WhatsApp Messages Not Sending? How to Fix It (Android and iPhone)

 

WhatsApp Messages Not Sending? How to Fix It (Android and iPhone)

You type a WhatsApp message, press send, and it stays stuck with a small clock icon. Or it shows only one grey tick and never turns into two. Sometimes messages send to one person but not to another, and sometimes nothing sends at all.

This is one of the most common WhatsApp problems, and in most cases it is not a serious fault. It is usually your internet connection, a blocked contact, a wrong date and time setting, or an old version of WhatsApp. Work through the fixes below in order, from fastest to slowest. Most people only need the first three.

Quick answer: First check your internet connection by opening a website or another app. Then check that the person has not blocked you and you have not blocked them. Restart WhatsApp, update it to the latest version, and check that your phone's date and time are set to automatic. If the message is stuck with a clock icon, it has not left your phone yet. If it shows one grey tick, it left your phone but has not reached the other person yet.

First, Read the Tick Marks

The tick marks tell you where the message is stuck.

A clock icon means the message has not left your phone. The problem is on your side: your internet, your WhatsApp, or your phone.

One grey tick means the message left your phone but has not reached the other person's phone. Their phone may be off, they may have no internet, or they may have blocked you.

Two grey ticks mean the message reached their phone. Two blue ticks mean they read it. If your message shows two grey ticks, it was sent. The problem is not sending, it is that they have not read it or replied yet.

illustration-messages-1-tick-marks


Fix 1: Check Your Internet Connection

A message cannot leave your phone without the internet. This is the most common cause.

  1. Open a website in your browser or open another app that needs the internet. If nothing loads, your internet is the problem, not WhatsApp.
  2. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data and try sending the message again. If it sends on one and not the other, the connection is the problem.
  3. Turn on Airplane Mode for 10 seconds, then turn it off. This resets your connection.
  4. Turn off your VPN for a few minutes. A VPN can slow the connection or block WhatsApp from reaching its servers.
  5. Turn off Data Saver on Android. Go to Settings > Network and Internet > Data Saver, and turn it off. Data Saver can stop WhatsApp from sending messages in the background.
  6. On iPhone, turn off Low Data Mode. Go to Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options, and turn off Low Data Mode.
  7. If you are on Wi-Fi, restart your router. If you are on mobile data, check that you still have data left in your plan.
illustration-messages-2-internet-connection


Fix 2: Restart WhatsApp and Your Phone

A small glitch in WhatsApp or your phone can stop messages from sending. A restart clears it.

  1. Close WhatsApp completely. On Android, swipe it away from the recent apps screen. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom and swipe WhatsApp away.
  2. Open WhatsApp again and try sending the message.
  3. If it still does not send, restart your phone. Press and hold the power button, tap Restart, and wait for the phone to turn back on.
  4. Open WhatsApp and try again.

If the stuck message still shows a clock icon after the restart, delete that message and type it again. A message that got stuck during a bad connection sometimes never sends, even after the connection is fixed.

Fix 3: Check If You Are Blocked, or the Contact Is Not Saved

Messages will not send normally if the other person blocked you, or if you blocked them.

  1. Check your blocked list. Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Privacy > Blocked contacts. If the person is there, unblock them if it was a mistake.
  2. Check if their profile photo, last seen, and About text have disappeared. If all three are gone at the same time, they may have blocked you or deleted their account. You cannot fix this from your phone.
  3. Check that the person's number is saved correctly in your phone contacts. A wrong digit, or a number saved without the country code, can stop messages from sending.
  4. If messages send to everyone except one person, the problem is with that one contact, not with your WhatsApp. Ask them to check their own phone and internet.

If you cannot send a message in one group only, you may have been removed from that group. Ask another member to check.

illustration-messages-3-blocked-contacts


Fix 4: Check Your Phone's Date and Time

WhatsApp will not connect to its servers if your phone's date and time are wrong. This is a small setting that causes a big problem.

  1. Go to your phone Settings, then Date and Time.
  2. Turn on Automatic date and time. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Date and Time, and turn on Set Automatically.
  3. Restart WhatsApp and try sending the message again.

If your date is set to the wrong day, WhatsApp may also show the wrong time on your messages, and some messages may appear out of order.

Fix 5: Update WhatsApp

An old version of WhatsApp can have bugs that stop messages from sending. An update fixes most of them.

  1. On Android, open the Google Play Store, search for WhatsApp, and tap Update if you see it.
  2. On iPhone, open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and tap Update next to WhatsApp if it is listed.
  3. Restart your phone after the update.
  4. Open WhatsApp and try sending the message again.

Also check if WhatsApp itself is down. Ask a friend on a different phone to send a message. If their messages are not sending either, WhatsApp may be having an outage. In that case, wait an hour and try again.

Fix 6: Clear the Cache and Free Up Storage

Old temporary files and a full phone can stop WhatsApp from working properly. Clearing the cache is safe. It does not delete your chats.

On Android:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage.
  2. Tap Clear Cache. Never tap Clear Data. Clear Data deletes your chats and local data.
  3. Open WhatsApp and try sending the message again.

On iPhone:

iPhone does not have a Clear Cache button for WhatsApp. Instead, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > WhatsApp, and delete old media you do not need. If the problem continues, check that your phone has at least 1 GB of free space. WhatsApp needs free space to send photos, videos, and even text messages.

illustration-messages-4-clear-cache


Fix 7: Back Up Your Chats, Then Reinstall WhatsApp

Only do this if none of the fixes above worked. Reinstalling WhatsApp fixes problems that an update cannot, but you must back up your chats first, or you will lose them.

  1. Back up your chats. Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup, and tap Back Up Now. Wait until the backup is complete.
  2. If your backup gets stuck, see our guide first: WhatsApp Backup Stuck? How to Fix It (iPhone and Android)
  3. Delete WhatsApp from your phone.
  4. Install WhatsApp again from the Play Store or App Store.
  5. Open WhatsApp, verify your number, and restore your chats from the backup when it asks.
  6. Try sending a message.

If messages still do not send after a reinstall, the problem may be with your phone number or your account. Check that your number is still active and can receive SMS, and contact your mobile network if calls and SMS are also not working.

FAQs

Why is my WhatsApp message stuck on the clock icon?

The clock icon means the message has not left your phone. Check your internet connection first, then restart WhatsApp and your phone. If it still does not send, delete the stuck message and type it again.

Why does my message show only one grey tick?

One grey tick means the message left your phone but has not reached the other person's phone. Their phone may be off, they may have no internet, or they may have blocked you. Wait a while and check again. If it never changes to two ticks, they may have blocked you or changed their number.

Why do my messages send to one person but not to another?

If messages send to everyone except one person, the problem is with that contact. They may have blocked you, their phone may be off, or their number may have changed. Check your blocked list and make sure their number is saved correctly.

Will reinstalling WhatsApp delete my chats?

It will delete your chats if you do not back them up first. Always go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup and tap Back Up Now before you delete WhatsApp. Then restore the backup when you install it again.

Why do my messages send on Wi-Fi but not on mobile data?

Your mobile data may be off for WhatsApp, Data Saver may be blocking it, or you may have run out of data. Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Mobile Data on Android, and make sure mobile data is allowed. On iPhone, go to Settings > Mobile Data and make sure WhatsApp is turned on.

Final Words

A WhatsApp message that will not send is almost always a connection problem, a blocked contact, or a wrong date and time setting. Check your internet first, then restart WhatsApp, then check your blocked list and your date and time. That fixes it for most people. If your problem is with statuses instead, see our guide: WhatsApp Status Not Showing.

Remember the tick marks: a clock means the message never left your phone, one grey tick means it has not reached the other person yet, and two grey ticks mean it was sent. If you see two grey ticks, your message was sent, and the other person simply has not read it yet.

If your backup gets stuck while you fix this, see our guide: WhatsApp Backup Stuck? How to Fix It (iPhone and Android)

For problems with WhatsApp Web, see our other fix: WhatsApp Web QR Code Not Scanning? How to Fix It

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