WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It offers convenient features like texting, calling, video chatting, and more. However, despite its popularity, many users face issues with messages not getting delivered on WhatsApp.
There could be several reasons why your WhatsApp messages are not going through. Let’s explore the common causes and solutions for undelivered messages on WhatsApp.
Why Are My WhatsApp Messages Not Delivering?
Here are some of the top reasons why your WhatsApp messages may fail to deliver:
Poor Internet Connection
One of the most obvious reasons for undelivered messages is poor internet connectivity. WhatsApp requires an active internet connection to send and receive messages. So if you have a weak WiFi signal, low mobile data, or no connection at all, your messages will get stuck.
To ensure your messages go through, switch to a stronger WiFi network or move to an area with better mobile data coverage. You can’t send or receive WhatsApp messages without an internet connection.
Outdated Software Version
Another common reason is having an outdated version of WhatsApp. The developers regularly release new updates with bug fixes and features. But if you don’t update to the latest version, you may face delivery issues.
Make sure to keep your WhatsApp app up-to-date on your smartphone. Go to your app store to check for and install any pending updates. Having the newest version can resolve any software bugs causing message delivery failures.
Phone Storage Full
If your phone storage is completely full, WhatsApp may not have enough space to store new messages. This will prevent the app from delivering or downloading new messages.
Free up space on your phone by deleting unwanted files, clearing cache, uninstalling unused apps, transferring media to cloud storage, etc. Make sure you have at least 500MB of free space for WhatsApp to work smoothly.
Incorrect Date & Time Settings
WhatsApp relies on your phone’s date and time settings to deliver messages. So if your date/time settings are incorrect, it can interfere with WhatsApp’s processes causing message delivery issues.
Go into your smartphone settings and turn “Automatic date & time” on, if it isn’t already. This will sync your date and time accurately using your network connection.
Banned by Recipient
If the recipient has banned or blocked you on WhatsApp, messages you send them will not get delivered. They won’t receive any messages or calls from you.
If you feel the recipient may have blocked you, try contacting them through another means like SMS, email, phone call, etc. There is no workaround to send messages if you are blocked.
Recipient Not Using WhatsApp
You can only send WhatsApp messages to recipients who also have an active WhatsApp account. If the recipient you’re trying to contact doesn’t use WhatsApp, your messages will remain undelivered.
Confirm that the recipient has WhatsApp installed and set up on their phone. If not, communicate with them through regular texting, email, or phone calls instead.
Disabled notifications
If the WhatsApp notification is disabled on recipient’s phone, they won’t get notified when you send a message. As a result, they may be late in reading and replying to your message.
Suggest the recipient to enable WhatsApp notifications in their phone settings. This will alert them instantly when you message.
How to Fix WhatsApp Message Not Delivered Issue
If you are facing WhatsApp delivery failures, here are some troubleshooting tips to try out:
Restart Your Phone
Restarting your phone can help reset any temporary glitches that may be preventing WhatsApp from delivering messages properly. Power your phone off completely, wait 30 seconds, then power it back on.
Once the phone starts up again, open WhatsApp and check if messages are going through. A simple restart can resolve app issues in many cases.
Force Stop WhatsApp
If restarting your phone didn’t work, try force stopping WhatsApp instead. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Force Stop. On iPhone, double tap the home button and swipe up on WhatsApp to force close.
This will stop all WhatsApp processes and clear any data that may be causing delivery issues. When you relaunch WhatsApp, message sending should work again.
Clear Cache & Data
Clearing the cache and app data for WhatsApp can also fix undelivered messages in many cases. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage > Clear Cache + Clear Data. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > WhatsApp > Offload App.
This will wipe temporary data and reset WhatsApp to default. You may have to set up WhatsApp again, but message delivery issues should be resolved.
Update WhatsApp
Check your app store to see if any WhatsApp updates are pending. Installing the latest update brings bug fixes and improvements that can resolve message delivery problems.
On Android devices, open the Play Store, go to Menu > My Apps & Games > Update. On iOS, open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and check under Available Updates. Update WhatsApp if an update is available.
Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp
If all else fails, uninstall WhatsApp completely from your phone, then reinstall it. This will clear out any corrupted files or data that could be affecting WhatsApp performance.
Backup your WhatsApp data before uninstalling. Then download the app again from Google Play Store or iOS App Store. Set up your account again and check if messages are going through.
Contact WhatsApp Support
Get in touch with WhatsApp directly if you continue facing message delivery failures. On Android, go to WhatsApp > Menu Button > Settings > Help > Contact Us. On iPhone, go to WhatsApp Settings > Help > Contact Us.
Explain your issue to WhatsApp support for troubleshooting help. They may provide tailored solutions based on any details errors you may be seeing.
How to Confirm if Your Message is Delivered on WhatsApp
Here are some ways to verify your message delivery status on WhatsApp:
Check Message Status
WhatsApp shows one tick mark ✔️ when your message is sent from your phone. It shows two gray tick marks ✔️✔️ when delivered to the recipient’s phone. And two blue ticks ✔️✔️ when the recipient has read your message.
So if your message shows just one gray tick, it is not yet delivered. If you see two gray or blue ticks, it has reached the recipient successfully.
Turn on Read Receipts
You can enable read receipts in WhatsApp to definitively see when recipients have read your messages.
Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy and turn on Read Receipts. Now you’ll see blue ticks when recipients read your messages, confirming delivery.
Check ‘Delivered’ and ‘Seen’ Timestamps
In individual chats, long press on your sent messages to view message info. It will show “Delivered” and “Seen” timestamps if the recipient got your message.
If you only see a “Sent” time but no delivery or read time, your message has not gone through.
Observe Online Status
If the recipient is actively online on WhatsApp during the time you sent a message, but still doesn’t reply, chances are they haven’t received your message.
Their online status indicates WhatsApp is working fine on their end. So any messages you send should have reached them already unless notifications are disabled.
Prevent WhatsApp Message Delivery Issues
Follow these tips to avoid WhatsApp message delivery problems in the future:
- Always check your internet connection first before sending time-sensitive messages.
- Regularly update WhatsApp to the latest version.
- Make sure your phone has enough storage space for WhatsApp to work properly.
- Confirm the recipient has an active WhatsApp account before messaging.
- Ask recipients to enable WhatsApp notifications so they don’t miss your messages.
- Back up your WhatsApp data periodically to avoid losing messages.
- Troubleshoot message delivery issues promptly to avoid bigger problems.
- Contact WhatsApp support if problems persist for help resolving issues.
Conclusion
WhatsApp has made instant messaging so convenient that we often take message delivery for granted. But many factors can still cause issues with undelivered messages on WhatsApp.
Identifying the root cause, whether it’s poor internet, outdated app version, storage constraints, or recipient settings, is key to troubleshooting message delivery failures. Sending a message is step one, but ensuring it reaches your recipients is just as important.
Following WhatsApp best practices, promptly addressing issues when they arise, and contacting WhatsApp support if problems recur can help avoid the frustration of undelivered messages. With over two billion users, WhatsApp’s popularity shows no sign of waning. So mastering the ins and outs of reliable messaging is a valuable skill for today’s ultra-connected world.