Your chat limit

To prevent spammers, newer Reddit accounts have limits on how often they can start a chat. As your account gets older, these limits will increase. So if you have a rather new account, there’s a good chance you’re over the daily limit.

Other than that, you also might’ve hit the limit of active chats you can open at a time, so closing some chat windows can also help. You might also have been shadowbanned from a particular chat or person. 


Use the browser

If you’re trying to connect to Reddit using the app, try using the browser once to figure out whether the issue is with the app or Reddit itself. Regardless of the result, more often than not, such anomalies result from server outages or glitches on Reddit’s end, and there’s not much you can do about it except wait.


Clear your browser’s data

Corrupt files in your cache or otherwise can cause this error as well. Clear them out to see if you can get Reddit to work.

Step 1: Type in chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in your browser’s address bar and hit Enter.

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Step 2: Select the cache and cookies options and make sure the Time range is set to All time. Click on the Clear now button to clear out all the data. 

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Restart the browser and you should be able to get through the error. 


Clear the cache

If you’re on an Android device, you can clear the Reddit app’s cache to eliminate any corrupt files that might hamper the app’s functionality. 

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  • Head over to the phone settings and tap on Apps & notifications.
  • Tap on View all apps.
  • Scroll and find Reddit in the list. Tap to proceed. 
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  • Tap on Storage & cache.
  • Tap the Clear cache button to remove the cache.

Now try launching the app, and it should work just fine.


Update the app

Updating the Reddit app is one of the best ways to resolve seemingly random issues with the app. You can check the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for updates; if any are available, install them immediately. 


Reinstall the app

If updating the app wasn’t enough, try removing and reinstalling it from scratch. This is bound to freshen things up on your device and possibly fix your issue. 


Glitches on Reddit’s end

If the app is continuously refusing to connect, chances are there is a glitch on Reddit’s end. For maintenance, servers are often taken down for a little while or sometimes face outages. You can check Reddit’s server status here

Also read: How to delete a Reddit account on the app?

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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