Facebook Marketplace is a great spot to get started with buying and selling your products online. According to recent data, the platform has 1 billion registered users across major countries where its service is accessible.
Facebook Marketplace is very easy to use and does not require any expertise in marketing or sales.
However, despite Facebook Marketplace’s effortless usage, users face a difficult time while solving any issue that arises with the platform, like when they can’t access it. Furthermore, due to a lack of support from Facebook, users are not able to regain access to Facebook Marketplace, once lost.
Since Facebook does not provide much information about its Marketplace, therefore, users have to undergo the ‘hit and trial’ methodology to get access to their Facebook Marketplace dashboard.
From the experiences of different users and their diverse situations, the following write-up is constructed. It provides you with information from the collective experience of many people who have already dealt with the circumstances.
So buckle up your seatbelt pal, here’s a bit of a ride you are going to experience!
Reasons for Which you are not Able to Access Facebook Marketplace
1. You are a New Facebook User
If you have just opened a new Facebook account, then you are not permitted access to the Marketplace. Because it’s not just about you; it’s about protecting the Marketplace community from scammers.
Many times, when Facebook blocks some users for the violation of community guidelines, many of them try again to use the Marketplace by making a new account. To prevent this scenario, Facebook only allows verified users to use Facebook Marketplace.
Therefore, you’ll have to wait a few weeks to have access to all the features of the Marketplace. Aside from that, there is no such way that can let you use Facebook Marketplace.
2. Facebook Marketplace isn’t Available in Your Location
There are several nations and areas where the marketplace is not yet operational. Therefore, if you have recently moved from one location to another where the marketplace is unavailable, then apparently, you will not be able to access the Facebook Marketplace.
Additionally, Facebook Marketplace is available only in 50 countries, and if your home address in your Facebook account is set to a location where Marketplace isn’t available, then also, despite being in a supported country, you will not be able to make use of FB Marketplace. Thus, you have to change your location in your Facebook account. Do not worry if you do not know how to do it, it is stated further in the ‘Change Location in your Facebook Account’ section of this article.
Furthermore, if you have recently moved to a location where access to FB Marketplace is available, but still are not able to use it, then it is because Facebook takes time to recognize your actual location and confirm that you have actually moved, and it’s not some hacking attack on your account.
Other than that, to resolve this issue you can try clearing the Facebook cache, as well as logging out, then logging back in and restarting your device.
I know, this is irritating, but all you can do for the time being is wait, and these methods seem to work for some people.
3. You are Underage to Use FB Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is only available to users who are above 18 years of age. Thus, if you are not 18 years old or above, you cannot access or use Facebook Marketplace, no matter if you are using Facebook for years.
4. Using Facebook in an Unsupported Language
According to Facebook, the marketplace is supported in fewer languages. If you are at a location where others can access the marketplace, but you can’t, then experiment with changing your language options.
The Marketplace is accessible in the following languages:
| English | Arabic | Danish | Dutch |
| German | Hindi | Italian | Indonesian |
| Slovak | Swedish | Turkish | Hungarian |
| Finnish | Hebrew | Portuguese | Spanish |
| Chinese | French | Malay | Norwegian |
| Thai | Afrikaans | ——- | ——- |
5. Utilizing a Device that is Not Supported
Facebook Marketplace can only be used in iPhone 5 or later versions, iPad, and Android. However, if you have an iPhone 4 or lower, or trying to access it through iPod touch, then you will not be able to achieve it. And yes, it’s the reason due to which you are not getting the Facebook Marketplace icon on your iPhone 4.
6. Not Using an Updated Version of the Facebook App
If you cannot see the Facebook Marketplace option or icon in your Facebook account, then it can be due to the reason that you are using an outdated version of the app. It happens when security settings are updated, but the user is still using the older version, which leads to conflicting setting arrangements and some features, including Marketplace, becoming inaccessible. Thus, update the app and see if it works.
7. Listed Something that Goes Against Facebook Guidelines
If you have knowingly or unknowingly violated any community guideline of using Facebook Marketplace by listing something that is not allowed or has done anything that is not acceptable, then, Facebook will remove your access to the Marketplace, and you will not be able to use it.
To give you a brief, the following are the items you cannot put for sale on the Marketplace:
| Adult Product or Services | Alcohol | Animals | Digital Media and Electronic Devices |
| Event Tickets | Gift cards | Healthcare items (first-aid kits, tablets, etc.) | Illegal prescription or recreational drugs |
| Tobacco Products | Unsafe supplements | Weapons | Explosives |
Also, the product description must match its image. The seller information should be correct and false products should not be listed.
If you have indulged in any of the practices by mistake, and now you cannot access the Marketplace, then in order to regain access, you can visit the ‘Got an Unexpected Facebook Marketplace Error? This Guide will let you Fix it’ article. Here you will get the descriptive process for getting back access to your Facebook Marketplace.
How to Get Access to Facebook Marketplace?
To begin with, you have to fulfill all the conditions listed above. To summarize, you must be 18 years or above, should be accessing it from a supported location, using an acceptable language and device, and have not broken any community guidelines.
However, despite you withstanding all the conditions, you are still not able to see the Marketplace icon on your Facebook, then here are a few things you can do:
- Log in and log out of the Facebook account.
- Uninstall Facebook, wait for a minute or two and install it again.
- If you are using Facebook from the browser, then clear the browser’s cookies and cache data and then try to access it.
- Also, try clearing the Facebook app cache.
- If you are a new user, then spend some time on your newly created Facebook account. Interact with people, make friends, post pictures, comment on posts, etc. to show your presence on Facebook.
Other than these, the most important thing you can do, if you are not seeing the Facebook Marketplace icon, is change your location in your Facebook account.
Change Location in Your Facebook Account
Following are the steps for changing location in your Facebook account:
- First, log in to your Facebook account.
- Click on your profile picture to go to your profile page.
- There, click on the About tab.
- Within About, you will see the option to add or edit the current location. Click on it.
- Type in the name of the city where you are currently living, and click on the Save button.
- Now, close the Facebook window and reopen it, and see if the Marketplace icon is showing or not.
Where to Locate the Facebook Marketplace Icon?
Many people complain that they can’t see the Facebook marketplace icon and have a hard time locating it.
If you meet all the conditions of using a Facebook Marketplace, then you will not have any difficulty in finding the icon, otherwise, it will not show up, no matter what you do.
Following are the steps for locating it in different devices:
Facebook Website on Desktop Browser
- Login to your Facebook account.
- As soon as you land on the homepage of your account, you will see a left sidebar, where several options are listed, one of them is Marketplace. Clicking on it, you will be directed to your FB Marketplace dashboard.
On Facebook Mobile App
- Open your Facebook app.
- Tap on the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines), present in the upper right corner.
- On scrolling a little down on the Menu page, you will see the Marketplace icon.
Couldn’t find the Facebook Marketplace App?
Facebook does not have a separate app for its Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace completely operates inside the main Facebook app itself.
If you’re set to use Facebook Marketplace on your tablet or phone, all you need is the main Facebook app to access Facebook Marketplace.
There is no official Facebook Marketplace app for Android smartphones, nor is there one for iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad, so log in to your Facebook account, locate the Marketplace option (read above section for reference) and start using it.