WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Its ease of use and reliability make it a go-to choice for staying in touch. However, sometimes WhatsApp messages fail to send or get delivered. There are several potential reasons why this can happen.
Network Issues
One of the most common reasons for undelivered WhatsApp messages is poor network connectivity. WhatsApp relies on an active internet connection to send and receive messages. If the sender or recipient is in an area with weak signal strength or no data connectivity at all, the message will not go through. This could happen when traveling through remote areas, being underground, or being in buildings with signal blocking construction. As soon as the device reconnects to the internet, any pending WhatsApp messages should deliver.
Solutions for Network Issues
- Wait until you’re in an area with better signal strength and your device reconnects to the internet. WhatsApp will reattempt to send any undelivered messages.
- Enable WhatsApp’s offline messaging setting. This will allow the app to store messages locally on your device when internet connectivity is limited. The messages will send automatically once your device is back online.
- Consider using WhatsApp’s email chat feature to send messages to recipients if you know they do not currently have internet access.
Recipient’s Phone Offline
If the recipient’s phone is switched off, has run out of battery, or does not have an active internet connection, WhatsApp will not be able to deliver your message. The app requires the recipient’s device to also be connected to the internet in order to receive your messages. When their device comes back online, your messages will automatically be delivered.
Solutions for Recipient Offline
- Ask the recipient to turn on their device and connect to the internet so that pending messages can be delivered.
- Check if the recipient’s phone number is correct and verified on WhatsApp.
- Wait until the recipient has connectivity again to receive your messages.
Recipient Not Using WhatsApp
If the person you are trying to message does not actually use WhatsApp, they will never receive your messages. WhatsApp can only deliver messages to registered users who have the app installed on their phones. If the recipient you have added as a contact does not have an active WhatsApp account, your messages will remain undelivered.
Solutions for Recipient Not on WhatsApp
- Double check that you have the correct phone number added for the recipient.
- Confirm with the recipient directly whether or not they use WhatsApp.
- Consider using SMS or an alternative messaging app to contact them instead.
Incorrect Phone Number
One simple but common mistake that leads to undelivered messages is typing the wrong phone number for the recipient. If even a single digit is entered incorrectly when adding a new WhatsApp contact, your messages will not reach the intended person. WhatsApp verifies phone numbers through a confirmation code on registration, so messages will only go to the registered user of that number.
Solutions for Incorrect Number
- Double check that you have saved the right phone number for your intended recipient in your contacts.
- Verify the number directly with the recipient to confirm it is correct.
- Check that you have the right country code selected for the recipient’s number.
- Re-add the contact in WhatsApp using the verified number.
Blocked by Recipient
If the recipient has blocked you in WhatsApp, messages you send them will not be delivered. Blocking prevents any messages, calls, or status updates from reaching the blocked user. Your messages will remain stuck with a single check mark and never get delivered.
Solutions if Blocked by Recipient
- Ask the recipient directly if they have blocked you on WhatsApp.
- Try calling the recipient on WhatsApp to check if the call goes through.
- Use an alternative communication method instead of WhatsApp to reach them.
Recipient’s Account Banned
In some cases, a WhatsApp user may find their account banned by the platform, usually due to violations of WhatsApp’s terms of service. If you try messaging a contact whose account is banned, your messages will remain undelivered. Banned accounts get removed from WhatsApp’s servers and can no longer send or receive messages.
Solutions for Banned Recipient Account
- The recipient will need to appeal directly to WhatsApp to get their account unbanned before your messages can be delivered.
- Confirm if the recipient can still use WhatsApp or if their account access has been fully restricted.
- Use an alternate messaging platform to communicate with that contact until their WhatsApp access is reinstated.
Recipient’s Phone Storage Full
If the storage space on the recipient’s phone is completely full, WhatsApp will not be able to store and deliver new messages to it. Lack of adequate storage prevents the app from saving message data and media attachments. The messages will remain stuck in transit until storage space is freed up.
Solutions for Recipient’s Full Phone Storage
- Suggest the recipient clear unnecessary files, photos, apps to free up phone storage space.
- Recommend moving large files and media to cloud storage or external SD card.
- Ask the recipient to uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp to refresh the app’s storage.
Temporary Glitch
Sometimes WhatsApp may suffer from temporary server glitches that affect messaging delivery. Issues like server downtime for maintenance or bugs in a recent app update can sometimes disrupt messages. Usually these are quickly resolved within a few hours and pending messages get delivered when the issues are fixed.
Solutions for Temporary Glitches
- Wait a few hours and check if delivery resumes as normal when the glitch is resolved.
- Update to the latest version of WhatsApp in case an update fixes app bugs.
- Turn your phone’s internet off and back on to reset the connection.
Message Expired
WhatsApp has a time limit on how long an undelivered message remains on its servers before it expires. If a message remains undelivered for 30 days, it gets deleted from WhatsApp’s servers. This could happen if the recipient’s phone was offline for an extended duration. Once expired, the message can no longer be delivered.
Solutions for Expired Messages
- Resend the message if less than 30 days have passed since the original attempt.
- Inform the recipient they may have missed an important message from you.
- As a precaution, follow up with important messages if you do not receive a reply within a few days.
Message Deleted
If you delete a message you have sent before it is delivered, the recipient will never receive it. Deleted messages get permanently removed from WhatsApp’s servers and cannot be retrieved. This also applies if the recipient has messaging backups enabled.
Solutions for Deleted Messages
- Be careful when deleting messages to avoid accidentally removing undelivered ones.
- If needed, resend the message again after deleting the previous attempt.
- Enable WhatsApp’s setting to confirm deletion of messages.
Recipient Limit Reached
WhatsApp has a limit on how many messages an individual user can have waiting to be delivered at one time. This currently stands at 100 undelivered messages. If a recipient has that many pending messages, any new messages will not get sent until some are delivered to make space.
Solutions for Recipient Limit Reached
- The recipient needs to open WhatsApp and receive enough waiting messages to clear space for new ones.
- Avoid sending a flood of messages that could exceed the limit for a single user.
- Stagger sending a high volume of messages instead of all at once.
Sender Limit Reached
Similarly, WhatsApp also limits the number of undelivered messages any single user can have. You will be blocked from sending further messages if you have 100 messages waiting to be received across all your contacts. This is intended to reduce spam abuse.
Solutions for Sender Limit Reached
- Have your contacts open WhatsApp to receive enough pending messages and clear space.
- Avoid mass messaging large groups where many recipients may be offline.
- If needed, delete old undelivered messages to open up space for new ones.
Media Message Too Large
WhatsApp has a maximum file size limit for media attachments like photos, videos, documents, etc. If you try sending a media message that exceeds this limit, it will fail to deliver. The current size limit is 100MB per attachment.
Solutions for Oversized Media
- Check the file size before attaching media to WhatsApp messages.
- Use file compression to reduce the size of large media files.
- Upload or share large files using a cloud service or email instead.
Banned by WhatsApp
In extreme cases, WhatsApp may ban certain users from its platform for violations like sending spam, illegal content, or spreading misinformation. If your account gets banned, you will no longer be able to send or receive messages and all your previous messages will also be blocked.
Solutions if Banned by WhatsApp
- Appeal the ban directly to WhatsApp and ensure you comply with all policies.
- Use alternate communication platforms instead until your account access is restored.
- Create a new account using a different phone number after reviewing WhatsApp’s rules.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp is generally reliable, there are a number of potential reasons messages may fail to deliver or remain unreceived by the intended recipients. Identifying the specific cause can help troubleshoot and resolve delivery issues. Maintaining good network connectivity, accurate contact details, sufficient phone storage, and compliance with WhatsApp policies are key to minimizing problems.
In most cases, undelivered messages can be recovered once the underlying problem is fixed. Persistent delivery failures for multiple recipients may indicate an issue on the sender’s side. With over a billion users, some delivery hiccups are inevitable but WhatsApp’s systems are designed for maximum global uptime and message routing.
| Reason for Undelivered Message | Potential Solutions |
|---|---|
| Poor network connectivity | Wait for signal, use WhatsApp’s offline mode |
| Recipient offline | Wait for recipient to come online |
| Incorrect recipient number | Verify and correct the phone number |
| Recipient blocked sender | Communicate via alternate method |
| Recipient account banned | Recipient must appeal ban |
| Recipient phone storage full | Clear storage space on recipient’s phone |
| Temporary WhatsApp glitch | Wait for WhatsApp to resolve issue |
| Message deleted | Resend deleted message |
| Message expired | Resend undelivered message before 30 days |
| Recipient/sender limit reached | Open received messages to free pending slots |
| Oversized media file | Compress or upload elsewhere |
| Sender account banned | Appeal ban and comply with policies |