There are plenty of things to do offline using Android phones, including playing certain games and checking pre-downloaded Google Maps. Unfortunately, chatting with one’s favorite people is not included in that list. From connectivity to caching and storage issues, there are many reasons why WhatsApp may temporarily not be working. Some of them may be also caused by outdated app versions or WhatsApp servers being down. To avoid unnecessary frustration and wasted time, we have compiled a selection of tips to get back online when experiencing connectivity issues with WhatApp.
Close and reopen WhatsApp
The first thing you should try if your WhatsApp is misbehaving is to close and reopen the app. Its process may be temporarily malfunctioning, so restarting th app may fix the issue. Follow these steps to close WhatsApp.
- Tap your phone’s Overview button, or swipe up from the bottom of your screen and hold if you have an Android phone running Android 10 or newer.
- Swipe up on the app to close it.
- Reopen WhatsApp by clicking on the app’s menu icon.
Force close the WhatsApp process
If closing the app as described above does not solve the issue, you can try force closing it. To do so:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on Apps.
- Select See all apps and find WhatsApp in the list.
- Tap on Force stop and then confirm tapping OK.
- Reopen WhatsApp by clicking on the app’s menu icon.
Restart your phone
Have you tried turning off and on again? Restarting your device is one of the most underrated methods of solving issues of all times, but sometimes it just works. To restart your Android phone:
-
Press and hold your phone’s power button
- (Phones with Android 11 or earlier. For Android 12, have a look at this guide).
- Tap on Restart.
Check your internet connection
There are times when your connectivity issues affect both WhatsApp and your whole Android system. To make sure you have an active internet connection:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Tap on Network and Internet or Connections (depending on your model).
- Tap on Internet.
- Use the Wi-Fi and mobile toggles to manage your internet connection.
Don’t forget to enable background data for WhatsApp. To do so, open the app’s setting as explained above and then tap on Mobile data & Wi-Fi → Enable Background data.
Check for app updates
Apps may sometimes stop functioning until they are updated, either to prevent old vulnerabilities from being exploited, or for compatibility issues. To make sure you are running the latest version of WhatsApp:
- Open the Play Store app.
- Find WhatsApp in your home screen or look for it using the search bar
- Tap on Update to download and install the app’s latest version
If your app is already updated you’ll see an “Open” button instead of “Update”
Clear WhatsApp’s cache
Caching is a computing method developed to ensure that your phone does not have to load the same chunks of data unnecessarily. This not only prevents additional downloaded data (which is not great for metered connections), but also speeds up apps’ loading time. That being said, cache can get corrupted, thus preventing apps from loading properly. To delete WhatsApp’s cache:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on Apps.
- Select See all apps and find WhatsApp in the list.
- Tap on Storage & cache, then Clear Cache.
While clearing WhatsApp’s cache won’t delete your locally stored data, tapping on “Clear Storage” will do just that, so make sure you’re tapping on the right option.
Check your storage space
Limited storage space may be the culprit for undelivered WhatsApp messages. To check your Android phone’s available storage space:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down to Storage and data or Storage.
- Use Android’s built-in storage manager or manually make sure you have enough storage available.
Check if WhatsApp is down
If you tried all the steps above and are still experiencing WhatsApp issues, it may be time to check the status of the app’s servers. While Meta doesn’t have an official tool to verify whether WhatsApp is down or not, Downdetector usually does a good job of it. The website relies on users’ reports to map possible issues regarding the online status of various apps and services across different countries. Downdetector also enables users to specify whether they’re having issues with the mobile or Desktop version of WhatsApp.
Make sure your WhatsApp account is still active
WhatsApp accounts are automatically set to delete after 120 days. This means that if you haven’t logged into your WhatsApp account for over three months, it will be automatically deactivated. In this scenario, your only solution will be to create a new WhatsApp account, as Meta does not currently support the retrieval of a deactivated account.
A WhatsApp account is active as long as it has an internet connection, so make sure you log into it once in a while to avoid losing access to it.
Hopefully, you managed to solve your WhatsApp connectivity issues following these tips. And since you’re here, did you know it is possible to send WhatsApp message to a number without adding them as a contact first?
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