WhatsApp is probably one of the most important apps on their phone for many. That's why it can be extra frustrating if the app doesn't work properly or stops working at all. What are you doing then? In this article we give some tips.
WhatsApp not working? You can do this!
Step 1: Check your internet connection
Maybe this time it's up to you.
Step 2: Update the app
An outdated app can lead to problems faster, and large-scale outages are more likely to be resolved in newer versions.
Step 3: Reinstall WhatsApp
A bit of a rigorous measure, but it might work. Just make sure to back up all your chats and photos!
Step 4: Try an alternative
Is there a major outage going on? Try another app. Facebook Messenger (if it works), Signal, switch to Telegram, send a text message or drop by.
Step 5: Drink a cup of coffee
Stretch out on the couch, put your phone away and grab a good book. There is a good chance that WhatsApp is working hard on a solution. You can still send that app in an hour.
WhatsApp down?
If you can't connect to WhatsApp, you won't be able to send or receive messages. WhatsApp itself may be down. You can check this on this website. If there's no problem with the service itself, there are a few other things you can check.
Check internet connection
If you have a really bad (or no) internet connection, either via mobile data or Wi-Fi, WhatsApp will lose its connection to the servers, preventing you from sending or receiving messages.
If you're using Wi-Fi, check whether this connection actually provides internet access. You can disconnect and reconnect your Wi-Fi to see if this helps. If necessary, connect to another network, if one is available.
If you're using mobile data, make sure this feature isn't accidentally turned off. Also check in the settings of WhatsApp itself and those of your phone whether WhatsApp has permission to use mobile data. If you have a bad signal, it could also mean that your data connection is not good enough to use WhatsApp.
Also check that you have not accidentally exceeded your data limit. If that is the case, apps (including WhatsApp) will no longer be able to use your mobile data.
Also make sure you are unsubscribed from WhatsApp Web. To do this, go to within WhatsApp Institutions and tap WhatsApp Web / Desktop. Here you can unsubscribe on all devices. This will sometimes help.
To update
Sometimes WhatsApp does not want to work (properly) if you do not have a certain update. Make sure that both your operating system and WhatsApp itself are updated. This is especially important if you're running WhatsApp on a tablet or other Android device for which WhatsApp is not available in the Google Play Store.
If you have an Android phone, you can check Google Play for updates for WhatsApp. In Google Play, press the hamburger menu at the top left of the screen and choose My apps. Go to the tab Installed to search for available updates.
If you have an iPhone, go to the App Store and press it Updatesicon at the bottom right of the screen. Also immediately check for updates for iOS itself, as WhatsApp recommends running the app on the latest version of iOS.
Reinstall
Can't get WhatsApp to work at all anymore? Then it is best to remove the app from your device and install it again. If you want to keep your WhatsApp messages, you will need to back them up first.
If you're using Google Drive, this is the easiest way to back up WhatsApp. Go to Settings / Chats and choose Chat backup. Create a backup here so that the most recent messages are included immediately. Choose Backup to Google Drive and indicate to which Google Drive account you want to upload the backup.
It can also pay off to turn your phone on and off. This sounds like an open door, but it is a tip that turns out to work surprisingly often.
Alternatives to WhatsApp
In more urgent cases, you are not waiting for a solution, but for finding an answer to your WhatsApp messages. In that case, you can always turn to alternatives, such as a text message. You can also (if necessary) temporarily switch to safer WhatsApp alternatives such as Telegram or Signal.
Put your phone away
Secretly, this is of course the ideal time for a digital mini-detox. Get rid of that phone, being unavailable for a while isn't that bad at all. Send your most important messages via text, but then settle down on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book. Not bad, a moment like that for yourself?
Support
It is also possible that your device no longer supports WhatsApp. Since February 1, 2020, WhatsApp no longer works properly on some devices. Devices that run on iOS 8 or Android version 2.3.7 can no longer use the app.
It concerns the following devices:
- iPhone 4
- Sony Xperia Advance
- Acer Liquid Z Duo Z110
- Acer Liquid Z Z110
- Lenovo K800
- T-Mobile Concord
- Sony Xperia U ST25a
- Sony Xperia U ST25i
- Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G SCH-R940
- Yezz Andy 3G 4.0 YZ1120
- Motorola Defy Pro XT560
- Sony Xperia Go ST27a
- Sony Xperia Go ST27i
- Huawei Assets 4G M920
- Motorola Atrix TV XT682
- Sony Xperia ion 3G LT28h
- Sony Xperia ion LTE LT28at
- Sony Xperia ion LTE LT28i
- Orange San Diego
- Vodafone Smart II V860
- Sony Xperia Sola MT27i
- Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE GT-i9210T
- Sony Xperia P LT22i
- LG Optimus 3D Max P720
- LG Optimus 3D Max P720H
- LG Optimus 3D Max P725
- LG Optimus Elite LS696
- Sony Xperia acro HD SOI12
- Xolo X900
- Sony Xperia acro HD SO-03D
- Sony Xperia S LT26i
- LG Spectrum VS920
- Motorola MotoLuxe XT615
- HTC Velocity 4G
- LG Prada 3.0 P940
- Motorola Fire XT317
- Motorola XT532
- Samsung Galaxy S2 LTE GT-i9210
