Fix Whatsapp Not Sending/Receiving Messages

WhatsApp is an excellent platform for sending and receiving messages using your phone’s Internet connection. If your contacts are unavailable for a quick phone call, they definitely have a few seconds to read and reply to your WhatsApp messages.

But sometimes, WhatsApp may fail to send your messages. Or you may not receive the messages that your contacts sent to you. Either way, that’s a really annoying issue, especially if it occurs quite frequently.

WhatsApp Won’t Receive or Send Messages

⇒ Quick tip: If WhatsApp is not working properly and you can’t send or receive messages, this could be a server issue. Check the service status to see if WhatsApp is down.

If there are no known issues affecting WhatsApp’s servers, maybe the issue is on your end and you need to pursue further troubleshooting steps.

1. Check your Internet connection

Since WhatsApp relies on your cellular data or wireless connection to send and receive messages, the first thing you should do is ensure your connection is stable. A bad Internet connection may delay your messages.

How to check your network connection:

Restart your Wi-Fi router
Update your router firmware if there’s a newer version available
If you’re using a managed Wi-Fi network, contact the IT admin to check if the network has been configured to block or limit connections
Disable your proxy or VPN services.

Here’s what you can do to troubleshoot your phone Internet connection on Android and iOS.

Check your Internet settings

On Android, go to Settings → Network & internet (or Mobile Network):
- Enable and then disable Airplane mode
- Select Data usage → turn Mobile data on
- Go to Wi-Fi → turn Wi-Fi off and on

Return to Settings → go to Apps & notifications → WhatsApp → Data usage → enable Background data
Contact your mobile provider and check if your APN settings are configured properly.

If you’re using an iPhone, do the following:

Go to your iPhone’s Settings and:
- Enable and disable Airplane Mode
- Select Cellular and turn Cellular Data on
- Tap Wi-Fi and turn the Wi-Fi connection off and on.
Go back to Settings → General → Reset → select Reset Network Settings to delete your wireless passwords
If you’re using a pre-paid SIM card, check your APN settings and contact your mobile carrier for more information
Check if the network you’re on is set up to block or limit connections, especially if it’s an office or university campus network.

2. Update Android/iOS and WhatsApp

Make sure you’re running the latest WhatsApp version on your phone.

Open the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, search for WhatsApp and if there’s an Update button next to the app, tap it to install the latest updates.

Also, don’t forget to check for updates for your Android or iOS version.

3. Check blocked contacts

Check if your contacts have blocked you or you accidentally blocked the contact you’re trying to message.

Tap WhatsApp’s 3-dot menu, select Settings, and then tap Account
Select Privacy
Tap Blocked contacts to see the list of the contacts you blocked.

If the person you’re trying to message has blocked your number, WhatsApp won’t be able to deliver your messages to them.

4. Complete the initial verification process

If this issue is affecting a new phone number or device, you need to verify your number first in order to access and use all the WhatsApp features.

You’ll receive a 6-digit verification code via SMS that you need to enter on the app’s verification screen. You won’t be able to send or receive messages until you have verified your number or device.

5. Check the phone number format

Double-check the number of the contact you’re trying to message, especially if it’s an international phone number. If you haven’t saved the number correctly, you won’t be able to message them.

How to add phone numbers correctly on WhatsApp:

For local phone numbers, use the same number format as if you were making a normal phone call
For international numbers, enter the plus sign (+), add the country code, and then add the full phone number
Delete special calling codes
For phone numbers in Argentina, add a 9 between the country code (54) and the area code. Make sure the number has 13 digits and remove the 15 prefix.
For phone numbers in Mexico, add 1 after the country code (52).

Restart your phone and check if the issue has been solved.

6. Clear the cache

If you often use WhatsApp to send messages and media files, the app’s cache might limit or block certain features. You can delete temporary WhatsApp files by clearing the cache.

Go to Settings → Apps → select WhatsApp
Tap Storage → tap Clear cache and then Clear data.

7. Disable Power Saving mode

While this mode allows you to extend you battery life by limiting the number of processes running in the background, it can also block certain apps or app features that are draining your battery.

On Android, go to Settings → Battery → disable Power Saving Mode and check if WhatsApp is working properly now.