Why is WhatsApp not working on my phone? What should I do?

Reason #1 - Software failure

The most common reason why WhatsApp may not work is a software failure on the local server responsible for the functioning of the application in a specific country. This aspect should be checked first - there is no point in doing anything if you cannot influence it, except for waiting for some time until the company's engineers fix the problem.

To check, we recommend using special services. The first one is “https://downdetector.com/status/whatsapp/”. The service will show the load on the local server based on the IP address assigned to the device from which a person connects to the network. If desired, you can install the Downdetector application and check its functionality through it.

The second service is “https://outage.report/whatsapp”. It works on a similar principle and shows possible problems with WhatsApp. In the right part of the website, you can select a country with the most common issues reported by users in the reports.

Reason #2 - Network connection

If no problems are found on the servers responsible for WhatsApp's operation, you should check the device's connection to the internet. Sometimes WhatsApp may not connect to the network, even when some websites are displayed correctly in the browser.

In this case, you can do the following:

1. Turn off the network connection via Wi-Fi, wait a couple of seconds, and then turn it on again.
2. Pay attention to the signal strength indication. If it is less than half, the device may incorrectly receive the signal.
3. For additional verification, go to the website “https://www.speedtest.net/” through the browser and check the connection speed.

If the device is connected to the network via a mobile provider, you should also check the connection speed, then log in to your account and check the amount of data used. If everything is fine and WhatsApp still doesn't work, restart your smartphone and move on to troubleshooting other possible causes.

Reason #3 - Cache memory overload

Go to the main menu “Settings”, section “Applications”. Click on “Show all applications”, and in the provided list, look for WhatsApp and click on its icon. Then, click on “Force stop” on the left side of the screen and go to the “Storage and cache” section, which is located a little below, and click on “Clear cache”.

After that, you can close the settings and launch the application to check if it is working properly. We recommend using this solution always (excluding reasons #1/#2) when you notice that WhatsApp starts to "lag," not send messages, or encounter other problems.

Reason #4 - Update required

WhatsApp works on all modern smartphone models that meet the minimum requirements in terms of Android version and hardware. This requires colossal work from the developer in terms of optimizing and configuring the application for such a variety of options. Sometimes, some users do not update the application for a long time, or conversely, updates with bugs "fly" in the background mode.

If the update doesn't help, then go to “Settings”, section “Applications” and search for WhatsApp. Then, click on “Uninstall”, go to Google Play, and reinstall the application from the catalog.

Reason #5 - App blocking

According to statistics, in 2023, the share of users under the age of 22 who use VPN services has increased to 42%. VPNs allow you to visit websites and use applications blocked in a number of countries, but in the case of WhatsApp, they can be the cause of its partial or complete malfunction.

If you use a VPN and experience problems with WhatsApp, try turning it off. For some users, this completely solves the problems. If WhatsApp does not work without a VPN in your country, then you should find another service provider or buy the premium version of the program to expand the pool of connections.

The solutions described above allow you to resolve 99% of issues related to WhatsApp's operation. If nothing helped in your specific case, please describe the problem in the comments, and we