WhatsApp has become one of the most popular instant messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Its ease of use and reliability are some of the main reasons for its popularity. However, even on WhatsApp, messages sometimes fail to deliver due to technical issues or the recipient’s unavailability. This can be frustrating if your time-sensitive message does not reach the intended recipient. So what exactly happens when your WhatsApp message is not delivered? Let’s find out.
Reasons Why WhatsApp Messages May Not Deliver
There can be several reasons why your WhatsApp message fails to deliver. Here are some of the most common ones:
Poor Internet Connectivity
For WhatsApp messages to deliver, both the sender and receiver need to have an active internet connection. Poor internet connectivity like low mobile data signal or weak WiFi can lead to delayed or failed message delivery. Messages get stuck if there is no connection and only deliver when connectivity is restored.
Recipient’s Phone Offline
If the recipient’s phone is switched off, has no connectivity, or is in aeroplane mode, WhatsApp will not be able to deliver messages to them. The messages remain queued on WhatsApp’s servers until the receiving device comes back online. Once connectivity is restored, queued messages are delivered.
Outdated WhatsApp Version
Using an outdated version of WhatsApp can also lead to undelivered messages. For optimal performance, it is recommended to run the latest WhatsApp version on your device and update whenever a new version is available.
Recipient’s Inbox Full
Every WhatsApp account has a limited message storage capacity. If your recipient’s inbox is full, new incoming messages will remain undelivered until storage space is freed up by deleting old chats and media.
You’re Blocked or Deleted
If the recipient has blocked you or deleted your contact, any messages you send them will not go through. These undelivered messages will not be notified to you anymore.
Banned by WhatsApp
In some cases, WhatsApp itself bans certain accounts from sending messages temporarily if there is suspicious automated messaging activity detected. A ban can also be permanent in case of severe policy violations. Messages from banned accounts will not get delivered.
Expired WhatsApp Account
WhatsApp regularly deletes accounts that have been inactive (unused) for over 120 days. Trying to message an expired account will result in undelivered messages.
Recipient’s Account Temporarily Banned
If the recipient’s account is temporarily banned by WhatsApp due to suspicious activity, your messages to them will remain undelivered during the ban period.
You’re Not a Contact
WhatsApp delivers messages only between saved contacts. If the recipient has not saved your number in their phonebook, your messages may remain undelivered.
What Happens to Undelivered Messages?
When your WhatsApp message fails to deliver due to the recipient’s unavailability, it is not lost forever. The app stores the message on its servers and keeps retrying to deliver it periodically. Here is what happens step-by-step:
Message Remains “Pending”
The message status will show a single tick indicating it is still pending delivery. It will remain in this state on your end until delivery is successful.
Message Stored on WhatsApp’s Servers
The undelivered message is stored encrypted on WhatsApp’s servers for up to 30 days. The encryption ensures the messages remain private.
WhatsApp Tries Again Later
The app attempts to resend the pending message for up to 30 days at periodic intervals. The frequency may vary from every few minutes to up to 12 hours between retries.
Message Delivered Once Recipient Back Online
As soon as the recipient’s device comes back online, WhatsApp delivers the queued message instantly and the status changes to “delivered.”
Message Gets Deleted if Still Undelivered
If the message remains undelivered for 30 days, WhatsApp deletes it from its servers without notifying you. The message stands no chance of delivery after this.
Does Sender Get Notified of Undelivered Message?
Unlike SMS text messages, WhatsApp does not directly notify the sender if a message has failed to deliver. However, there are some indirect ways to identify if your message did not reach the recipient:
Check Message Status
If the message status still shows a single grey tick after prolonged time, it means it is stuck pending delivery.
Double Grey Ticks Don’t Turn Blue
Double grey ticks indicate the message was successfully delivered to the recipient’s device. If these do not turn blue (read), chances are your message was not received.
No Reply
If it is an urgent message and you get no acknowledgement or reply even after hours, it likely did not reach the recipient.
Message Cannot be Edited
On WhatsApp Web/Desktop, if you are unable to edit a message, it means the message was not delivered to the recipient. Delivered messages can be edited.
So in summary, while WhatsApp does not directly notify message senders of any delivery failure, the above signs can help identify if your message did not go through.
How to Fix WhatsApp Messages Not Delivering?
If you notice some of your WhatsApp messages are not getting delivered, you can attempt the following troubleshooting steps to identify and fix the potential cause:
Check Your Internet Connection
Ensure your phone or device has a stable internet connection when sending messages. Changing locations or switching between WiFi and mobile data may resolve connectivity issues.
Update to Latest WhatsApp Version
Having an outdated version of WhatsApp can hamper deliverability. Update to the latest version available in your device’s app store.
Restart Your Phone
Sometimes simply restarting your phone can fix temporary glitches causing message delivery failures.
Clear Cache and Data
Clearing cached data and app data for WhatsApp may help resolve undelivered messages. Just be sure to backup chats first.
Contact Recipient
Check if the problem is on the recipient’s end. Contact them through another medium to rule out issues like their account privacy settings or device storage full.
Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp
As a last resort, uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp on your device can iron out persistent delivery issues not fixed by above steps. Backup chats first.
How to Recover Undelivered WhatsApp Messages?
Unfortunately, there is no native way to retrieve undelivered WhatsApp messages that get deleted from the server before reaching the recipient. Here are some options:
Google Drive Backup
If you have Google Drive backup enabled, check the backup files for retrieving deleted undelivered messages up to the last backup date.
Local Backup Files
Check your phone’s local WhatsApp backups for any undelivered messages that may have gotten backed up before being deleted from server.
WhatsApp Chat History Export
You can also try manually exporting your WhatsApp chat history to extract messages before they disappeared from server.
Third-party Apps
Some third-party apps claim to recover deleted WhatsApp messages from device storage and backups. Use at your own discretion.
Message Sender
As a last option, request the sender to resend any critical undelivered messages if possible.
But ideally, try to avoid message loss by proactively troubleshooting delivery issues before 30-day server deletion whenever you notice messages getting stuck.
How to Prevent WhatsApp Message Failure?
To avoid instances of important messages not reaching recipients, here are some tips:
Maintain Stable Connectivity
Avoid sending messages when connectivity is low or unreliable to prevent delivery issues. Check that you have strong WiFi or cellular data before hitting send.
Set Chat Backup
Enable WhatsApp’s built-in chat backup to cloud or local storage. This provides message recovery options if delivery fails.
Update WhatsApp Frequently
Install WhatsApp updates as soon as available. Updates often contain bug fixes and improvements for message deliverability.
Monitor Message Status
Keep an eye on your messages’ delivery statuses and follow up if any get stuck in ‘pending’ state for too long.
Send Urgent Messages Via SMS/Calls
For extremely time-sensitive communication, opt for SMS or phone calls instead as they are more reliable than internet-based WhatsApp.
Avoid Sending to Inactive Accounts
First verify if recipient account is active before sending important updates to avoid unreceivable delivery failures.
Manage Device Storage
Regularly clear old media, messages to ensure there is enough storage space for receiving new WhatsApp messages and prevent failures.
Conclusion
To wrap up, WhatsApp message delivery failures are usually temporary and can be avoided by maintaining good connectivity, updating the app, managing device storage, setting backups and monitoring message statuses. For urgent communications, fallback to SMS or calls for reliability. While the 30-day expiration means undelivered messages cannot be recovered directly, backups and history exports provide some restoration options if configured in advance before critical message loss. But ideally, identify and troubleshoot any delivery issues proactively within the delivery period to prevent message disappearance. With these handy tips, you can make sure your important WhatsApp messages reach recipients reliably.