WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family and colleagues through text, voice notes, video calls and more. A great feature of WhatsApp is its ability to backup your chat history and media to the cloud. This means if you ever lose your phone, switch devices or reinstall the app, you can restore your chat history and pick up right where you left off.
However, sometimes the WhatsApp backup process doesn’t go smoothly. You may find your backup gets stuck for some reason and fails to complete. When this happens, it can be incredibly frustrating not knowing how to fix it. The good news is there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot a stuck WhatsApp backup and get it successfully completed.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the following topics:
What causes a WhatsApp backup to get stuck?
There are a few common culprits for WhatsApp backup failures:
– Low storage space on your phone – WhatsApp backups can take up a considerable amount of storage space on your phone. If you are low on space, this can cause the backup process to stall.
– Weak internet connection – Backups require a stable internet connection to transfer your data to the cloud. A poor WiFi or mobile data connection may disrupt the backup.
– App issues – Sometimes glitches within the WhatsApp app itself results in backup problems. Close and reopen the app to refresh it.
– Server problems – WhatsApp servers may be experiencing downtime or maintenance which interrupts backups.
– Large backup size – Very large backups take longer to complete, so poor connections may fail for big backups.
– Mid-backup interruptions – Calls, other apps or device operations during a backup may disrupt it.
So in summary, connectivity issues, app crashes, insufficient storage and backup size can all prevent successful completion of WhatsApp backups.
How to tell your WhatsApp backup is stuck?
Here are the signs that your WhatsApp backup is stuck or has failed:
– WhatsApp gets stuck on the “Backing up” screen when you open the app and doesn’t progress past it.
– The backup progress bar in WhatsApp Settings does not complete and is stuck.
– You do not get a “Backup successful” or “Backup complete” message after a long time.
– Your chat history is not restored when you reinstall WhatsApp or get a new phone.
– Your media files like photos and videos are missing when you restore from backup.
– The date of the last successful backup does not change or update.
– You get error notifications about the backup failing repeatedly.
If you notice any of these issues, it’s very likely your last WhatsApp backup attempt failed or got stuck midway. The steps below will help you troubleshoot and complete the backup process.
Force stop and clear cache of WhatsApp
As a first step, force stopping the WhatsApp app and clearing its cache can help overcome any app errors causing backup issues:
1. Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage
2. Tap on “Clear Cache” to delete temporary files.
3. Go back and “Force Stop” the WhatsApp app.
4. Launch WhatsApp again after a few seconds.
This refreshes the app and will resolve any software bugs that disrupted the previous backup. Try making the backup again.
Check your internet connection
Slow or unstable internet connectivity is one of the biggest reasons WhatsApp backups fail. Follow these tips to check your connection:
– Switch from WiFi to mobile data or vice versa. Trying the other option can rule out network issues.
– Run a speed test to confirm you have a minimum of 2-3mbps upload and download speeds. Less than that may cause timeout errors.
– Move closer to your WiFi router to improve signal strength. Backup over mobile data if WiFi is too slow.
– Disable battery saver mode on your phone when backing up. It can throttle network bandwidth.
– Restart your phone and router if connections remain unreliable. This re-establishes the network.
A steady internet connection is vital for completing WhatsApp backups without errors. Verify this before attempting another backup.
Make space by deleting old chats & media
WhatsApp backups take up a sizeable chunk of storage space on your phone. Having insufficient internal storage can result in a failed backup with errors like “not enough space” or “memory full.”
To make space for your backup, you should clear old chats and media that you no longer need:
1. In WhatsApp, open individual chats and tap and hold on older conversations.
2. Choose “Delete” to erase conversations you don’t need.
3. Go to Settings > Storage and Data > Manage Storage to view media taking up space.
4. Delete old large photos, videos and files you don’t need anymore.
5. Consider moving media to cloud storage rather than your phone’s limited memory.
6. Check your phone storage and ensure at least 500MB or 1GB of free space for the backup.
Freeing up your phone’s storage gives WhatsApp enough memory to complete the backup process without running out of space.
Use a WiFi connection instead of mobile data
Given the potentially large size of WhatsApp backups, it is recommended to backup over a home or office WiFi connection rather than mobile data.
Benefits of using WiFi for your WhatsApp backup:
– WiFi offers faster speeds and lower latency than mobile data.
– No limits on data usage, whereas mobile data has caps.
– Backups over WiFi won’t eat into your monthly data plan allowance.
– Public WiFi networks can also suffice if your home WiFi lacks speed.
Switch off mobile data and connect your phone to a stable WiFi network before you begin the WhatsApp backup process again. This will provide the bandwidth needed for a successful backup.
Try backing up to Google Drive
Rather than the default built-in WhatsApp backup, you can choose to backup your chats to Google Drive. Benefits of this method include:
– Google Drive backup sizes can be larger than local storage limits.
– Your chat history is protected even if you lose your phone.
– You can more easily manage your storage and free up space.
To backup WhatsApp chats to Google Drive:
1. Open WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup.
2. Tap on “Backup to Google Drive” and choose a backup frequency.
3. Log in to your Google account if prompted. Grant permissions.
4. Initiate a manual backup by tapping “Back Up Now”.
Backup up to Google Drive gives you more storage space and often proves more reliable than local phone backups. Give it a try if you face backup issues.
Restart your phone before backup
Before retrying your latest WhatsApp backup, try restarting your smartphone. Here’s why this basic step can help:
– Clears temporary memory and fixes software issues.
– Resets all network connections so you get a fresh, strong signal.
– Frees up RAM and processing power for optimum backup performance.
– Makes sure no other apps are interrupting the backup.
– Helps if your phone has been slowing down and playing up.
So remember to simply switch your phone off and on again before starting the backup process. This quick reboot can flush out any gremlins causing disruption to your WhatsApp backup.
Exclude large videos from backup
Your WhatsApp media folder may be crammed with gigabytes of videos that are slowing down backups and causing them to fail.
Try excluding such large videos from your WhatsApp backup:
1. Go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Exclude Media from Backup
2. Tap on Videos to not back them up. You can also exclude Photos and Audio if needed.
3. Initiate the backup again sans heavy video files.
This truncates your backup size significantly so it completes faster without any size limits. You can manually backup large videos later. Focus just on text chats for now.
Disable battery optimizations
To ensure uninterrupted WhatsApp backups, an important tip is to disable battery optimizations and power saving modes on your Android phone:
1. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Special App Access > Battery Optimization.
2. Search for WhatsApp in the apps list and select “Don’t Optimize”
3. Tap OK to confirm.
This prevents your phone’s battery saver from interfering with WhatsApp and stopping the backup. Try now and the backup should run smoothly without battery restrictions.
Connect to stable WiFi and try again
After trying all the tips above, the last resort to successfully complete a WhatsApp backup is:
1. Turn on Airplane mode on your phone to block mobile data.
2. Connect your phone to a stable, high-speed WiFi network only.
3. Initiate the WhatsApp backup on this WiFi connection.
4. Keep your phone stationary and the screen on while the backup runs.
5. Do not use any other apps during the backup process.
This sequence maximizes your chances of a seamless WhatsApp backup with no interruptions. Stay put on WiFi and let the backup finish.
Conclusion
Getting your WhatsApp backup stuck midway can be incredibly annoying. But armed with the troubleshooting tips above, you should be able to resume and complete an interrupted WhatsApp backup successfully. The key factors are ensuring a strong internet connection, sufficient storage space, lack of interruptions, and optimal phone performance during the backup. With adequate patience and trying these fixes, your WhatsApp backup woes should be a thing of the past.