WhatsApp’s tick system can be confusing if you don’t know how it works. When you send a message on WhatsApp, it can display one, two, or no ticks depending on whether your message has been successfully sent, delivered, and read.
If your message only shows one tick, it means your message has been successfully sent from your device, but it has not yet been delivered to the recipient’s device. There are a few potential reasons for this:
Causes of One Tick on WhatsApp
Recipient is offline
The most common reason you’ll see just one tick is because the recipient currently has no internet connection. WhatsApp requires an internet connection to send and receive messages. If the recipient’s phone is turned off, in airplane mode, has no service, or they are in an area with no internet access, your message will remain stuck on one tick until their device comes back online.
Don’t panic if your message has one tick for a while. It doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. The recipient could simply be offline temporarily or in an area with poor connectivity. Give it some time and check again later.
Recipient’s phone is out of storage
Another potential reason for one tick is that the recipient’s phone is out of storage space. In order for your WhatsApp message to move from one to two ticks, the recipient’s phone must have enough storage available to fully download your message.
If their phone is completely full and unable to download new messages, your message will remain stuck on one tick. You can recommend that the recipient clear up storage space on their phone in order to receive new WhatsApp messages properly.
Your message is queued
In rare cases, your message may display one tick because it’s still queued and hasn’t actually been sent yet. This can happen if you temporarily lost your own internet connection when sending the message. WhatsApp will queue the message to send as soon as it detects an internet connection again.
So if your own phone lost service or disconnected from WiFi right after you hit send, you may see one tick until your phone regains connection and actually transmits the message. Give it a few minutes and check again to see if it goes through.
Recipient blocked you
If you are blocked by the recipient, your messages will forever be stuck on one tick and will never get delivered. WhatsApp does not explicitly notify users if they’ve been blocked by someone. But if your messages consistently show one tick and never move to two, even when the recipient is online, then they may have blocked you.
Your message is too large
WhatsApp has a maximum media message size of 100MB and a maximum document size of 64MB. If you attempt to send a message that exceeds these size limits, it will get stuck at one tick indefinitely and never actually deliver.
Compress large files and photos before sending to ensure your message can be delivered. Very large messages may need to be broken up into multiple smaller parts in order to go through.
Recipient’s number changed
If the phone number of the recipient is no longer valid, your message will remain on one tick perpetually. Even if you previously messaged that number successfully, your new messages will not deliver if the recipient changed their number or deactivated that SIM card.
If you suspect the number is outdated, try contacting the recipient through another means of communication to confirm they are still using the same number.
What to Do if Your Message Has One Tick
In most cases, there is no need to worry if your WhatsApp message only shows one tick. Here are some tips on what to do:
Wait and check back later
As mentioned above, the most common reason for one tick is that the recipient is temporarily offline. Do not continuously resend the message, as that will just create duplicates. Simply wait patiently for the recipient to reconnect to the internet, then check your message again in a few hours or the next day.
Confirm the recipient’s number is correct
Make sure you accurately typed the full phone number of the recipient, including the country code. If you entered the wrong number, your message will not deliver. Carefully re-check the contact info you have saved and look for any typos or errors.
Check your own internet connection
Your internet could have dropped right after hitting send, causing WhatsApp to queue the message. Make sure your WiFi is working properly or that your phone has cellular data connectivity. Turn your phone off and on to reset the connection.
Ask the recipient to make storage space
Politely suggest to the recipient that they may need to clear up storage on their phone in order to properly receive WhatsApp messages. Recommend that they delete large files, photos, videos, and apps they no longer need.
Break large messages into smaller parts
If you’re trying to send high-resolution photos, videos, or documents over 100MB in size, the files may need to be compressed or split into smaller pieces for delivery. Use third-party compression tools or upload large media to a cloud drive and share the link instead of sending directly.
Confirm whether you’re blocked
If you have reason to suspect you may be blocked by the recipient, gently ask them if they recently changed their settings or blocked any contacts. There is no definitive way to check if you’re blocked, so communicating outside of WhatsApp may be necessary.
Be patient and wait longer
Sometimes messages get temporarily stuck for unknown reasons. If it’s an important message, wait a few hours and verify the recipient is online and active on WhatsApp during that time. If the issue persists for over a day, you may need to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp to troubleshoot.
What Does it Mean if Your Message Has Two Ticks?
While one tick indicates your message has been sent but not delivered, two ticks provides more definitive information:
| Tick Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Two gray ticks | Message sent and delivered to the recipient’s device |
| Two blue ticks | Message sent, delivered, and read by the recipient |
The two gray ticks confirm your message successfully reached the recipient’s phone. They received it, but have not yet opened your message. Once they view your message, the ticks will turn blue to indicate it has been read.
Common reasons your message may show two gray ticks, but not turn blue:
- Recipient has read receipts disabled in their WhatsApp settings
- Recipient read your message from the notification directly without opening WhatsApp
- Recipient deleted your chat/message without reading it
- Recipient cleared/marked your message as unread
As long as your message has two gray ticks, you can be assured it got delivered to the recipient’s phone as intended. If it remains on gray ticks indefinitely, one of the reasons above may explain why.
Troubleshooting Tips if Your Message Has No Ticks
If your message does not show any tick marks at all, here are some steps to troubleshoot:
Check your internet connection
Make sure your phone has an active internet connection (WiFi or mobile data) when you attempt to send the message. Without a connection, the message cannot be transmitted.
Restart your phone
Toggle your phone’s airplane mode on and off, or restart your device completely. This will reset the network connection and may resolve any temporary issues.
Update WhatsApp to the latest version
An outdated version of the app could be preventing your message from sending properly. Go to your app store to download the most up-to-date version of WhatsApp.
Clear app cache and data
Over time, corrupted app data may affect WhatsApp’s functionality. Go into your phone’s app settings and clear the cache and data for WhatsApp to troubleshoot.
Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp
As a last resort, uninstall WhatsApp completely from your device and download a fresh copy from the app store. Be sure to safely back up your chats before uninstalling.
Contact WhatsApp support
If none of the above fixes work, you can reach out to WhatsApp directly through their in-app support or contact them online via email. They may be able to provide specialized troubleshooting tips.
Conclusion
Don’t panic if you send a WhatsApp message that gets stuck on one tick. In most cases, it just means the recipient is temporarily unavailable or disconnected from the internet. Give it some time then double check if your message eventually sends and delivers.
If you consistently experience issues sending messages, the problem could be due to your phone’s connectivity, low storage on the recipient’s device, or app errors that require troubleshooting. Follow the tips outlined above to diagnose and resolve any problems.
With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is generally very reliable. But the occasional one-tick issue can occur due to circumstances outside of your control. As long as your message shows two gray ticks within a day or two, you can rest assured knowing it successfully reached the recipient.