Users are complaining of a bug in Google Messenger that prevents them from accessing the app from the recent apps list. The bug reportedly causes the app to crash, which is then followed by an error message that says "Could not start Messenger."
The error message, according to users, would pop up at the bottom of the screen. Since users cannot access the recent apps list, they have no other choice but to re-open Messenger in order to start using the app again.
Users have also brought up the issue at the official Google Nexus forum and noted how it has not been addressed since Android Lollipop.
"The Google Messenger app is amazing. I am sad that is here to destroy [Hangouts], but [is] good nonetheless. However, there are two particular bugs that the team in charge of this app have overlooked," wrote forum user Anthony Perpinal. "One of them is [a] bug that causes the app to force close. To replicate this bug you just have to try to open the app from the recent pane menu, and then it triggers. All you see happen is the app closing, and the error at the bottom of the screen 'Could not start messenger.'"
The second bug, according to the user, refers to the keyboard that appears to be stuck on caps lock. The issue remains only until the user taps the caps lock button.
What makes the bug more peculiar is that it can force close not only Google Messenger, but also Facebook Messenger and it does so in exactly the same way. The error also seems to affect not only Nexus handsets, but also Galaxy handsets by Samsung.
While the bug has been around since the launch of Android Lollipop, there has never been a real fix available to finally put an end to the issue. However, there is one thing that users can do to avoid the error.
Users who want to leave the app open in the recent apps list, whether it's Google Messenger or Facebook Messenger, should use the device's home button when returning to the home screen instead of using the back button. The latter may have been triggering the error to appear, but tapping the home button should do the trick.
