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WhatsApp Keeps Crashing or Not Working: How to Fix It

Short answer: If WhatsApp crashes, freezes or misbehaves, WhatsApp's own fix list is: check your connection, restart your phone, reopen the app, and free up storage.

TL;DR: quick fix
  1. Check if WhatsApp is down for everyone.
  2. Check your connection: switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or move somewhere with better signal.
  3. Turn your phone off and on again.

Is WhatsApp down?

Before you change settings, check Meta Status. If there's an outage, wait it out.

How to fix it: step by step

  1. Check whether WhatsApp is down for everyone: look at metastatus.com before changing anything.
  2. Check your connection: switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or move somewhere with better signal.
  3. Turn your phone off and on again.
  4. Close WhatsApp completely and open it again.
  5. Free up storage: delete large unused videos and media, and clear WhatsApp's cache (Android: Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage > Clear cache). WhatsApp says clearing cache won't delete your messages or chats.
  6. Update WhatsApp from the App Store or Google Play. If it still fails, back up your chats before reinstalling.

FAQ

Will clearing WhatsApp's cache delete my chats?

No. WhatsApp says clearing the cache won't delete your messages or chats. Clearing app data or uninstalling is different: back up first.

How do I report a WhatsApp bug?

In WhatsApp, go to Settings > Help > Contact us, or use the contact form in the WhatsApp Help Center.

More WhatsApp fixes

Last checked against the official help page: WhatsApp Help Center. Menus can differ by app version; follow the official page if a step doesn't match.

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