WhatsApp desktop allows you to use WhatsApp on your computer. It syncs messages between your phone and computer so you can send and receive messages on either device. However, sometimes the sync can be slow and messages take time to appear on your computer. Here are some tips to help speed up WhatsApp desktop sync.
Check Your Internet Connection
The most obvious reason for slow sync is a poor internet connection. WhatsApp needs a stable internet connection on both your phone and computer to sync properly. Here are some things you can try:
- Restart your router and modem – This refreshes the connection.
- Switch to a different WiFi network or use a wired Ethernet connection – Try connecting to a different WiFi network or use a direct wired connection to rule out problems with your existing network.
- Disable VPN connections – VPNs can sometimes interfere with syncing.
- Move closer to your router – Get closer to your WiFi router for a stronger signal.
- Check for internet bandwidth issues – Make sure you don’t have too many devices connected to your network hogging bandwidth.
Checking your internet connection is the first step towards diagnosing WhatsApp desktop sync issues.
Update the WhatsApp Desktop App
Outdated versions of the WhatsApp desktop app can suffer from performance and sync issues. Make sure you are running the latest version of WhatsApp desktop.
On Windows:
- Open WhatsApp desktop
- Click on the menu button (three dots on top right)
- Select “Check for updates” and install any available updates
On Mac:
- Open WhatsApp desktop
- Click on WhatsApp desktop menu
- Select “Check for updates”
Updating to the latest version gets you bug fixes and improvements that can help speed up sync.
Enable Automatic Proxy
WhatsApp needs to connect to WhatsApp servers to sync messages. Some corporate, school or cafe internet connections use proxy servers that can interfere with this syncing process. Enabling WhatsApp’s automatic proxy setup can help overcome this issue.
To enable automatic proxy:
- Open WhatsApp desktop
- Click on the menu button (three dots on top right)
- Select “Settings” > “Proxy”
- Enable “Use Automatic Proxy Configuration”
This automatically configures WhatsApp desktop to use the correct proxy settings for your network.
Restart Your Phone
Restarting your phone can help clear out any glitches that may be affecting WhatsApp performance and sync.
To restart an iPhone:
- Press and hold the side or top button until the “Slide to power off” prompt appears
- Drag the slider to turn off your phone
- Wait 30 seconds then press and hold the side or top button again to turn your phone back on
To restart an Android phone:
- Long press on the power button until the power off prompt appears
- Tap power off and confirm if prompted
- Wait 30 seconds then press and hold the power button again to restart your phone
Restarting your phone will refresh the connection between your phone and WhatsApp desktop.
Force Close and Reopen WhatsApp Desktop
Forcing WhatsApp desktop to fully close and restart can help clear out any errors.
On Windows:
- Right click the WhatsApp icon in the system tray
- Select “Quit WhatsApp”
- Launch WhatsApp desktop again
On Mac:
- Right click the WhatsApp icon in the Dock
- Select “Quit”
- Launch WhatsApp desktop again from Applications
Relaunching the app will establish a fresh sync connection which may help speed things up.
Log Out and Back In
Logging out and back in establishes a brand new sync session which can overcome temporary glitches.
To log out:
- Open WhatsApp desktop
- Click on the menu button (three dots on top right)
- Select “Log Out”
Close WhatsApp desktop completely after logging out. Then launch WhatsApp desktop again and log in normally with your phone. This resets the sync and gets a clean start.
Scan QR Code Again
When you first set up WhatsApp desktop, you scan a QR code using your phone to link the app instances. If sync is slow, re-scanning the QR code can help reset the connection.
To re-scan the QR code:
- On your phone, open WhatsApp and go to Menu > WhatsApp Web > Log out from all computers
- On your computer, open WhatsApp desktop, click the menu and select Reload QR code
- Open WhatsApp on your phone again, go to Menu > WhatsApp Web and scan the QR code from your computer
This completely resets the paired devices and establishes a fresh link that can help speed up sync.
Reset WhatsApp Desktop
If all else fails, you can completely reset WhatsApp desktop to factory defaults. This wipes all data and logs you out, forcing a full reconfiguration next time you log in.
To reset WhatsApp desktop:
- Click on the WhatsApp desktop menu
- Select Settings > Advanced > Reset
- Click Reset to confirm
This isn’t necessary in most cases but can resolve persistent sync issues by fully resetting WhatsApp desktop.
Conclusion
Here are some key tips to summarize how to speed up WhatsApp desktop sync:
- Check your internet connection on both devices
- Update to the latest WhatsApp desktop version
- Enable automatic proxy configuration
- Restart your phone
- Force close and reopen the desktop app
- Log out and log back in
- Re-scan the QR code
- Reset WhatsApp desktop as a last resort
Following these troubleshooting steps will help identify and resolve any issues with WhatsApp desktop sync. Slow sync usually has a simple fix – just work through these methods until your messages start flowing quickly between phone and computer.