Can’t figure out why you cannot connect to Slack servers?
As companies transition to remote work, the role of messaging platforms has been needed more than ever. Due to the ongoing pandemic, many organizations and companies were forced to adapt to the new normal of working remotely.
One of the best platforms out there is Slack. It is an online collaboration platform where you can communicate with your team no matter where you are. With Slack, you can also access various information and resources needed for your projects at your own time and phase.
However, Slack is not perfect like any platform, and occasional problems may occur.
When this happens, it can pose problems to your team, especially if you have a deadline to meet. This can also get in the way of your workflow and affect your productivity that day.
If you’re here, it’s safe to assume that you experience problems connecting with Slack’s servers.
To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide on what to do if you cannot connect to Slack servers.
Let’s get right into it!
1. Check Slack’s Servers.
Like any online platform, Slack relies on its servers to function correctly. If you cannot connect to Slack’s servers, the first thing you should check is the status of its services. You can do this by visiting Slack’s System Status page.
If their services are unavailable, the best thing you can do is move on with other work you can do without Slack and wait for their team to address the issue.
On the other hand, you can try the https://transparentpharmacy.net remaining solutions below if there’s nothing wrong with Slack’s servers to fix the issue on your end.
2. Restart Your Device.
One of the best ways to fix most issues with Slack is restarting your device. This will allow your system to reload all of its
resources and eliminate any temporary bugs and glitches that may have occurred.
For Windows users, check out the steps below to restart your computer:
- First, press the Windows key on your keyboard to access the Start Menu.
- After that, click on the Power icon to access the pop-up menu.
- Lastly, click the Restart option and wait for your computer to reboot.
On macOS, you can perform a restart by doing the following:
- On your main screen, click on the Apple logo at the top left corner of your display.
- After that, select the Restart option.
- Finally, click the Restart button on the dialog screen to confirm your action.
If you are using an Android device, follow the steps below to restart your system:
- Locate the Power button of your Android device.
- After that, press and hold the Power button until the selection menu appears.
- Finally, tap on Restart to reboot your device.
For iOS users, see the step-by-step guide below to restart your device:
- First, tap on the Assistive Touch on your display to access it.
- Next, tap on Device and select More.
- Lastly, choose the Restart option to reboot your iOS device.
After restarting your device, go back to Slack to check if you can now connect to the servers.
3. Check Your Connection.
A slow or unstable network connection could be the reason why you cannot connect to Slack servers. Since you are accessing an online platform, stable internet is required to use Slack without issues.
To check if your connection is the problem, run a speed test using Fast.com to measure your network’s current upload and download bandwidth.
If the result indicates that your network connection is the problem, reboot your modem or router to refresh the connection with your service provider’s servers. Unplug your router from the outlet and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before plugging it back in.
Once done, perform another speed test to check if the problem is solved. If not, contact your service provider and ask them to fix the issue with your network connection.
4. Disable Your Proxy Servers (Windows).
While Proxy Servers are great for building a firewall between your devices and the internet, they can also cause network connection problems if not set correctly. If you can’t connect to Slack servers, make sure that you are not using any Proxy Server.
Follow the steps below to check if you are running any Proxy Server on your computer:
- First, press the Windows + S keys on your keyboard and search for ‘Internet Options’.
- After that, click on Open and go to the Connections tab.
- Now, click on LAN Settings and ensure that ‘Automatically Detect Settings’ is enabled.
- Lastly, uncheck the ‘Use a Proxy Server’ option and click OK to save the changes.
After disabling your Proxy Server, go back to Slack and check if the problem is solved.
If you are running a Proxy Server directly from your router, please contact your network administrator or ISP and ask them to turn it off.
5. Turn Off VPN.
Virtual private networks or VPNs are third-party services that provide security to your network. They can also bypass restrictions set by your ISP to access websites and applications not available for your region.
Unfortunately, some VPNs don’t work that well and could interfere with your internet connection.
If you cannot connect to Slack servers, we suggest that you disable your VPN before accessing the platform.
On the other hand, you can try using other services like PureVPN if you’re not comfortable online without protection. Unlike other VPNs, PureVPN uses split tunneling and 256bit AES encryption to keep your connection safe and private.
PureVPN also works well with most applications and is compatible with streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Max.
6. Clear Your Browsing Data.
If you’re accessing Slack on a browser, your browsing data and cache may have accumulated and got corrupted. When this happens, you may experience problems accessing Slack and other websites.
To fix this, follow the steps below to clear your browsing data:
- On your browser, click on the Options tab and select Settings.
- After that, access the Privacy and Security tab.
- Now, click on Clear Browsing Data.
- Change the target Time Range to All Time and include ‘Cookies and Other Site Data’ and ‘Cached Images and Files’ in the process.
- Finally, hit the Clear Data button and wait for the process to finish.
Try accessing Slack afterward to check if the problem is solved.
7. Clear Slack’s Cache and Data.
There are times when application caches run into errors and become corrupted. For users who use the dedicated Slack app, you can try clearing its cache if you cannot connect to the Slack servers.
Follow the steps below to clear Slack’s app cache:
- First, open the Slack app on your Windows or macOS computer.
- After that, click on Menu and hover the cursor to the Help tab.
- Now, go to the Troubleshooting tab.
- Lastly, click on Clear Cache and Restart.
Once done, try connecting to Slack servers again to check if the problem is solved.
If the problem persists, go to Menu > Help > Troubleshooting and choose the Reset App Data option.
8. Disable Your Extensions.
Browser extensions are third-party apps that provide additional functionality to the websites you visit. However, some sites are not compatible with these extensions and may not function as they should if browser extensions are running.
If you cannot connect to Slack servers, try turning off your browser extensions to see if the problem will disappear.
Check out the steps below to disable your browser extensions:
- First, go to the Settings page of your browser.
- After that, click on the Extensions tab from the side menu.
- Lastly, turn off all your browser extensions.
Once done, refresh Slack’s website and see if you can now connect to the servers.
9. Reinstall the Slack App.
We also recommend reinstalling the Slack app if you still cannot connect to the servers. Some of Slack’s installation files may have gotten corrupted, and it’s best that you just install a fresh copy rather than finding the broken files.
For Windows users, here’s how you can delete the Slack app:
- On your computer, go to the Control Panel and click on Uninstall a Program.
- After that, locate the Slack app from the list.
- Finally, right-click on the Slack app and select Uninstall.
If you are using a macOS device, see the steps below to uninstall Slack:
- First, access the Finder on your Mac.
- Next, locate the Slack app from the list.
- Lastly, drag Slack to the Trash to delete it from your system.
On Android and iOS, you can remove Slack by doing the following:
- On your main screen, locate the Slack app.
- After that, press and hold its app icon until the selection menu shows up.
- Finally, tap on Remove App or Uninstall to delete Slack.
Once done, go to Slack’s official website to download the app again. Login to your account afterward and check if you can now connect to Slack servers.
10. Report the Problem to Slack.
If none of the solutions above worked out for you, we suggest that you contact Slack’s team and ask for assistance.
Go to Slack Help Center and contact their customer support from there. You can also browse the other guides there while waiting for a response from their team. Include your account details, the device you are using, and the error message you get on your report to speed up the process.
This ends our guide on what to do if you cannot connect to Slack servers. If you have other questions, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them.
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
