Fix WhatsApp not working problem

As simple as it might seem, using WhatsApp is not always easy. Like any other application, this popular messenger can also give users a hard time. If you are facing issues with the app, such as its frequent crashing or the inability to send and receive any WhatsApp message, don’t panic. Like any other application, WhatsApp has its fair share of bugs and glitches from time to time. However, there are many ways to fix these issues and get back to chat and send audio messages on this awesome app again.

So let’s take a look at how you can troubleshoot the ‘WhatsApp not working’ problem and start using the app in no time.

Why is WhatsApp Not Working?

However, before you go ahead and try out the fixes, it is important to understand why WhatsApp is not working or connecting in the first place. There could be many reasons behind this issue, but the most common ones are:

  • The app has crashed. This can happen if you have opened the app after a long time or after installing an update. With most smartphone issues (iPhone or Android phones), a simple reboot can help fix this issue.
  • The app has become unresponsive or frozen. If your phone’s operating system has frozen or stopped responding, then WhatsApp will also not work properly. The best thing to do in such cases is to restart your phone with a long press of the power button for 10 seconds or more until you see a ‘power off’ option on the screen. Alternatively, pull the notification panel from the top and find the power icon.
  • Your internet connection is unstable. If your data connection keeps fluctuating, it might also cause connectivity issues with your WhatsApp service. Try switching from a Wi-Fi network to mobile data (if available) and vice versa to see if that resolves the problem. Also, try turning the airplane mode on and off. Just go to Settings > tap Network & internet, and turn it on and off.

There are also some instances when there may be no apparent reason why WhatsApp isn’t working on your device. Keep reading below for some potential fixes for this problem as well!

Related Read: How to Fix WhatsApp Web Not Working Issue

How to Fix WhatsApp Not Working Issue?

1. Close and Reopen WhatsApp

Sometimes, all it takes is to close and reopen the app to fix whatever issues you are experiencing with WhatsApp. To do this:

  • Go to your home screen and tap on the Recent Apps button. This will show you a list of all your recently opened apps.
  • Close WhatsApp by swiping or tapping on the close button.
  • Go back to your app drawer and relaunch WhatsApp. It should now work correctly.

2. Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp

If closing and reopening WhatsApp does not fix the problem, try uninstalling it from your phone and then reinstalling it again from Google Play Store or Amazon App Store (for Fire OS-based devices). If you uninstall it from your phone, you’ll lose all your chat history. So make sure to create a local or cloud backup of your data before uninstalling WhatsApp.

To uninstall the app, go to the app drawer, long-press the WhatsApp icon, and tap on uninstall. That’s it. While uninstalling, some phones let you keep the app data so that your chat history and other saved data will be restored after you reinstall the app. But we recommend you not save the data but restore it from a backup after installing WhatsApp again.

3. Clear WhatsApp Cache and Data

Like any Android app, WhatsApp stores some data for a brief time to optimize performance and conserve resources. These data, known as cache, can become corrupted or redundant, leading to issues with the app. To resolve this problem, you must clear the cache data and other corrupted data of WhatsApp. To do so, use these steps:

  • Launch the Settings app.
  • Go to Manage Apps.
  • Scroll down and select WhatsApp.
  • Tap Clear cache and Clear data.
  • Launch WhatsApp again.

4. Check for App Updates

If you are using an older version of WhatsApp, you should check to see if the latest version is available and upgrade to it. To do this:

  • Open Google Play Store on your device and tap on the profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
  • Select Manage apps and device from the menu that appears. Tap on Updates available and this will show you a list of all the apps that require an update, including WhatsApp.
  • Tap on the Update button next to WhatsApp’s entry in this list. If no update is available for WhatsApp, then it may be time for you to check if there is any pending system update.

5. Check for Android Updates

Sometimes, bugs in Android OS can cause problems with certain apps like WhatsApp, so make sure that your device has all the latest updates by following these steps:

  • Go to Settings > About phone.
  • Tap on System updates. This may not show anything if no system updates are available for your device yet. Otherwise, it will show you any available system updates that need to be installed on your device with a “Downloading…” notification next to them.
  • After they have been downloaded and installed successfully, they will change their status from “Downloading…” to “Installed”.

6. Reset App Preferences

If you still find WhatsApp not working on your device, you should consider resetting the app preferences. It’s a great feature in Android that lets you restore the default app settings without losing your data. For this to do, follow these steps.

  • Open the Settings app and go to Manage Apps.
  • Tap on the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
  • Select Reset app preferences, and confirm by tapping Reset apps in the pop-up.

Once done with this, open your app drawer and relaunch WhatsApp. If this didn’t solve your problem, go with the other methods on the list.

7. Allow all App Permissions

WhatsApp needs certain permissions to run properly, but your device may not allow it. To fix this, you can follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings > Manage Apps > WhatsApp.
  • Tap on App permission. This will show you a list of all the permissions that WhatsApp requires to run correctly.
  • Toggle to turn on them so that WhatsApp can have those permissions.

8. Make Sure you Have Enough Storage Space

WhatsApp needs to store some data on your device to run properly. You will get the Storage Full error if you don’t have enough space. To check how much space you have left on your device and clear storage, follow these steps:

  • Go to the Settings app and select Storage.
  • Under Storage, tap on the Phone storage, and this will show you a list of all the apps installed on your device that are taking up storage.

If WhatsApp is taking up a lot of space and causing it to be full, then you can uninstall some apps or use an external SD card if your device supports it.

9. Ensure Battery Saver Mode is Disabled

If you have enabled battery saver mode (data saver mode) on your phone, this feature may be causing the WhatsApp app to stop working. If you have recently updated your Android phone, the update may have changed the location of the battery saver in your device’s settings menu. You’ll most likely find this option in the quick settings panel. Swipe down twice from the top of your phone’s screen and find the battery saver to turn it off.

10. Enable Background Data

In order for WhatsApp to work properly on your device, you need to ensure that you are not restricting the app from using the mobile data in the background. If you provide an unrestricted data usage privilege for the app, it may work without any issue. If this option is enabled on your device, use these steps to disable it.

  • Open the Settings app and navigate to Manage Apps.
  • Scroll down and select WhatsApp.
  • In the App info, scroll down and tap on Battery saver.
  • Now choose the option No restrictions.

11. Factory Reset your Phone

If you’re facing the issue of WhatsApp not working on your Android device and you’ve already tried all the aforementioned solutions, then it might be time to try a factory reset. If you are unsure how to do this on your Android phone, check this guide on factory resetting.

12. Check if WhatsApp Server is Down

If none of the above solutions works for you, then there’s a possibility that WhatsApp itself is down. You can check for this by visiting Down Detector. If it shows that the service is up, then the problem could be on your end. If the servers are down, it will be indicated in a map. In this case, you cannot send or receive messages until the issue is fixed by the company. All we can do is wait for the problem resolution.

13. Make Sure Your WhatsApp Account is Still Active

In case you haven’t used your account for a long time, there is a high chance of deleting WhatsApp account due to inactivity. For an account to be active, WhatsApp relies on internet service and your phone should have an internet connection. Just opening the messenger without connecting to the mobile data is not enough to maintain the account.

In general, to maintain security and protect users’ privacy, accounts are deleted after 120 days of inactivity. If this is the case, the only solution is to create a new WhatsApp account on the same phone number.

14. Check if WhatsApp is Blocked in Your Country

Currently, WhatsApp or some of its features are blocked in some countries, particularly China, North Korea, Syria, Qatar, and the UAE. If you’re in one of these countries, you cannot use WhatsApp, and the app itself shows you a message.

You can use a VPN service to get around the restrictions as a workaround. Or instead, go with some other instant messaging apps like Telegram, Signal, etc.

15. Contact WhatsApp Support for Assistance

This is the last resort when nothing else works! You can contact WhatsApp support if none of the above solutions works for you or if you are still experiencing issues with their app after trying out the solutions on this list! To do this:

  • Open WhatsApp and go to Settings from the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
  • Tap Help at the bottom of the screen and then tap Contact us on the next screen.
  • Fill out all the required details in this form and submit it to get in touch with them via email!

Fix WhatsApp Problems in No Time!

WhatsApp is an excellent messaging service that has been working for millions of people for years. However, just like any other software, it may not be perfect. Certain bugs may develop that can cause WhatsApp to stop working correctly. Fortunately, there are ways to fix most of these issues without contacting customer support or waiting for a new app update. Follow the methods explained above, and your WhatsApp should be working properly in no time! If you have other solutions that worked for you, don’t forget to mention them in the comments.

FAQs

Why is my WhatsApp not working?

Your what may not be working because of one or more issues discussed above. Follow the solutions for each one one by one to find out what is causing the problem and fix it right away.

Did WhatsApp delete your account?

If you didn’t use your account for 120 days, WhatsApp will delete your account, and you cannot recover it.

What to do when WhatsApp is not responding?

If your WhatsApp is not responding, go to settings > Manage apps, choose WhatsApp from the list, and clear cache files.

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Vishnu is the founder and fountainhead of Makmodo and hails from God's Own Country - Kerala. He has been an ardent tech geek obsessed with technology since he got his first gadget a decade ago. He loves using his technical expertise to write informative and useful content to help people. Besides the techy stuff, he enjoys listening to music, reading books, and playing cricket. Occasionally, you can see him taking candid photographs or nurturing hanging orchids in his front yard.

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