The Game Center is "unable to load data due to network connectivity issues or errors".

The Game Center is "unable to load data due to network connectivity issues or errors".

My internet is fine: all other apps that do not rely on the Game Center work, as does my browser and other online functions; additionally, a friend's iPhone connects to his Game Center perfectly while he is sitting next to me.

Closing the Game Center app and then reopening it is ineffective. Opening the options for the Game Center in the settings, logging out of my Apple ID, then logging back in, and then reopening the Game Center is ineffective. Opening the options for the Game Center in the settings, logging out of my Apple ID, then reopening the Game Center app and logging back in from there is ineffective.

This issue has gone on for more than a month, and so the phone has gone through all variations of "turn it off then back on again, refresh the system, etc etc" that are the basic first suggestions for trouble shooting.

One game app, which required a Game Center profile to launch, stopped working entirely, and would return a message saying something like "connect to the Game Center". I eventually deleted it to free up space. Other games which can be linked to the Game Center to connect with friends simply fail to link, returning "Game Center unavailable". This is the aspect that is currently bothering me the most: I cannot play games with friends unless the app can also link to Facebook and connect to friends from there.

When I open the Game Center, I see the following screen. The bubbles float gently, and it seems as if I had the ability to update my "status". However doing so results in a message that has vanished once the app is reopened.

Upon tapping Games, either the bubble from the main screen or the option on the ribbon at the bottom, the following screen appears. Clicking on Challenges shows a message that achievements must be viewed to issue a challenge. Clicking achievements results in a message that games must be connected (and from my friend's phone I know I have several apps that should appear).

Upon tapping friends, it does show me a list of suggested friends pulled from Facebook, but attempting to send a friend request results in the following screen. After accepting the error box, the "send" button for the request is grayed out and unavailable regardless of adding or deleting friends and/or an accompanying message.

In short, the Game Center is completely unresponsive for no discernible reason, and this problem began with no warning and is now long term. Though my iPhone is older (a 4s), my friend's is even older (a regular 4) and works fine.