WhatsApp messenger has many modern features such as: Native payment solution and video calls andOne-time viewing of self-destructing media And more. All of this comes at the expense of app reliability. Some users are complaining that WhatsApp has stopped responding on their Android phones. If you're experiencing the same error, here are the best ways to fix WhatsApp not responding on Android.
When you open WhatsApp, instead of the home screen with chat threads, the app unfortunately displays a message that WhatsApp is down and unresponsive to your touch input. This can be frustrating, especially when writing a new message or replying to existing messages.
1. Force stop WhatsApp
WhatsApp continues to run in the background to keep you informed of the latest messages, calls, and other activities. If the app isn't working as expected, you'll need to force-quit it and then open it again.
This is similar to force-quitting on Mac and ending a task on Windows using Task Manager. Here's what you need to do on Android.
Step 1: Find WhatsApp on your Android home screen or app drawer.
Step 2: Long press on the app icon and tap on the info button.
Step 3: Open WhatsApp app info and force stop the app.
Confirm your action and open WhatsApp again.
2. Update WhatsApp
Many people don't like to update apps on their Android phones frequently. If you're using an older version of WhatsApp, you should update it to the latest version.
Open the Google Play Store and go to the My Account menu. Under the Updates section, find WhatsApp and update it to the latest version.
Open the latest version of WhatsApp on Android, now you won't face the app not responding error.
3. Clear cache
Every Android app collects cache data in the background to speed up certain processes. This is the nature of Android apps in general. However, a corrupted cache can ruin your day.
WhatsApp on Android may be unresponsive due to an increase in the app's cache size. Let's fix this by following the steps below.
Step 1: Long press on the WhatsApp icon and tap on App info.
Step 2: Tap Storage & cache.
Step 3: Select Clear Cache from the following menu.
Click here to view our WhatsApp articles page.
4. Give unlimited data access to WhatsApp
Are you using an Android phone with data saving mode turned on? This may hinder the functionality of some apps, including WhatsApp.
For essential apps like WhatsApp, you should give them unrestricted data usage to function normally even when data saving mode is on.
Step 1: Long press on WhatsApp and open the app info menu.
Step 2: Go to the Mobile Data & Wi-Fi menu.
Step 3: Enable the Unlimited Data Usage toggle.
5. Get WHATSAPP BETA
Before releasing the final stable version to the public, WhatsApp is testing the version with beta testers.
The company may have fixed the buggy app in the beta version and tested it with a group of beta testers. You can be part of the group from the Play Store.
Open the Google Play Store and search for WhatsApp. From the app's info page, sign up for beta testing, and within a few minutes, you'll receive the latest WhatsApp for Android testing.
Install it, and the WhatsApp not responding error on Android will be fixed.
6. Remove other applications from the background
This method mostly applies to Android phones with 3GB to 4GB of RAM. If you have multiple apps and games open in the multitasking menu, you'll need to remove them so that other apps can open normally on your phone.
The Android operating system is smart enough to temporarily pause background app activity to free up RAM. However, until then, you should remove unnecessary apps from your multitasking list and clear RAM.
7. Remove WhatsApp from screen time
Has the WhatsApp app icon turned gray on your home screen? This is because you've exceeded your screen time limit for using WhatsApp today. You need to remove the screen time limit from the Settings menu to open the app again. Here's how.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on Android.
Step 2: Go to Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls.
Step 3: Click on Dashboard and you will find WhatsApp from the next list.
Step 4: Tap the small timer icon next to the app name and select Delete Timer.
Start using WhatsApp again
WhatsApp not responding on Android may force you to look for alternatives from the Play Store. But then again, you'll have a hard time convincing your contacts to switch chat platforms. Using the steps above, you can easily fix WhatsApp not responding on Android.