WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through text, voice notes, video calls, and more. However, sometimes you may find that one of your WhatsApp contacts becomes locked, preventing you from viewing their profile photo, status, or sending them messages. This can happen for various reasons, like if you haven’t contacted them in a long time, if they changed their number, or sometimes even by accident.
Unlocking a locked WhatsApp contact is possible in most cases by following some simple steps. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover various methods and troubleshooting tips to help you unlock your locked WhatsApp contact and restore communication.
Why Does WhatsApp Lock Contacts?
There are a few main reasons why WhatsApp may lock a contact:
1. Inactive Contact
If you haven’t contacted a particular contact in over 120 days, WhatsApp will automatically lock that contact as inactive. This is mainly done to protect privacy.
2. Number Change
If one of your WhatsApp contacts changes their phone number, their account is essentially detached from your phone. WhatsApp will lock that contact’s old number in your address book.
3. Blocked by Contact
If someone blocks you on WhatsApp, the app will lock your ability to view their profile photo, status, and send them messages. You won’t get notified if you’re blocked.
4. Temporary Glitch
Sometimes contacts become locked randomly due to a glitch or bug in the app. Reinstalling WhatsApp or updating to the latest version can often resolve this.
So in summary, inactive chats, number changes, blocks, and glitches are the main culprits for locked WhatsApp contacts. The good news is that most of these issues can be fixed with a few troubleshooting steps.
How to Tell if a WhatsApp Contact is Locked
Here are the signs that a WhatsApp contact is locked:
– You cannot see their profile picture or status update
– When you tap on their chat, it says “Messages to this contact are blocked”
– Any messages you try to send them fail to deliver
– You don’t see any rings when trying to call them
– Their “last seen” timestamp no longer updates
– You can’t add them to groups
If you notice one or more of these issues when trying to communicate with a contact, they are most likely locked. The next step is figuring out why they are locked and how to unlock them.
Steps to Unlock a Locked Contact
Here are the main methods you can try to unlock a locked WhatsApp contact:
1. Update Your Contacts List
One common reason for a locked contact is that their number changed. Go to your phone’s contacts list and make sure you have their latest number saved. Then refresh your WhatsApp contacts by going into the app’s settings.
2. Reach Out on a Different Platform
Try sending the contact a message on a different chat platform like Facebook Messenger. If they respond, you can ask them to message you on WhatsApp first to reopen chat.
3. Remove and Re-add the Contact
Delete the contact from your WhatsApp by long-pressing the chat and selecting “Delete chat”. Then get their new WhatsApp number and add them as a new contact.
4. Create a Group Chat
Add yourself, the locked contact, and a mutual friend into a new WhatsApp group. This essentially forces the app to unlock them.
5. Ask to be Unblocked
If you think the contact may have blocked you, reach out politely through another platform and ask if they can unblock you on WhatsApp.
6. Clear App Data/Cache
Sometimes a simple app reboot can do the trick. Go into your phone settings, applications, WhatsApp and clear data and cache.
7. Update the App
Make sure you’re running the latest version of WhatsApp. Bug fixes in new versions often resolve contact locking issues.
8. Factory Reset the Phone
As a last resort, backup your phone and do a factory reset. Wipe the phone to eliminate any corrupted data.
Trying all these troubleshooting steps should unlock most locked contacts. Be patient, it may take some time.
Precautions to Avoid Locked Contacts
Here are some tips to avoid having your WhatsApp contacts get locked in the future:
– Periodically reach out to inactive contacts to keep chats fresh
– Promptly save any contact number changes in your phone and WhatsApp
– Avoid getting blocked by being polite in your communication
– Update to the latest WhatsApp version as soon as available
– Back up your chats to protect your data
– Clear app cache and data every few weeks for optimal performance
Following these best practices will help minimize issues with locked contacts going forward.
What to Do If You Still Can’t Unlock a Contact
If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps but are still unable to unlock a WhatsApp contact, here are a few last things to test:
– Try unlocking on a different device like a friend’s phone
– Log out and back into your WhatsApp account
– Contact WhatsApp support for additional help
– Wait and try again later (service downtime can cause issues)
– Switch to a different messaging app to connect with that contact
While rare, some locked contact issues may be permanent if you’ve been blocked or the person no longer uses that number. But in most cases, patience and systematically working through different unlocking methods will get your WhatsApp contacts accessible again.
FAQs about Unlocking Locked WhatsApp Contacts
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about unlocking locked WhatsApp contacts:
How long does WhatsApp take to unlock a contact?
It depends on the cause, but could take a few hours up to a few days. Give each troubleshooting step at least 24 hours before trying another method.
Will a locked contact get my messages if I text them?
No, any messages you send to a locked WhatsApp contact will not go through. Their chat will remain locked until you unlock them.
Can I find out if someone blocked me on WhatsApp?
Not directly, but if your messages fail and their profile and status are hidden, that likely means you’ve been blocked.
Why are my contacts disappearing from WhatsApp suddenly?
If multiple contacts disappear at once, your account may be temporarily banned. This can happen if you violate WhatsApp’s terms of service.
Is there a way to mass unlock all my locked WhatsApp contacts?
Unfortunately no, you have to go through and unlock each one individually based on why that specific contact is locked.
Will my locked contacts unlock if I reset my phone?
Possibly, but only if the locks are due to a device-specific bug. Back up your data first before resetting your phone.
Can I pay to unlock contacts on WhatsApp?
No, and you should avoid any service claiming to unlock WhatsApp contacts for money. This cannot be done externally.
Carefully going through the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide should help you successfully unlock your locked WhatsApp contacts in most cases. Be patient, methodical, and persistent to restore communication.
Conclusion
Having your WhatsApp contacts become locked can certainly be frustrating and concerning. But in most cases, this issue can be resolved by methodically working through different troubleshooting techniques like updating your contacts, re-adding the contact, creating a group, and clearing app data. Be patient as it may take multiple tries over days or weeks for the contact to unlock.
Prevent lockouts in the future by staying in touch with inactive contacts, promptly saving number changes, avoiding blocks, and keeping WhatsApp updated. Back up your data regularly as an extra precaution. With the right systematic approach, you should be able to successfully unlock locked WhatsApp contacts and continue seamless communication.