WhatsApp stickers are a fun way to express yourself and liven up conversations. However, you may occasionally find that some of your stickers are blocked and you’re unable to send them. There are a few potential reasons why this can happen.
Your sticker pack violates WhatsApp’s policies
WhatsApp has guidelines about what types of stickers are allowed on their platform. If your sticker pack contains offensive, illegal, copyrighted, or sexually explicit content, WhatsApp may block it. Here are some examples of sticker content that is not permitted:
- Hate speech, bullying, or harassment
- Violence, gore, or other graphic content
- Nudity or sexual acts
- Promotion of illegal drugs, tobacco, or firearms
- Unauthorized use of copyrighted characters or brands
If WhatsApp finds your sticker pack violates their policies, they may remove it entirely or prevent you from sending those specific stickers. Carefully review their guidelines before creating stickers to avoid issues.
Your sticker file is corrupted
Sometimes sticker files can become corrupted or damaged, which prevents WhatsApp from being able to load and display them properly. This is more likely to happen if:
- You created very large sticker files that exceed WhatsApp’s size limits
- Your phone ran out of storage space while downloading the sticker pack
- You downloaded the stickers from an unreliable third-party source
If only some of your stickers are blocked, it’s worth checking if those particular files are corrupted. Try re-downloading the sticker pack directly from the official creator’s website.
The sticker pack creator removed those stickers
Sticker pack creators have the ability to remotely add, remove, or update stickers in packs you’ve already downloaded. If certain stickers suddenly become blocked, it may be because the creator decided to remove them from the pack.
This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as:
- The creator got complaints about inappropriate sticker content
- The stickers included copyrighted material
- The creator simply wanted to update the pack with new stickers
In this case, there’s not much you can do besides reaching out to the sticker pack creator directly to ask why those stickers were removed.
Your version of WhatsApp is out of date
WhatsApp regularly releases new updates that contain bug fixes, security patches, and new features. If your version of WhatsApp is very old, it may not be compatible with newer sticker file formats.
Try checking if your WhatsApp app needs any available updates from your phone’s app store. Updating to the latest version may solve sticker blocking issues.
Your phone lacks storage space
In order to load and display stickers, WhatsApp needs a certain amount of free storage space on your phone. If your phone’s storage is completely full or almost full, WhatsApp may have trouble accessing the sticker files.
Try freeing up storage space on your phone and then restarting WhatsApp. This will allow it to re-check and load your stickers properly.
Your phone lacks RAM
Besides storage space, your phone also needs sufficient RAM (memory) to be able to render and display sticker images smoothly. Insufficient RAM can sometimes cause stickers to appear blank or have glitches.
Close any other apps running in the background to free up RAM. Also consider upgrading to a phone with more RAM if this is a persistent issue.
How to fix blocked WhatsApp stickers
If your WhatsApp stickers are blocked, here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:
- Force close and restart the WhatsApp app
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version
- Update your phone’s operating system
- Clear cache and data for the WhatsApp app
- Reinstall your sticker packs
- Free up storage space and RAM on your phone
- Use a sticker pack repair tool (for corrupted files)
- Contact the sticker pack creator for support
- Report stickers that violate policies to WhatsApp
How to avoid getting your WhatsApp stickers blocked
To reduce the chances of your custom sticker packs getting blocked, keep these tips in mind:
- Carefully review WhatsApp’s sticker guidelines and don’t include anything questionable
- Optimize your stickers to stay under WhatsApp’s 100KB size limit
- Use clean vector images instead of pixelated photos for higher quality
- Make sure to own or have rights to any images used in your stickers
- Regularly back up your stickers in case files get corrupted
- Be cautious when downloading third-party sticker packs
- Don’t overload your phone’s storage or RAM
What to do if your WhatsApp account is banned
In severe cases, repeatedly violating WhatsApp’s policies with your stickers could result in your entire WhatsApp account being banned. Here’s what to do if you get banned from WhatsApp:
- Appeal the ban – Contact WhatsApp and politely explain the situation. Provide context on any questionable stickers.
- Delete the problematic stickers – Remove any stickers that violated WhatsApp’s rules.
- Wait for the ban to lift – A first ban usually lasts 24 hours. Don’t try circumventing it with a new account.
- Review WhatsApp’s policies – Read their rules carefully to avoid future bans.
- Add trusted contacts – Have friends confirm your identity if the ban lasts longer than 24 hours.
- Switch to a different messaging app – If the ban is permanent, you may have to use a different service.
Getting banned from WhatsApp should be a last resort. Use sticker packs responsibly to avoid this fate.
Conclusion
WhatsApp stickers are a fun way to communicate, but can occasionally be blocked for reasons like policy violations, corrupted files, or app compatibility issues. Carefully follow WhatsApp’s guidelines, troubleshoot sticker problems, and optimize your phone’s performance to avoid blocks. With some vigilance, you can continue enjoying stickers without issues.