Why Isn’t WhatsApp Working?
The problem could lie with your app, your device, your network, or WhatsApp’s service. Here are some specific things that could be happening:
WhatsApp is having a wider problem that affects more than just your appYou’re not properly connected to the internetYour device is having trouble fully utilizing the appYour app’s cache is corrupted in some wayYou or the contact have been blocked from communicatingAn app setting is preventing photos, videos, or messages from sticking aroundPermissions have been denied that are necessary for some things to workYour inactive account was deleted
How to Fix WhatsApp Not Working
Walk through these steps in the order they’re presented to address the simpler and more likely solutions first. The process of closing apps depends on your platform: Android [How to Close Apps on Android], iPhone [How to Close Apps on an iPhone], Windows [How to Close Apps on a PC], or macOS [How to Close Apps on a Mac]. Typically you don’t have to do this, but if the app is unresponsive maybe something has gone wrong and you need to really close the app. If you’ve confirmed that you already have a working internet connection (for example, if you’re viewing this page on the same device), one thing you can try before moving on to the next step is a refresh. The process of toggling Airplane Mode on and off depends on your platform: Android [How to Use Airplane Mode on Android], iPhone [How to Use Airplane Mode on an iPhone], and Windows [How to Use Airplane Mode on a PC]. Here’s another tip: if WhatsApp Web works in the browser’s private mode, but not in regular mode, the issue is probably a browser extension. Disable every browser extension, and then re-enable them one by one until you find the problem extension. The process to clear the cache depends on your platform: Android [How to Clear the Cache on Android] or iPhone [How to Clear the Cache on an iPhone]. If you’re using WhatsApp Web, clear your browser cache, too. How to update apps depends on your platform: Windows [How to Update Apps on a PC] or macOS [How to Update Apps on a Mac]. To manage Android app permissions, for example, go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions. If what’s not working in WhatsApp is listed in the Not allowed section (e.g., the camera, and you can’t scan the WhatsApp Web QR code), tap it and choose the Allow option. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Camera (or Microphone, Location Services, etc.), and make sure the WhatsApp toggle is turned on. WhatsApp Web users can edit these settings in the browser. For example, give Chrome access to your mic if it’s not working with WhatsApp. On the flip side, take this time to unblock the WhatsApp contact if you suspect that you can’t communicate because you were the one doing the blocking. There’s an option to mute notifications for specific contacts. If you’ve done this, you won’t hear or see alerts the person/people you’ve muted. Unmuting is easy and will fix the problem immediately. The process of deleting apps depends on your platform: Android [How to Delete Apps on Android], iPhone [How to Delete Apps on an iPhone], or Windows [How to Delete Apps on a PC].
