It can be frustrating when you send a message on WhatsApp but it gets stuck on “sent” and doesn’t change to “delivered.” There are a few potential reasons why this happens.
Your Recipient’s Phone is Offline
The most common reason a WhatsApp message will show as sent but not delivered is because the recipient’s phone is offline or they don’t have an internet connection. WhatsApp requires an internet connection to send and receive messages. If your recipient’s phone is turned off, in airplane mode, has no service, or is otherwise disconnected from the internet, your message will remain in a “sent” state on your end.
Once your recipient reconnects to the internet and opens WhatsApp, your message will change from “sent” to “delivered” on your end. This is one of the most common reasons messages get stuck in limbo. As long as your recipient reconnects within 30 days, the message will go through normally.
Your Recipient’s Phone is Too Full
If your recipient’s phone storage is completely full, it can sometimes prevent WhatsApp messages from coming through. This is because there needs to be enough storage space to fully download your message and any media attached to it.
If you sent a message with a large photo or video attachment, your recipient may not have enough free storage to fully download it. In this case, your message will remain perpetually “sent” but not “delivered.”
The solution is for your recipient to clear enough storage space to fully download pending WhatsApp messages and attachments. Once there is enough room, your message should change to “delivered.”
Your Recipient has You Blocked
If one of your WhatsApp contacts has blocked you, any messages you send them will always show as “sent” but will never be marked as “delivered.” This is by design – when someone blocks you on WhatsApp, you can still send messages but the blocked person will never receive them.
From your end, it will seem like your messages are going through normally but in reality they are being automatically blocked. The only way to tell if you’re blocked is if your messages eternally stay on “sent” and never change to “delivered.”
Temporary Connection Issues
In some cases, a WhatsApp message may show as sent but not delivered due to temporary technical issues. For example:
- A server outage at WhatsApp’s end
- A brief loss of internet connectivity on the recipient’s end
- A software bug or glitch with WhatsApp
Issues like these are usually resolved within a few hours. Once the technical problem is fixed, your pending messages will go through normally. If a message remains stuck on “sent” for over 24 hours due to connection issues, try uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp to reset the app.
Your Recipient’s Account was Banned
In extreme cases, your WhatsApp contact may have had their account banned or deleted by WhatsApp. This can happen if they violated WhatsApp’s terms of service in some way.
When an account gets banned, any messages sent to it will show as sent but will never be delivered. The only solution is for your contact to create a new WhatsApp account and inform you of their new number.
Your Message Exceeds WhatsApp’s Size Limits
WhatsApp places a limit on the maximum size of messages and attachments that can be sent. According to their support site:
- Images = 16MB max file size
- Videos = 64MB max file size
- Documents = 100MB max file size
If you attempt to send an image, video, document, or other file that exceeds these size limits, it will remain stuck on “sent.” To fix it, compress or downsample the file to meet WhatsApp’s size restrictions.
Their Phone Number Changed
If one of your WhatsApp contacts recently changed their phone number, messages sent to their old number will show as sent but not delivered. This is because their old number is no longer valid.
To fix this, ask your contact for their new phone number. Then delete the old chat thread and start a new one using their updated number. This will ensure your messages get delivered properly going forward.
Conclusion
While having a message stuck in “sent” limbo can be annoying, the cause is usually relatively benign. As long as your recipient reconnects to the internet within 30 days, has enough storage space, and hasn’t blocked you, the message should eventually go through. Give it some time and check back later before concluding there is a major issue.
In rare cases where a message remains stuck on “sent” indefinitely, the problem may be due to a banned account, exceeded size limits, or a changed phone number. The solution then requires deleting the old chat thread and starting a new one. As long as both parties still have an active WhatsApp connection, messages will resume sending normally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my WhatsApp messages show a single tick?
A single gray tick means your message was successfully sent from your phone, but has not yet reached the recipient’s phone. This typically means they are offline or have no internet connection at the moment. It will turn double blue ticks once they receive your message and open WhatsApp.
Why do my messages show two gray ticks?
Two gray ticks mean your message was successfully delivered to the recipient’s phone, but they have not yet opened and read it. Two blue ticks will appear once they open the message.
Why does the blue tick not appear?
If the two blue ticks don’t appear even after your recipient has read your message, it means they have disabled read receipts in their WhatsApp settings. With read receipts off, your messages will only ever show gray double ticks.
Why does it say “WhatsApp Web” under my name?
“WhatsApp Web” appears when you or your contacts are using WhatsApp through the web browser interface on a computer. Messages sent here will still sync to your mobile app.
Can you see if someone has read your message on WhatsApp?
Yes, through the double blue tick feature that indicates read messages. If enabled, two blue ticks will appear when the recipient opens your chat. If disabled, your messages will only ever show gray ticks.
Why are my undelivered WhatsApp messages not resending automatically?
WhatsApp has an option to retry failed messages automatically. But this is disabled by default. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats to enable it. With auto-retry enabled, undelivered messages will resend up to 5 times before remaining stuck on “sent.”
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting steps to try if your WhatsApp messages are stuck on sent:
- Restart your phone and check if messages go through
- Force close and reopen the WhatsApp app
- Toggle airplane mode on and off to reset the connection
- Check your internet connection speed and stability
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version
- Clear cache and data for the WhatsApp app
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp
- Try sending from a different device if available
If none of these help and the messages remain stuck on sent, the problem is likely on your recipient’s end. Ask them to try the troubleshooting steps above.
Preventing “Sent” Message Issues
To avoid sent messages getting stuck in the future:
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection
- Don’t send files that exceed WhatsApp’s size limits
- Confirm the recipient’s number is correct before messaging
- Turn on auto-retry for failed messages
- Ask recipients to clear phone storage if full
- Avoid excessive messaging if recipient has limited data
Following these tips will minimize instances of messages not properly sending or delivering through WhatsApp.
What to do if Your Message Never Delivers
As a last resort if your sent WhatsApp message remains stuck in limbo for over a week with no explanation, it may be necessary to delete the message thread and start a new chat:
- Open the chat with the undelivered message
- Tap and hold the message thread
- Tap “Delete chat”
- Go to your Contacts and open a new chat with the recipient
- Verify you have the correct contact number
- Try sending a test message in the new chat
This will completely delete your old message history and thread. But it may resolve any lingering issues and allow new messages to send properly. Only use this solution if the message remains stuck on “sent” despite all other troubleshooting attempts.
When to Seek Further Help
If you still cannot send messages normally after the above steps, you may need to contact WhatsApp support or your mobile carrier for further assistance. Some issues that may require additional help include:
- Persistent server errors or glitches
- Suspected account hacks or bans
- Unusual crashes or freezes in the app
- Problems after updating WhatsApp version
- Unusual problems only when on cellular data
For help, first contact WhatsApp support through the in-app options. You can also reach out to your cell provider’s customer service for network-related issues. As a last resort, try community forums like WhatsApp’s Twitter or Facebook pages to see if others have found solutions.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key tips to remember about WhatsApp’s sent and delivered statuses:
- “Sent” – Your message left your phone but hasn’t reached recipient yet
- “Delivered” – Your message arrived on recipient’s phone
- Double blue ticks – Recipient has read your message
- Stuck on “Sent”? Try troubleshooting network issues
- Still stuck after 1 week? Delete chat and start fresh
- Confirm recipient’s number if issues persist long-term
With the right troubleshooting, an undelivered message can usually resume sending normally. But occasionally more drastic fixes like deleting message history are needed. If problems continue, rule out bigger issues by verifying your recipient’s details and contacting support channels.