Steam is a popular game client where users can purchase and play games, participate in Steam discussions, chat with other gamers worldwide, and broadcast their gameplay. Steam has a library of around 30000 free-to-play and paid games. Steam Chat is a feature of the Steam Client that lets gamers send text messages to one another. Moreover, players can also invite their friends to play with them on Steam by sending a text message. Sometimes, Steam fails to send a chat message and displays the following error on the screen:
FAILED TO SEND MESSAGE: PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER
If you are getting the same error while sending a chat message in Steam, the suggestions listed in this article may help you fix the problem.
Steam failed to send chat message
If you receive the above error message while sending a chat message on Steam Client, wait for some time and try again later. Sometimes the errors occur due to server issues. Therefore, it might be possible that you are not able to send chat messages due to the Steam server issues. Some users have reported that the problem was fixed automatically after 10 – 15 minutes. Try the following fixes if the problem does not disappear by itself.
- Relaunch Steam
- Use the web version of Steam
- Delete Steam Web Browser Cache
- Clear your web browser cache and cookie data
- Clear Steam Download Cache
- Toggle the Chat Window Docking in Steam
- Reinstall Steam
Let’s see all these solutions in detail.
1] Relaunch Steam
Sometimes, problems occur due to a minor glitch. Relaunch the Steam Client and see if you are able to send the chat message. The process to relaunch Steam is as follows:
- Close the Steam Client.
- Right-click on the Steam icon in your System Tray and select Exit.
- Open the Task Manager and locate the Steam process running in the background.
- If you find the Steam process in the Task Manager, right-click on it and select End Task.
- Launch the Steam Client again.
2] Use the web version of Steam
Some users were able to send the chat message by using the web version of Steam. If you are unable to use the chat feature on the Steam desktop app, you can try the same by signing in to your Steam account on your web browser. If this works, you can use the web version of Steam to send chat messages until the issue is fixed.
3] Delete Steam Web Browser Cache
Deleting the Steam Web Browser cache has fixed the issue for some users. You can also try this and see if it fixes your problem. The steps to delete the Steam Web Browser cache are written below.
- Launch the Steam Client.
- Go to “Steam > Settings.”
- Select Web Browser from the left side.
- Now, click Delete Web Browser Cache.
- Click OK.
- Relaunch Steam.
4] Clear your web browser cache and cookie data
If you are experiencing the issue on the web version of Steam, clearing your web browser cache and cookie data may fix the problem. You can clear the cache and cookie data by opening the Settings of your web browser or simply by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Delete keys. After clearing the cookie and cache of your web browser, log in to Steam and check if you can send the chat messages.
5] Clear Steam Download Cache
The corrupted cache files can cause several issues in an app. In such a case, deleting the app’s cache fixes the problem. Clear the Steam Download Cache and see if it helps. To do so, go through the following instructions.
- Launch the Steam Client.
- Go to “Steam > Settings.”
- Select the Downloads category from the left side.
- Now, click on the Clear Download Cache button.
- Click OK.
- Close Steam and launch it again.
You may have to log in to Steam after clearing the Download Cache.
6] Toggle the Chat Window Docking in Steam
Some users were able to fix the issue by toggling the Chat Window Docking in Steam. You can also try this to see if it helps fix the issue. The steps to toggle the Chat Window Docking in Steam are listed below:
- Launch Steam.
- Go to “Friends > View Friends List.” This will open your friends list in a separate window.
- Now, click the gear-shaped icon in the top-right corner to open the friends list settings.
- Select Chats from the left side.
- Click on the button next to the Dock chats to the friends list option to turn the Chat Window Docking on or off.
Read: Fix Steam update stuck on Windows PC.
7] Reinstall Steam
If nothing works for you, uninstall the Steam Client from your system via the Settings or the Control Panel. After that, visit the official website of Steam and download the latest version of the Steam Client. Now run the installer to reinstall Steam on your system.
Hope this helps.
Why won’t my Steam messages send?
If Steam fails to send a chat message, first, check your internet connection. Sometimes, problems occur due to a minor glitch, which can be fixed simply by relaunching the Steam Client. If the problem is caused by a corrupted cache in the Steam Client or your web browser, deleting the Steam Browser Cache and your web browser cache may resolve the problem.
How do you send a message on Steam?
To send a message to your friend on Steam, go to “Friends > View friends list” and then select the friend from the list to whom you want to send a message. You can also participate in Group Chats if you are invited to join them.
Read next: How to repair Steam Client on Windows PC.
