Update, March 19, 2021 (1:43 p.m. ET): According to Down Detector, WhatsApp seems to be unavailable to many around the world. This is likely a temporary issue. However, check out our list of ways you can fix the problem below.
There are a few possible reasons why WhatsApp is not working on your Android device. Fortunately, they can all be fixed relatively quickly. If the app crashes, you can’t send messages, or you have other issues, just follow the tips below to get the app working again.
Step one: narrow down the problem
If WhatsApp is not working on your Android phone, the first thing to do is to check if the problem is on your side or WhatApp’s. You can do this by visiting one of the websites that report if WhatsApp is down and in what countries. You can check out some of these websites using the links below:
If any (or all) websites claim the service is not available in your country, all you can do is wait for WhatsApp to fix the problem. Unfortunately, outages for WhatsApp and other popular services like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are not uncommon.
Step two: check your internet connection
If there are no reports of WhatsApp outage, then the problem must be yours. To fix this, first check the basics, in this case your internet connection. First, turn your WiFi off and then back on to see if this is the case. No luck? Then try visiting a random website on the internet or playing a YouTube video so that you can see if there is a problem with your connection.
If you can’t access the internet at all, you might be too far from your router or have other wifi issues. Our dedicated post will tell you how to fix these issues, or just switch to mobile data to access WhatsApp instantly. Problem solved!
Step three: Force stop and clear cache
If WhatsApp is still not working, then force-stopping the problem and clearing the cache on your device may fix the problem. A force stop basically kills the Linux process for the app and clearing your cache removes the temporary files that the app saved.
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If you’d like to dig deeper into the Force Stop and Clear Cache processes, we have a dedicated post on the subject written by our own Gary Sims – read it here. We also have a video for the article that you can see above.
To perform a force stop, go to your device’s settings and tap Apps. Then scroll down until you find WhatsApp, open it, then tap Force stop Button up. Tap to clear the cache camp Option below and then choose the clear cache Possibility. After that, launch WhatsApp and see if it works properly now.
Step four: update or reinstall WhatsApp
Your WhatsApp problem could be caused by a bug in the app. The best thing to do is to update it to the latest version by tapping on the Play Store My apps & games Option, then tap the To update Button next to WhatsApp – if available.
If this is not enough or no update is available, the best thing to do is to delete the app from your device and reinstall it. I’m sure you know how to do this, but in case you’re a newbie to Android, you can check out our guide on how to delete apps from your phone by clicking here.
Step five: turn off VPN
VPNs are great. They can be used to hide your identity online, bypass regional content restrictions for services like Netflix, and access WhatsApp in countries where they are not available. However, a VPN can also be the reason why WhatsApp won’t work for you.
I have had reports from users claiming that they cannot make calls on WhatsApp when they have a VPN enabled and have encountered a number of other problems. So if you have a VPN enabled while trying to access WhatsApp, just turn it off to see if it solves your problem.
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There you have it – these are the five steps you should take when you are having WhatsApp issues. Hopefully one of them solved your problem. If you’ve found any more WhatsApp fixes, let us know in the comments!