The app for WhatsApp is undeniably one of the most popular cross-platform chatting solutions, beloved by users of all ages and professions. WhatsApp is not limited to any particular class or group; the platform boasts approximately two billion monthly active users worldwide. As of 2023, WhatsApp has surpassed its prominent competitors. It offers seamless instant messaging services on both Android and iOS. What WhatsApp App Offers can be observed through its popularity among users, which is further supported and validated by statistical figures provided earlier. This content is intended to assist Android users who are experiencing issues with WhatsApp services.
In addition to offering impressive features, WhatsApp frequently launches promising privacy features. For instance, there’s a “view once” feature to protect the sender’s media files. Therefore, maintaining communication safety protocol on your WhatsApp Android is critical. Stay connected, if your WhatsApp is not working on Android, and you are impatiently curious to fix these issues.
Here are 12 effective fixing strategies, you can explore them to ensure convenience. Let’s get started.
How to Install WhatsApp application on Android?
Here is how you can initiate the WhatsApp ‘how to install’ process on Android:
- Launch the Google Play Store
- Search for WhatsApp Messenger
- Tap the “Install” button
- Once installed, open the WhatsApp app
- Agree to Terms of Service
- Register your phone number
- If you are an existing WhatsApp user and want to restore your chat history, choose Restore
- Enter your name or rename your profile by tapping More options > Settings, and tapping on your profile name
Now, WhatsApp on Android is ready to make video or voice calls and send messages to cultivate your connections in the digital scenario.
What Can Make Your WhatsApp Sluggish or Not Working on Android?
Here are the potential triggers that can cause “Why WhatsApp is not working?” issues on Android:
- Poor internet connection
- Cache data on WhatsApp
- Incorrect date and time settings on your Android device
- You have not yet installed updates
- WhatsApp is down
- Lack of storage capacity on your Android device
- You did not grant WhatsApp the necessary permissions
- You are using WhatsApp Mod Application
- Your WhatsApp account might be unintentionally or deliberately deleted
- Some of your contacts might have blocked your account
- You might have restricted Android background data usage
- If there are 120 days of inactivity on your WhatsApp for Android, the service has deleted your account
12 Fixes to Resolve WhatsApp Not Working Issue on Android
Here are the feasible fixes to resolve WhatsApp not working issue on your Android device:
1. Verify Your Internet Connection
Connectivity glitches are one of the primary factors that trigger the app’s not working tantrums on your Android device. If your internet is down, WhatsApp cannot work. Users who are connected via Wi-Fi/LAN, ensure that the router is functioning properly. You can also power cycle the router to fix the issue. If you are using a VPN for WhatsApp, temporarily disabling the VPN can be a potential check to identify the reason.
However, if you are trying to connect via cellular data, make sure that your data connection is on.
How to turn on mobile data on Android:
- Launch the Settings app
- Go into Network & internet
- Access SIMs
- Select your main SIM
- Toggle Mobile data on
Toggling Roaming ON can be a viable option; however, be aware this may incur extra charges if you are overseas.
Here is how you can restart your internet router, which is an effective smart hack to resume the functionality of any app on your device:
- Locate your internet router
- Unplug the power cable
- Wait for 10-15 seconds
- Plug the power cable back in
- Wait for the router’s lights to stabilize
- Verify your internet connection now and launch WhatsApp to check if it’s working on your device
2. Is WhatsApp Down?
Sometimes, the “not working issue” is not at the user’s end. Neither it is triggered by them nor they can correct it. So, after verifying your internet connection, you should try to know from other users if WhatsApp is down or not. You can also check WhatsApp status from your X (Twitter) account.
When the issue is not with your Android device, then the chances are high that the problem lies with a WhatsApp server outage. You can use online tools to check the situation, such as the website Down-Detector, which can help identify the trigger. If this is the situation, the viable solution is to wait for WhatsApp to be restored on its own. Do not try different troubleshooting methods, relax and enjoy your coffee, the situation will be better soon.
3. Restart Your WhatsApp and Android Device
Giving a fresh start to either your WhatsApp app or your device can often help by eliminating technical issues, system bugs, a sluggish app, and connectivity glitches.
How to restart your WhatsApp app?
- Open the multitasking screen on your device
- Swipe WhatsApp away to close the app completely
- Now, reopen WhatsApp and try again
How to restart an Android phone?
- Hold the power and volume up buttons simultaneously
- Tap “Restart”
4. Uninstall and Reinstall the WhatsApp Application
If logging out and logging back in did not help in restoring WhatsApp functionality on your Android device, take a different route. Sometimes, to remove pesky bugs and ensure convenience and a seamless messaging experience, it’s worth uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp. It is a neat resetting process.
Here is how you can uninstall an Android app:
- Find the WhatsApp app on your home screen or in your app drawer
- Tap and hold the Android app
- Select App info
- Tap Uninstall.
- Confirm the process by selecting OK
- Now, reinstall WhatsApp and see if it is working properly
5. Check for Updates
Updating WhatsApp is not a bet to keep things working, but certainly brings new features and bug fixes to your app. It’s also a proactive measure to prevent hackers from being able to attack your phone. You can check for WhatsApp to install updates in the Google Play Store.
Here is how you can check for updates in the Google Play Store:
- Launch the Google Play Store
- Tap the “profile icon”, located at the top right corner
- Click on Manage “apps and device”
- Check if any updates are available
- Tap the Updates button
- Select “Update All”
- Alternatively, navigate and choose WhatsApp for “Update”
In addition to the WhatsApp application to install, you also need to install the latest version of software on your phone.
Here is how you can update the phone system:
- Launch the Settings app
- Navigate to System
- Select “System Update”
- Click on “Online Update”
- If there are any pending updates, you will see an option to “Update”
Ensure that your Wi-Fi network is reliable to download and install the system update.
6. Set the Correct Date and Time on Your Android
Most of you might have no idea that the wrong date or time of your device will disallow WhatsApp from downloading text, voice, and video messages. This issue might be with old systems, the latest operating systems keep proper tracking of date and time using internet-based servers. However, if your Android device is not facilitated with this mechanism, then fix it manually so WhatsApp works properly.
Here is how Android users can set the time manually:
- Launch the Settings app on your Android device
- Navigate to System
- Locate and select Date and Time
- Set the correct date and time
7. Remove Cache Junk
Cache data has its upsides and downsides. In the first instance, it facilitates future browsing, but conversely, it can negatively impact the smooth functionality of apps on your device. Clearing cache data from your phone can resolve technical issues, app glitches, system bugs, malware, sluggish devices or apps, and more. When you remove cache junk from your device, it resets your apps and browser, leading to improved overall performance.
Here is a simple guide to learning how to clear WhatsApp-cache:
- Open the “Settings” App
- Go to Apps
- Locate and select WhatsApp app in the “See all Apps” section
- Click on WhatsApp
- Tap on “Storage and cache”
- Hit Clear Cache
- The “Clear storage” option is also available to give a fresh start, ensuring quick and smooth functioning
8. Modify WhatsApp Permissions
Sometimes you have accidentally denied necessary permissions, which could cause problems. For instance, you might have unintentionally not granted WhatsApp permission to access your contacts.
Here is how you can modify app permission settings on your Android phone:
- Open the Settings app on your device
- Go into Apps
- Locate and select the WhatsApp
- Choose “Permissions”
- Ensure that you have allowed all permissions that were previously denied
9. Check Storage
If your phone is experiencing storage issues, it may cause WhatsApp to encounter downloading problems. Low storage can also impact the overall functionality of your Android device.
You can also check storage via WhatsApp to see how much it is consuming:
- Launch your WhatsApp
- Click on the three-dots menu button
- Go to “Settings”
- Navigate to “Data and Storage”
- Click on “Manage storage”
- Delete unwanted media files
Here is how you can check storage space on your smartphone:
- Launch the Settings app
- Go to Storage
- Navigate to Internal Storage to give you an actual picture of your storage usage
- Consider deleting unnecessary stuff, if storage is about to hit its capacity
- If you do not want to delete, move the stuff to an SD card
10. Enable Background Data
Background data works hand-in-hand with Data Saver. For Android devices, you can easily check and manage background data settings on your phone.
Here is how you can do it:
- Launch the Settings app on your Android device
- Navigate and tap on “Network & Internet”
- Click on “Data Usage”
- This will display the amount of data used by your apps, and other network-related settings
- Locate and click on Data Saver
- Tap on “unrestricted data”
- This will show a list of apps that can either send or receive data in the background
- Scroll down a bit to find “Background data is turned off”
- Ensure the switch is activated, in case it is not activated, turn it on
- Alternatively, click on WhatsApp
- Enable Background data within the app
- Allow unrestricted data usage to ensure you continue to receive WhatsApp notifications
11. Are You Using the Official WhatsApp App?
Ensure you are not using any modded app. It’s significantly important to note that you should always use the official WhatsApp app for messaging. Using a non-official app is not a safe option. Avoiding WhatsApp Mod Apps will help keep you safe from technical issues, virus intrusion, hackers attempting to steal your data, and more.
12. Disable Data Saver
The Data Saver’s smart data usage feature may be impacting the functionality of your WhatsApp on your device. Disabling Data Saver might help restore WhatsApp working on your smartphone.
Here is how you can disable Data Saver:
- Swipe down from the top of the screen twice
- This will open the settings panel
- Navigate and select Data Saver
- Turn it off
The Final Takeaways
If you are facing a WhatsApp problem on your Android device, don’t worry; it is not a detrimental issue that can be easily resolved with the help of some effective solutions. TECHBYTEX provides 12 smart strategies to overcome the WhatsApp not working issue on your smartphone. You can also explore WhatsApp Web on this platform. This content begins with the procedure to Download WhatsApp in Android, followed by the best approaches and their respective steps to fix the problem.
The smart workarounds you can try include verifying internet connectivity, restarting your device and WhatsApp, removing cache, and more. So, trust these hacks and smart remedies to experience seamless WhatsApp messaging on your Android device.
