It can be frustrating when you send a WhatsApp message but the recipient never receives it. There are a few potential reasons why this might happen.
Common reasons a WhatsApp message is sent but not received
Here are some of the most common reasons why a WhatsApp message you sent may not be received by the recipient:
- Poor internet connection – If you or the recipient have a poor internet connection, this can cause delays or failures in sending/receiving messages. Loss of connectivity during messaging can lead to unsent or undelivered messages.
- Phone off or offline – If the recipient’s phone is turned off, in airplane mode, or has no internet connectivity, they will not receive messages until they reconnect.
- Invalid number – If you entered the wrong recipient number by mistake, the message will fail to send.
- Blocked contact – If the recipient has blocked your number, your messages will not go through.
- Full storage – If the recipient’s phone is completely out of storage, new messages cannot be received until space is freed up.
- Spam detection – Sometimes WhatsApp’s spam detection will block a message from being delivered if it suspects spam or abuse.
- Expired invite link – Invite links you send via WhatsApp have an expiration time. If expired, the link will no longer work.
- Banned account – Attempting to message someone with a banned or deleted WhatsApp account will result in failed messages.
- Outdated app – An outdated version of WhatsApp on your phone or the recipient’s can sometimes cause messaging issues.
- Network restrictions – Some networks and countries block WhatsApp usage, preventing messages being sent or received.
Troubleshooting steps
If your message is sent but not received, some troubleshooting steps to try include:
- Check your internet connection and try sending again when connectivity is restored.
- Check if the recipient’s phone is on and connected to the internet.
- Verify you have entered the correct phone number for the recipient.
- Ask the recipient to check their blocked contacts and spam filters.
- Make sure there is sufficient storage available on the recipient’s device.
- Try resending the message in case of temporary spam blocking.
- Double check the message contains no content flagged as spam or illegal.
- Ask the recipient to update WhatsApp to the latest version.
- Try sending from a different device on another network.
Preventing Undelivered Messages
Here are some tips to help prevent WhatsApp messages from being sent but not received:
- Always check you are sending to the correct contact.
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection when messaging.
- Confirm the recipient’s WhatsApp account is active.
- Ask the recipient to check their notification and spam settings.
- Enable WhatsApp chat backups to store undelivered messages.
- Turn on WhatsApp message delivery receipts for confirmation.
- Update to the latest version of WhatsApp.
- Clear message history and storage space on your phone regularly.
- Avoid sending high volumes of media content in messages.
- Be cautious of any network restrictions when traveling internationally.
What to do if the issue persists
If you continue to experience WhatsApp messages repeatedly being sent but not received, here are some additional things to try:
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
- Try resetting your phone’s network settings.
- Clear the app cache and data for WhatsApp.
- Force stop the WhatsApp app.
- Try a different phone on the same network.
- Factory reset your phone if all else fails.
- Report the issue directly to WhatsApp support.
When to seek help from WhatsApp support
You should contact WhatsApp support if:
- Messages consistently fail to send or receive.
- You cannot determine any clear reason for the issue.
- Resetting, reinstalling, and troubleshooting do not resolve it.
- The problem seems to be isolated to only your account.
- Messages are stuck at “sending” or “delivered” status.
WhatsApp provides customer support options like live chat, email, and detailed troubleshooting guides on their help website. Contact them with your phone model, messaging history details, and any error information to help them identify and resolve your specific issue.
Reasons WhatsApp messages may get stuck at “sending” status
If your WhatsApp message gets stuck at “sending” and never changes to “sent” or “delivered”, here are some potential causes:
- Poor network connection preventing message upload.
- Outdated version of WhatsApp needing an update.
- Phone lacks sufficient storage space and memory.
- Trying to send to an invalid or banned contact number.
- Recipient has you blocked on WhatsApp.
- Your WhatsApp account lacks proper verification.
- App crash or force close before message sent.
- Trying to send prohibited file type or size.
- Temporary issue on WhatsApp’s servers.
Always remember to regularly backup chats as any stuck messages may be lost if you have to reinstall WhatsApp or reset your phone to resolve sending issues.
Reasons WhatsApp messages get stuck at “delivered” status
WhatsApp messages can sometimes get stuck at “delivered” which means the message reached the recipient’s phone but has not yet been opened in the WhatsApp chat screen. Some common reasons include:
- Poor internet preventing message sync to chat screen.
- Recipient phone low on storage or memory.
- Recipient background data disabled for WhatsApp.
- Recipient account logged out or deleted.
- You blocked by recipient after message sent.
- Recipient has Do Not Disturb mode enabled.
- Recipient read notification disabled in settings.
- Stuck message due to WhatsApp glitch.
Try contacting the recipient directly to confirm if they can see the stuck message in WhatsApp. There is no native way to cancel or delete a delivered message once sent.
Conclusion
WhatsApp messages failing to send or be received can certainly be annoying. However, systematically going through possible causes and troubleshooting steps will help identify and resolve the underlying issue. Make sure to keep your app, phone OS, and network connections updated. Don’t hesitate to contact WhatsApp support if problems persist across devices. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp bugs and glitches do occur despite best efforts. Backing up chats regularly and staying patient during outages is key. As long as your account is active, with patience, most sent messages should eventually reach their recipient.