This often happens when you update your existing messenger to the latest version.
Or you update your phone to latest software for instance moving from Lollipop to Marshmallow. This sudden change might trigger a malfunction on your apps, especially your Messenger app.
Here are ways to solve this problem.
If you’ve not tried the clear cache and force stop things I suggest you try doing them.
– Go to settings > apps > all apps > Locate Messenger > open and force stop, then clear cache.
Note: Clearing the Messenger data will delete your chats including media. It should be the last thing to do if everything else fails.
If it doesn’t work you simply have to Uninstall the Messenger app and get an older apk Messenger app to install.
This of course is, if you started seeing this problem after the Messenger Upgrade. To get the previous version of the Messenger app just Google the name of that messenger and add apk lower versions, or list of version to download apk.
Example for Facebook messenger “download Facebook Messenger lower versions apk” for Snapchat “download Snapchat Messenger lower version apk” etc.
But if it is an Android version update then I suggest you upgrade to the latest version of Messenger, via the official means of doing so through the Google Play store.